From George Washington to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 20 January 1794
To the United States Senate and House of Representatives
United States January 20th 1794.
Gentlemen of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives.
Having already laid before you a Letter of the 16th of August 1793, from the Secretary of State to our Minister at Paris; stating the conduct and urging the recal, of the Minister plenipotentiary of the Republic of France;1 I now communicate to you, that his conduct has been unequivocally disapproved; and that the strongest assurances have been given, that his recal should be expedited without delay.2
Go: Washington
LS, DNA: RG 46, Third Congress, 1793–95, Senate Records of Legislative Proceedings, President’s Messages; DS (in Edmund Randolph’s writing), DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB, DNA: RG 233, Third Congress, 1793–95, House Records of Legislative Proceedings, Journals; LB, DLC:GW. The cover of the draft is addressed to “Colo. Hamilton & General Knox,” with instructions that “The bearer will take the letter from the one to the other gentleman.” Alexander Hamilton’s initials and Henry Knox’s signature appear on the draft under the word “approved,” which Hamilton added beneath the text of the message. Randolph then enclosed the draft with a brief cover letter to GW of 19 Jan. that reads: “E. Randolph has the honor of inclosing to the President, a message, concurred in by all the gentlemen” (DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters).
1. On the administration’s decision to ask for the recall of Edmond Genet, see Cabinet Opinion, 23 Aug. 1793. Thomas Jefferson’s letter to Gouverneur Morris of 16 Aug. was submitted along with GW’s message to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives of 5 Dec. 1793. For Jefferson’s letter to Morris, see , 26:697–715.
2. Morris’s first letter of 10 Oct. and that of 19 Oct. 1793 to former secretary of state Thomas Jefferson revealed that the French government had agreed to recall Genet (, 1:372, 374–75). William Culver, who commanded the sloop Hannah, arrived at Philadelphia with these dispatches in mid-January (Gazette of the United States and Evening Advertiser [Philadelphia], 14 Jan. 1794). For the official notice of Genet’s recall, see Provisional Executive Council of France to GW, 15 Nov. 1793.