551[Diary entry: 25 April 1790] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 25th. Went to Trinity Church, and wrote letters home after dinner.
552[Diary entry: 26 April 1790] (Washington Papers)
Monday 26th. Did business with the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and War, & appointed a quarter before three tomorrow to receive from the Senators of the State of Virga. an Address from the Legislature thereof. The undated congratulatory address of the Virginia legislature is in DLC:GW . GW’s reply, 27 April 1790, is in CSmH .
553[Diary entry: 27 April 1790] (Washington Papers)
Tuesday 27th. Had some conversation with Mr. Madison on the propriety of consulting the Senate on the places to which it would be necessary to send persons in the Diplomatic line, and Consuls; and with respect to the grade of the first. His opinion coincides with Mr. Jays and Mr. Jeffersons—to wit—that they have no Constitutional right to interfere with either, & that it might be impolitic to...
554From George Washington to James Madison, 27 April 1790 (Washington Papers)
If the weather will permit, & Mr Madison’s health suffer him to go out to day, the Presdt would be glad if he would give him a call before he goes to the House. Transcript, MH : Jared Sparks Collection. Madison was ill with influenza during the last week or so of April but was well enough to consult with GW on 27 April about the Foreign Intercourse Act ( Diaries Donald Jackson and Dorothy...
555From George Washington to the Virginia Legislature, 27 April 1790 (Washington Papers)
United States [New York] Gentlemen, April 27th 1790 With a due sense of the affectionate terms in which your affection is conceived, I offer my best thanks for your congratulations on my election to the Chief Magistracy of a free and enlightened Nation. If I have been enabled to make use of whatever abilities Heaven has been pleased to confer upon me, with any advantage to our common Country,...
556To James Madison from George Washington, 27 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
If the weather will permit, & Mr Madison’s health suffer him to go out to day, the Presdt. would be glad if he would give him a call before he goes to the House. Tr ( MH : Sparks Transcripts).
557[Diary entry: 28 April 1790] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 28th. Fixed with the Secretary of State on places & characters for the Consulate but as some of the latter were unknown to us both he was directed to make enquiry respecting them. Sent the nominations of two Officers in the Customs of North Carolina, and one in the place of Mr. Jacob Wray of Hampton in Virginia—who has requested to resign his appointment to the Senate for their...
558From George Washington to the United States Senate, 28 April 1790 (Washington Papers)
United States [New York] Gentlemen of the Senate April 28th 1790 I nominate George Wray to be Collector of the port of Hampton in the State of Virginia in the place of Jacob Wray resigned: also John McCullough to be Surveyor of the port of Swansborough in the District of Wilmington and William Benson to be Surveyor of the port of Windsor in the District of Edenton, both in the State of North...
559[Diary entry: 29 April 1790] (Washington Papers)
Thursday 29th. Received from the joint Committee of Congress two Acts for my approbation & Signature—viz—one for “Regulating the Military Establishment of the United States” and the other “An Act for the Punishment of certain crimes against the United States.” Fixed with the Secretary of State on the present which (according to the custom of other Nations) should be made to Diplomatic...
560From George Washington to La Luzerne, 29 April 1790 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 17th of Janry, replete with politeness to myself & useful informations respecting public affairs, has but lately been received. In making my acknowledgments for the distinguished place I hold in your remembrance & for the obliging terms in which you allude to my conduct in war & peace; I should do injustice to conceal the favorable sentiments which were always entertained by...
561[Diary entry: 30 April 1790] (Washington Papers)
Friday 30th. Conversed with the Secretary of the Treasury, on the Report of the Secretary at War’s propositions respecting the Conduct of the State of Georgia in selling to certain Compa[nies] large tracts of their Western territory & a proclamation which he conceived expedient to issue in consequence of it. But as he had doubts of the clearness of the ground on which it was proposed to build...
562From George Washington to the Delegates of the State Societies of the Cincinnati, May 1790 (Washington Papers)
To the Delegates of the State Societies of the Cincinnati assembled at their triennial Meeting. Gentlemen Although it is easier for you to conceive, than for me to explain the pleasing sensations which have been excited in my breast, by your congratulations on my appointment to the head of this rising Republic: yet I must take the liberty to thank you sincerely for the polite manner in which...
563[May 1790] (Washington Papers)
May 1st. Exercised in the Coach with Mrs. Washington & the Children in the forenoon & on foot in the afternoon. Mr. Alexr. White, representative from Virginia, communicated his apprehensions that a disposition prevailed among the Eastern & northern States (discoverable from many circumstances, as well as from some late expressions which had fallen from some of their members in the Ho.) to pay...
564[Diary entry: 1 May 1790] (Washington Papers)
May 1st. Exercised in the Coach with Mrs. Washington & the Children in the forenoon & on foot in the afternoon. Mr. Alexr. White, representative from Virginia, communicated his apprehensions that a disposition prevailed among the Eastern & northern States (discoverable from many circumstances, as well as from some late expressions which had fallen from some of their members in the Ho.) to pay...
565[Diary entry: 2 May 1790] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 2d. Went to Trinity Church in the forenoon—writing letters on private business in the Afternoon—Among other letters one by my order to Genl. Moylan, to know if he wd. accept the Consulate at Lisbon, as it was not proposed to give Salaries therewith.
