151From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 27 July 1795 (Washington Papers)
My letters for the Post office in Alexandria, had been sent off some hours before the enclosed dispatches were put into my hands, by the young Gentleman whose name is mentioned in Govr Clintons letter to me, also forwarded. Not willing to lose a Post day, I hasten to send the resolutions above alluded to, late as it is, to Alexandria; to go on tomorrow— with a request similar to the one made...
152From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 29 July 1795 (Washington Papers)
The contents of your letters of the 21 & 24th instt wch I recd by Monday’s Post —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 &...
153From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 29 July 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your private letters of the 24th & 25th instant have been received, and you will learn by the official letter of this date, my determination of returning to Philadelphia after Monday, if nothing in the interem casts up, to render it unnecessary. I am excited to this resolution by the violent, and extraordinary proceedings which have, and are about taking place, in the Northern parts of the...
154From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 31 July 1795 (Washington Papers)
On Wednesday evening, I sent the packet, now under cover with this, to the Post Office in Alexandria; to be forwarded next morning at the usual hour (4 oclock) by the Baltimore mail; but behold! when my letter bag was brought back from the Office and emptied I not only got those which were addressed to me among which yrs of the 27th was one, but those also wch I had Sent up the evening before....
155From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 3 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
No mail, at two oclock yesterday, had been received in Alexandria from Philadelphia since the 29th Ulto. I am sending up this afternoon to see if the expected mail of this day is in; altho’ I have little hope of it, as the violence, & continuance of the rains since thursday last, has been such, in these parts, as to sweep every thing before it; & to do great damage to the gathered & growing...
156From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 4 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
The messenger, who was sent yesterday afternoon to the Post-Office in Alexandria, returned without letters: the Mails not having arrived. Some hours after my Messenger was dispatched for Alexandria, the Richmond production was delivered to me by Express: sent for that purpose. They have out gone all that has gone before them: but the meeting, according to the acct given by the Express, was not...
157From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 20 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
Your resignation of the Office of State, is received. Candour induces me to give you, in a few words, the following narrative of facts. The letter from Mr Fauchet, with the contents of which you were made acquainted yesterday, was as you supposed, an interscepted one. It was sent by Lord Grenville to Mr Hammond; by him put into the hands of the Secretary of the Treasury; by him shewn to the...
158From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 22 August 1795 (Washington Papers)
Agreeably to your request & my promise, and as soon as it has been in my power, I send you a copy of Mr Fauchet’s letter No. 10 to the “commissaire du départment des relations extêrieures.” LB , DLC:GW . For Randolph’s request and GW’s promise, see Randolph to GW, 19 Aug. (first letter), and GW to Randolph, 20 August. For discussion of then-French minister Jean-Antoine-Joseph Fauchet’s letter,...
159From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 27 September 1795 (Washington Papers)
I have lately received three letters from you: two bearing date the 15th instant; the other the 21st. One of the former came to hand the 19th, the other the 21st —and the latter yesterday. Your signature as Secretary of State to the ratification of the Treaty having been given on the 14th of August —and your resignation not taking place until the 19th it became necessary, in order to be...
160From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 21 October 1795 (Washington Papers)
In several of the public Gazettes I had read your note to the Editor of the Philadelphia Gazette, with an extract of a letter addressed to me of the 8th instant; but it was not until yesterday, that the letter itself was received. It is not difficult, from the tenor of that letter, to perceive what your objects are; but that you may have no cause to complain of the withholding any paper...
161From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 8 January 1782 (Washington Papers)
You will add to the obligations under which you have already laid me, by taking the trouble to transmit the inclosed to the speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. I am happy in having so good an opportunity, as that which now offers by Capt. la Touche, of forwarding the letter to the Marquis de la Fayette. I am not a judge of the Etiquette upon these occasions, but it really does seem odd...
162From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 25 December 1782 (Washington Papers)
By the last Post I recd a letter from Mr Lund Washington (who lives at my Seat, & takes care of my business in Virginia) Inclosing a Letter from Jno. Francis Mercer Esqr. to him, with a decree of the High Court of Chancery in Virginia ordering the Bonds &ca in my hands to be delivered to the Said Mr Mercer who was required to give Bond & sufficient Security to comply with certain Provisos. in...
Your Excellency’s ^ Letter ^ was delivered ^ to ^ me this morning. The interpretation of the Council appears to me to be right. I however regret that there was room for doubt; for in my opinion the command of American Vessels should be confined to American Citizens. I have the honor to be with great Respect & c . LbkC , DNA: Domestic Letters Domestic Letters of the Department of State,...
164From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 31 March 1792, enclosing Report to the Board of Trustees of the Sinking Fund, 31 March … (Jay Papers)
The Chief Justice of the United States presents his compliments to the Attorney General, and requests the favor of him to lay before the Board of trustees, the opinion herewith enclosed, on the question stated in their act of the 26th instant, a copy of which the Chief Justice yesterday received, enclosed in the letter which the Attorney General did him the honor to write on the 29th instant....
165From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 23 June 1794 (Jay Papers)
I had the Honor to write to you a few Lines at Falmouth on the 9 th . instant mentioning my having arriv’d there the preceeding evening:— that Letter was committed to the care of our Consul M r . Fox:— He expected to forward it by the Active Capt. Blair who was soon to sail for Phil[adelphi] a . but whose departure has been unexpectedly prolong’d to this time. On the 15 th . I arriv’d here,...
