George Washington Papers

From George Washington to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 12 January 1790

To the United States Senate and House of Representatives

United States [New York] January 12th 1790

Gentlemen of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives.

I lay before you a statement of the south western frontiers, and of the Indian Department which have been submitted to me by the Secretary for the Department of War.1

I conceive that an unreserved, but confidential communication of all the papers relative to the recent negociations with some of the southern tribes of Indians is indispensibly requisite for the information of Congress—I am persuaded that they will effectually prevent either transcripts or publications of all such circumstances as might be injurious to the public interest.

Go: Washington

LS, DNA: RG 46, First Congress, Records of Legislative Proceedings, President’s Messages; LB, DLC:GW.

1For the enclosures in GW’s letter to both houses of Congress, see Henry Knox to GW, 4 Jan. 1790, and notes.

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