From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 29 July 1795
To Edmund Randolph
Mount Vernon 29th July 1795
Sir,
The contents of your letters of the 21 & 24th instt wch I recd by Monday’s Post1—the importance of some of their enclosures; and the perturbed state of Mens minds, respecting the late treaty with G. Britain, togethr with the proceedings in some of the principal Towns to embarrass the business have determined me to repair to the Seat of government if I hear nothing from you between this & Monday next to render it unnecessary. Two reasons, delay my setting out previous to that Day—the first is, the uncertainty I shall be in (until I hear from you, subsequent to your receipt of my letter of the 24th instt) whether you may not be on the road to this place2 yourself and 2d because a genl meeting of the Potomack Company—on important business—is to be held in Alexandria on Monday next at which I am much pressed to be.3
The Proclamation is herewith enclosed;4 along with it you will receive the Resolutions of the Town of Portsmouth (New Hampshire) similar to those of Boston & New York. & the counter proceedings of Chamber of Commerce in the last mentioned place to those which I forwarded to you, from thence, by the Mail of Tuesday.5 I also return, under cover of this letter the draught of the Memorial & the rough of a ratification.6 These are very important papers; & with the Instructions which follow, will require great attention & consideration & is the primary cause of my returning to Phila. Mr Jaudenes will, in spite of himself, be arrogant & inconsistent perhaps a closing letter to him on the subt of negotn may not be amiss. Mr Monroe’s Letter & the enclosures are among the Papers which I send you.7 with esteem & regard I am Yours
G.W.
P.S. Mr Adets answer is such an one as I expected. Do with the French letter herewith enclosed whatsoever is proper.8
ADfS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB, DNA: RG 59, GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State.
1. The preceding Monday was 27 July.
2. The letter-book copy does not have the three previous words.
3. The general meeting of the Potomac Co. convened at Georgetown on 3 Aug. and was adjourned from day-to-day until 6 August. In addition to electing the president and board of directors and reviewing accounts, the attendees voted to begin charging tolls on the Potomac River above Great Falls, to begin a process that could lead to tolls on the Shenandoah River, to postpone decision on a claim against the company by Henry Lee, and to issue one hundred additional shares of stock to raise revenue (DNA: RG 79, Proceeding of the General Meetings of the Potowmack Company, 1785–1796; see also GW to Tobias Lear, 5 Aug., and n.2 to that document).
4. For the proclamation of amnesty to the western Pennsylvania insurgents, see Randolph to GW, 21 July, n.3. A formal proclamation appeared in the newspapers beginning 6 August.
5. For the resolutions, see Portsmouth, N.H., Citizens to GW, 17 July. GW referred to the addresses he received from Boston citizens, 13 July; New York citizens, 20 July; and the New York Chamber of Commerce, 21 July. The address from New York citizens had been forwarded to Randolph with GW’s letter to him of 27 July.
6. For the memorial, see Randolph to GW, 20 July, n.4. It and the draft ratification had been sent to GW with Randolph’s second letter of 24 July.
7. GW presumably was returning the copy of James Monroe’s letter to Randolph of 14 April, which Randolph had enclosed with his letter to GW of 21 July, and commenting on the translation of a letter from José de Jaudenes, Spanish commissioner to the United States, that Randolph had sent with the same letter.
8. GW probably was referring to the letter from Pierre-Auguste Adet (not identified) that Randolph had enclosed with his letter to GW of 21 July. The French letter has not been identified.