1. Lear’s letter to Tate states that the president “has directed me to inform you, that it does not lay with him to accept your offer of attending the Commissioners who are shortly to negociate a treaty with the Southern Indians. It is left to the Commissioners to take such persons with them as they may think are necessary, or will be serviceable to them. With respect to your application for a military command at some of the posts on the frontiers, if it should be thought necessary to establish any; The President has directed me to inform you, that it will come under consideration, with others of a similar nature, whenever such an establishment may take place; but at the same time; he observes that he has made it a general Rule to hold out no encouragement to persons who have made application to fill offices, which might keep them from other persuits, that when he is called upon by Law to make nominations he may feel himself free from every restraint or embarrassment” (DLC:GW). For Tate’s earlier application for support for a foreign venture, see his letter to GW, 3 Aug. 1789.