566[Diary entry: 3 May 1790] (Washington Papers)
Monday 3d. Exercised on horseback about 9 Oclock. After my return, the Secretary of the Treasury called upon, and informed me that by some conversation he had had with Mr. King (of the Senate) it appeared that there was a probability the Senate would take up the Sales by the Legislature of Georgia, and the Affairs of the Indians which would be involved therein in a serious manner, and gave it...
567[Diary entry: 4 May 1790] (Washington Papers)
Tuesday 4th. Exercised in the forenoon on Horse back. A respectable Company at the Levee to day.
568[Diary entry: 5 May 1790] (Washington Papers)
Wednesday 5th. Requested General Rufus Putnam—lately appointed a Judge in the Western Government and who was on the eve of his departure for that Country to give me the best discription he could obtain of the proximity of the Waters of the Ohio & Lake Erie—the nature of their Navigations—Portages—&ca.—Also of the occurrences in the Country—the population of it—Temper of the people &ca. &ca....
569[Diary entry: 6 May 1790] (Washington Papers)
Thursday 6th. Exercised on horseback in the forenoon. The following, out of several others who were invited, but prevented by sickness, dined here—viz.—Mr. Wingate, Mr. Maclay, Mr. Walker (of the Senate) and Messrs. Gilman, Aimes, Genl. Muhlenburg, Wynkoop, Page and Lady, Smith So. Carolina & Lady, and Mr. White & his Lady of the House of Representatives. William Maclay noted in his diary that...
570[Diary entry: 7 May 1790] (Washington Papers)
Friday 7th. Exercised in the forenoon. Endeavoured through various Channels to ascertain what places required, and the characters fittest for Consuls at them. As the House of Representatives had reduced the Sum, in a Bill to provide for the expences of characters in the diplomatic line, below what would enable the Executive to employ the number which the exigencies of Government might make it...
571[Diary entry: 8 May 1790] (Washington Papers)
Saturday 8th. Exercised in the Coach with Mrs. Washington & the Children in the forenoon. Received from Genl. Knox Secretary Genl. of the triennial Genl. Meeting of the Cincinnati held at Philadelphia the first Monday of this Month, the Copy of an Address from that body to me to which I was to return an answer on next. The address of the triennial meeting of the Society of the Cincinnati, 4...
572[Diary entry: 9 May 1790] (Washington Papers)
Sunday 9th. Indisposed with a bad cold, and at home all day writing letters on private business. GW’s cold rapidly developed into pneumonia. Local physicians Dr. Samuel Bard, Dr. Charles McKnight, and Dr. John Charlton were summoned to the president’s bedside, but in spite of their efforts GW grew steadily worse. On 12 May, William Jackson wrote to Clement Biddle in Philadelphia enclosing a...
573[Diary entry: 10 May 1790] (Washington Papers)
Monday 10th. A severe illness with which I was seized the 10th. of this Month and which left me in a convalescent state for several weeks after the violence of it had passed; & little inclination to do more than what duty to the public required at my hands occasioned the suspension of this Diary.
574From George Washington to the United States Senate, 25 May 1790 (Washington Papers)
United States [New York] Gentlemen of the Senate, May 25th 1790. I nominate the following persons to fill the offices affixed to their names—viz. Samuel Jasper, to be Surveyor of the Port of Currituck-Inlet in the State of North Carolina. Nathaniel Wilkins, to be Collector of the Port of Cherry Stone in the State of Virginia, in the place of George Savage, who has resigned. Henry Deering, to...
575From George Washington to the United States Senate, 31 May 1790 (Washington Papers)
United States [New York] Gentlemen of the Senate, May 31st 1790 M. de Poiery served in the American Army for several of the last years of the late war, as Secretary to Major General the Marquis de la Fayette, and might probably at that time have obtained the Commission of Captain from Congress upon application to that Body. At present he is an officer in the French National Guards, and...
576From George Washington to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, 1 June 1790 (Washington Papers)
Having received official information of the accession of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations to the Constitution of the United States, I take the earliest opportunity of communicating the same to you, with my Congratulations on this happy event, which unites under the general Government all the States which were originally confederated; and have directed my Secretary to lay...
577From George Washington to the United States Senate, 2 June 1790 (Washington Papers)
United States [New York] Gentleman of the Senate, June 2nd 1790. The Troops at present in service consisting of one regiment of Infantry and one Battalion of artillery were apportioned by the acts of the former Congress on the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; and as the Officers of said troops are in actual service, I nominate them, as in the list...
578From George Washington to Lafayette, 3 June 1790 (Washington Papers)
Your kind letter of the 12th of January is, as your letters always are, extremely acceptable to me. By some chance its arrival had been retarded to this time. Conscious of your friendly dispositions for me and realising the enormous burden of public business with which you was oppressed, I felt no solicitude but that you should progress directly forward and happily effect your great...
579From George Washington to David Ramsay, 3 June 1790 (Washington Papers)
A copy of your history of the american Revolution has been presented to me by Mr Allen of this city, in compliance as he informs me with your orders. I therefore beg, Sir, that you will accept my acknowledgments and best thanks for this mark of polite attention, from which I expect to derive much pleasure and satisfaction in the perusal, with very great esteem, I am Sir, your most obedient...
580From George Washington to Arthur Fenner, 4 June 1790 (Washington Papers)
In acknowledging the Rect of your Excellency’s letter of the 20th of May, I cannot forbear to congratulate you and the people of your State upon the happy event which has since taken place by the adoption and ratification of the Constitution of the United States by the Convention of Rhode Island. Having now attained the desireable object of uniting under one general Government all those States...