To John Jay from Rufus King, 5 January 1794
From Rufus King
Philadelphia 5. Jan 1794
Dear Sir
I gave to Mr. Kent a copy of the correspondence between Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Genet, and requested him to deliver it to you—1 inclosed you have a copy of Mr. Genets instructions which he has published2— the measure proposed to the president in the Letter to Mr. Jefferson prefixed to the instructions, has been declined in a suitable manner, and the Copies were returned—
You will have perceived by the news papers that Mr. Jefferson has resigned, & that Mr. Randolph has been appointed to succeed him3— No person is yet named as Successor to Mr. Randolph, nor am I able to conjecture on whom the appointment will be conferred— it is said that Ingersoll, du Ponceau, & Thomas,4 have been engaged by Mr Genet, to devise and conduct his Prosecutions— with sincere Esteem & Respect I am &c
Rufus King
ALS, NNC (EJ: 06685). Enclosure not found.
1. New York lawyer James Kent (1763–1847), at this time a professor of law at Columbia College. The letters given him may have included Genet to TJ, 16 Dec., enclosing Genet to ER of the same date, and TJ to Genet, 18 Dec., enclosing TJ to ER of that date. , 27: 367, 527, 583, 587; printed in translation in the Federal Gazette, 24 Dec. 1793, along with ER to Genet, 18 Dec., declining to prosecute JJ and RK but advising him to consult other lawyers should he be determined to proceed.
2. Genet enclosed selected correspondence and extracts of his instructions in his letter to TJ of 20 Dec. 1793. See Edmond Charles Genet, The Correspondence between Citizen Genet, Minister of the French Republic, to the United States of North America, and the Officers of the Federal Government, to which are Prefixed the Instructions from the Constituted Authorities of France to the Said Minister. All from Authentic Documents (Philadelphia, 1793; , no. 25496), published also in various newspapers, including Philadelphia Gazette, 3 Jan.; Edward’s Baltimore Daily Advertiser, 9 Jan.; Maryland Journal (Baltimore), 13 Jan. 1794; Frederick J. Turner. ed., “Correspondence of the French Ministers to the United States,” American Historical Association, Annual Report, 1903 (Washington, D.C., 1904), “Supplement aux Instructions Données au Citoyen Genêt, Ministre Plenipotentiare de La Republique Française Pres des Etats Unis de L’Amerique,” 2: 208–9; , 27: 593–94.
3. In his letter to GW of 31 July 1793, TJ had announced his plan to resign as secretary of state at the end of September 1793; GW prevailed upon him to continue until the end of the year. After TJ resigned on 31 Dec., ER was appointed secretary of state on 2 Jan. 1794; he was succeeded as attorney general by William Bradford Jr. See , 16: 393–94, 659–60; the Diary (New York), 4 Jan. 1794.
4. Peter S. Du Ponceau, Jared Ingersoll, and Joseph Thomas of Philadelphia.