To George Washington from Brunswick District, Va., Citizens, 24 August 1795
From Brunswick District, Va., Citizens
[24 Aug. 1795]
The deputies Elected by the Citizens of Mecklenburg Lunenburg, Brunswick and Greensville to report to the President of the United States their Opinions of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce Lately Concluded at London between John Jay and Lord Grenville, Met at Brunswick Courthouse on the 24th day of August 1795.
To wit. Lewis Burwell, Major General Hopkins, William Delony, Thomas Field, William Cowan, Henry Stokes, Peter Garland, Waddy Street, Philip W. Jackson, Thomas Claiborne, William Ruffin, Charles B. Jones, William Stokes, Thomas Washington, Thomas Cocke, Joseph Wilkins, John Goodwin, William Wilkins, and John Rosser.
Major General Hopkins was Unanimously chosen Chairman, and George H. Baskervill Secretary to the meeting— The aforesaid Treaty was considered and the following address agreed to.1
To George Washington President of the United States
Sir
We the Deputies of the District of Brunswick elected by the Citizens thereof for this express purpose, do respectfully report the Opinions of our Constituents as follow, that at a time when a Matter of Great and public Concern is under consideration, they deem it their Right, and in this Instance their Duty, to express their Sentiments thereupon—The present Treaty between the United States and the King of Great Britain they view as such, and it is with regrett they find, that the Terms held forth by it to the Citizens of the United States are such, that consistant with their Honour and Interest, they ought not to accept. Rights rendered Sacred by the constitution of the Union are thereby invaded—a Right to enjoy the Soil within the United States is derived to those, who so far from being obliged to give a pledge of their faith to it’s Government, may have pledged allegiance to the King of Britain which may remain Unimpaired, contrary to sound and Just policy2—The commerce of the United States (independant of the 12th Article) are restrained within limits as Humiliating as they are Injurious.3 and here we cannot forbear Observing the influence the 3rd Article of the Treaty must necessarily have upon an important Branch of interior Traffic, and the valuable Article of fur, entering so deeply, into our own, thereby, in the result, transferred to foreign Manufacture—Uncertainty with its attendant inconveniences and Dangers, in the important matter of national boundary Unecessarily admitted;4 the present and future prosperity and repose of the Citizens of the United States we fear will be deeply affected, the above Sir contains only a few of those reasons which exist, to Convince us of the Safty, and propriety of refusing to ratify this Treaty, those reasons have been enumerated in many addresses already made to you on this subject, which renders it unecessary to be repeated by us. We therefore Sir, most ardently hope you will withold from the said Treaty your Signature and Ratification.5
by order of the Deputation.
Saml Hopkins Chairman
G. H. Baskervill Secretary
DS, signed by Hopkins and Baskervill, DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW.
Samuel Hopkins, Jr., sent the proceedings of the meeting under a cover letter to GW dated 25 August. In his letter, Hopkins asked that the president “accept my Sincearest wishes for a Continuance of your Health, & an increase of Your public & Domestic Happiness” (ALS, DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW). The address was printed in the Aurora General Advertiser (Philadelphia), 14 Sept., along with resolutions commending the “virtuous minority” who opposed ratification, U.S. Sen. Stevens Thomson Mason of Virginia for making the treaty public, and Hopkins and Baskervill for their leadership of the meeting. A fourth resolution directed that the address be transmitted to GW and published in the Petersburg, Va., newspaper.
1. Lewis Burwell had represented Mecklenburg County in the Virginia House. Samuel Hopkins, Jr. (1753–1819) had represented Mecklenburg County in the Virginia House for several terms and at the 1788 convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution. He later represented Kentucky in Congress. William Deloney represented Mecklenburg County in the Virginia House at this time. William Cowan represented Lunenburg County in the Virginia House in 1793 and 1798–1800. Henry Stokes had represented Lunenburg County in the Virginia House. Peter Garland represented Lunenburg County in the Virginia House at this time. Thomas Claiborne (1749–1812) was the district’s congressman. William Ruffin and Thomas Washington represented Brunswick County in the Virginia House at this time. Charles Binns Jones (1766–1797) had represented Brunswick County in the Virginia House and was at this time county clerk. Joseph Wilkins and John Goodwyn represented Greensville County in the Virginia House at this time. Thomas Field, Philip W. Jackson, and George H. Baskervill were from Mecklenburg County. Waddy Street and William Stokes were from Lunenburg County. Thomas Cocke and John Rosser were from Greensville County. “William Wilkins,” apparently Greensville County planter William Wyche Wilkins (1768–1840), had lost to Goodwyn in a bid for the Virginia House in 1792.
2. See Articles II and IX of the Jay Treaty.
3. The delegates were probably referring to the restriction in Article XIII.
4. See Articles IV and V.
5. GW replied to Hopkins on 14 Sept.: “It must be already generally known that my decision upon the treaty had been made before the Deputies of Brunswick held their meeting. However, I have seen no reasons either before or since the Treaty received my assent which shake my deliberate opinion, that in ratifying the treaty I have consulted the true interests of my Country.
“It would have been pleasing to me to have found a universal concurrence of my fellow Citizens in the same opinion: and I flatter myself that what diversity of sentiment exists will daily diminish” (LB, DLC:GW).