Thomas Jefferson Papers
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To Thomas Jefferson from Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., 27 December 1793

From Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr.

27. Decr. 1793

By the Presidents direction Bw. Dandridge sends the enclosed Letter and the papers therein mentioned, to The Secy. of State—and has the honor to inform the Secretary that the President wishes if any thing is necessary to be done in consequence thereof, the Secretary will take such steps as he may conceive to be proper.

RC (DLC); at foot of text: “The Secry. of State” endorsed by TJ as received 27 Dec. 1793. Enclosures: (1) Jean Baptiste Cassan to Thomas Mifflin, 24 Dec. 1793, intimating that the governor should prevent the Peggy from departing for Britishoccupied Môle St. Nicolas or Jérémie with French emigrants from Saint-Domingue in order to spare France from having to exercise its right under the law of nations to seize any ship that was either carrying aid to rebels or was bound for a port under blockade or siege (Tr, consisting of extract enclosed in Alexander J. Dallas to Nathaniel Falconer, Master Warden of Philadelphia, 27 Dec. 1793, in PHarH: Secretary’s Letterbooks; full text not found). (2) Alexander J. Dallas to Cassan, 26 Dec. 1793, stating, as secretary of Pennsylvania, that although the general government would not allow a military expedition against any of the belligerents to be formed on United States territory, it would allow the emigrants from Saint-Domingue to return to their homes or to go anywhere else peacefully, that he would submit Cassan’s letter to the President for his instructions, and that he would inform the owners of the Peggy of the risks to which they will be exposed according to Cassan’s letter. (3) Mifflin to George Washington, Philadelphia, 26 Dec. 1793, enclosing Nos. 1 and 2 and stating that the sentiments expressed in the latter corresponded with those contained in a recent letter he had received from Henry Knox (Trs in same). See also Washington, Journal description begins Dorothy Twohig, ed., The Journal of the Proceedings of the President, 1793–1797, Charlottesville, 1981 description ends , 274.

Cassan, the French vice-consul at Philadelphia, raised the issue of the Peggy again in a 30 Dec. 1793 letter to Governor Mifflin, who replied on the following day that the “answer” he had provided in the form of Enclosure No. 2 listed above was “the only one my official situation permits me to give.” On the same day Mifflin sent the President this latest exchange of correspondence with Cassan, together with a report by Falconer on “the real destination” of the Peggy (Mifflin to Cassan, and to Washington, both 31 Dec. 1793, PHarH: Secretary’s Letterbooks).

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