From George Washington to Arthur Lee, 20 November 1780
To Arthur Lee
Head Quarters Passaic Falls 20th Novr 1780
Sir,
I am much obliged to you for the suggestion you do me the favour to make in your Letter of the 11th, as I shall at all times be for any others which may occur to you advancive of1 the public Service.2
I am so entirely convinced of the absolute necessity of a large and immediate foreign aid of money, to the continuanc⟨e⟩ of the War, that I should be happy to do any thing I could with propriety to promote it. I impart to you in confidence, that I have in the most explicit manner given my Sentiments on this head ⟨to⟩ the Minister of France here, and if my opinion can have a⟨n⟩y influence with the Court of Versailles, I imagine3 it will be known through this channel4—A more direct communication might appear an intrusion and an interference in matters out of my province.
I am happy to hear Congress have this important object under consideration—I perswade myself they will urge it with all the emphasis ⟨in⟩ their power and in the form most likely to succeed—If the⟨re⟩ should be any thing which I could contribute to the success of the application, I should certainly think it my duty to giv⟨e⟩ all the aid in my power. I have the honor to be ⟨very s⟩incerely & with real respect & esteem Sir, Yr Most Obedt & Hble Servt
Go: Washington
ALS, CSmH; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. Mutilated or obscured material on the ALS is supplied in angle brackets from the draft, which GW’s aide-de-camp Alexander Hamilton penned after GW wrote the dateline.
1. On the ALS, Hamilton wrote “conducive to” under the previous two words.
2. See Lee to GW, 11 November.
3. On the draft, Hamilton wrote and struck out “flatter myself” before writing this word.
4. French minister La Luzerne had conversed with GW in September and October (see Nathanael Greene to GW, 23 Sept., n.4; see also Greene to GW, 31 Oct., n.8).