To George Washington from Pierce Butler, 6 June 1791
From Pierce Butler
Charleston [S.C.] June the 6th 1791
Dear Sir
soon after Your departure I received the inclosed letter from Genoa 1—it came under Cover of one to me that I send with it—If You shall at any time hereafter think proper to Nominate a Consul at Genoa I believe the person in question as elligible as any foreigner to be got. He is very strongly recommended to me by the first Banker in that City; and by other respectable persons.
I beg leave to mention to You, that I had early in the second Session of Congress wrote to Itally and Holland for information on the subject of public Loans to the United States; to those letters I have only now received explicit answers; from these I have the fullest Conviction that Loans may be obtained for the United States on more Advantageous terms than are proposed by the Commissners in Holland to Mr Short; and which they by letter inform me that He has agreed to. I mention this for Your own information only—not wishing to have my Name spoken of in this business, because it woud in future prevent the Commissioners in Holland from Communicating to me as freely as they do at present, the State of Money transactions there—When I have the honor of seeing You I will shew You the proposals made to me from a Quarter that admits of no doubt.
I hope Sir You get well Home and feel no inconvenience from Your Journey.2 I have the honor to be, with great respect and sincere Attachment—Dear sir Yr Most Obedt humble servant
P. Butler.
ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB, ScU.
1. GW dined at the Charleston residence of U.S. Senator Pierce Butler three days before leaving the city on 9 May 1791. The enclosure was Genoese merchant Gaetano Drago de Domenico’s letter of 24 Dec. 1790 to GW. Domenico’s cover letter of 24 Dec. 1790 to “the Honorable Peter Buttler Philadelphia” notes that he has renounced for the present his hopes of being appointed American consul at Genoa after hearing from a friend in Amsterdam that “Congress reserves itself to think on this point” and concludes: “Inclosed I take the liberty to remit you a few Lines for the Venerable President Washington: I leave the thought to your Wisdom to make use of them Should you think it proper, & not forsee too much boldness in this step of mine: to you I hold myself reccommended, & I dare say if you will allow me your benevolence, it will be at every time Justify’d & acknowledged by my proceedings (DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters).
2. GW gave this letter and its enclosures to Thomas Jefferson, who docketed the former: “not answered.”