166From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 6–8 July 1794 (Jay Papers)
The Letters which since my arrival I have had the Honor of writing to you, are as follows.— 9 th . June at Falmouth, left with our Consul there to transmit by the Active Cap tn . Blair for Phil a .— & the 23 d : June by M r . Francis, of which I also sent a Duplicate by the Mohawk. Cap tn . Allan to New York, & 26 June by the same— On the 27 th
167From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 12 July 1794 (Jay Papers)
I had yesterday the Honor of seeing Lord Grenville— He assured me that no unnecessary Delays should retard a full Discussion of the points in Question; and observed that the new arrangement of the ministry involved the necessity of Time for their being all informed and consulted. In this assurance I have perfect confidence. we had an informal Conversation relative to Simcoe’s hostile measure—...
168From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 2 August 1794 (Jay Papers)
I had the Honor of writing to you on the 31 ult: That Letter was sent to Falmouth in Hopes it would reach Doct r . Edwards before he sailed from Hence for Boston. He went from here on Tuesday last. I enclose a copy— That Letter mentioned my having presented an official Representation to Lord Grenville on the Subject of Spoliations &c a . to which his Lordship had given me Reason to expect an...
169From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 13 September 1794 (Jay Papers)
Hitherto my Letters have communicated to you but little information of much importance, except on one point;—Altho all the general objects of my Mission were opened at once, & were received with every indication of the same Candor & Disposition to Agreement with which they were stated, yet the Nature of the Business turned the imediate & more particular Attention of both parties to the Affairs...
170From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 13 September 1794 (Jay Papers)
I have had the pleasure of recieving yours by M r Fisher. He called when I was from Home. Then directly afterwards I was so engaged in public Business, that I could not return his visit immediately. The moment I could find Liesure for the purpose, I called with Col. Trumbull at his Lodgings; and was mortified to learn that he had just gone to Liverpool. I hope on his Return to see him, and...
171From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 14 September 1794 (Jay Papers)
Mr. Morris will, together with this, deliver to you a long Letter from me dated Yesterday— The Negociation proceeds: and I now have some Reason to hope, that the Business of the north western Corner will be so managed as to cease to be an obstacle to agreement— I have proposed that the further Discussion of that Matter be postponed until accurate Surveys of the River be made, by joint...
172From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 19 November 1794 (Jay Papers)
The long expected Treaty accompanies this letter;— a probability of soon concluding it has caused the Packet to be detained for more than a week;— The difficulties which retarded its accomplishment, frequently had the appearance of being insurmountable; they have at last yielded to modifications of the Articles in which they existed, and to that mutual disposition to Agreement which reconciled...
173From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 21 November 1794 (Jay Papers)
On the 19 th Inst. a Treaty was signed— the next Day it was, together with my letters to You, N o . 21—22—& 23. despatched to the Packet at Falmouth, which had been detained.— I now send You duplicates of them all, by M r . Blaney, a Gentleman of Virginia, recommended to me by Gov[erno] r . Lee. The earliest advices from you will be expedient. There are articles in this Treaty which will give...
174From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 2 February 1795 (Jay Papers)
It occurs to me that I have omitted to inform you that after signing the Treaty, I took the three first opportunities which offered of writing to our Minister at Paris, “that it contained an express declaration that nothing contained in it, should be construed or operate against existing Treaties between the United and other powers.[”] The following are Copies of those Letters— It gives me...
175From John Jay to Edmund Randolph, 6 February 1795 (Jay Papers)
I was yesterday honored with yours of the 3 d . Dec r last. our Vessels here being confined by Ice, I think it best to send you some Dispatches by the Packet. In considering the Treaty, it will doubtless be remembered that there must be two to make a Bargain. We could not agree about the Negroes. was that a good Reason for breaking up the negociation? I mentioned in a former Letter that I...
176From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 1 May 1781—Misdated (Madison Papers)
Letter misdated. 1 May 1781 [ 2 ]. Three of the earlier editions of the papers of JM printed portions of his letter, allegedly written on 1 May 1781, to Edmund Randolph, attorney general of Virginia and delegate from that state in Congress beginning on 14 June 1781 ( Madison, Papers [Gilpin ed.] Henry D. Gilpin, ed., The Papers of James Madison (3 vols.; Washington, 1840). , I, 90–93; Madison,...
177From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 22 January 1782—Misdated (Madison Papers)
Letter misdated. 22 January 1782[3]. The manuscript of this document is now missing. A printed copy is in Madison, Papers (Gilpin ed.) Henry D. Gilpin, ed., The Papers of James Madison (3 vols.; Washington, 1840). , I, 111–12. Many years after writing the letter, JM selected at least a portion of it for inclusion in the earliest edition of his papers. Either JM misdated the letter a year too...
178From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 9 April 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). The cover is missing, but the contents permit no doubt that JM was writing to Randolph. I had promised myself the pleasure of a line from you by this post but find by a letter from Mr. Jameson that you had not arrived at Richmond at the time of writing for it. I have inclosed to Mr. J. the paper of this morning which contains all the news current without doors....
179From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 23 April 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). The words written by JM in the official cipher are italicized in the present copy. Although the letter is incomplete, the missing portion apparently contained only a few concluding words and JM’s signature. I am at length assured of your safe arrival at your destination by your favor of the 11 continued on the 13th. The little necessity I understand there was for...
180Account with Edmund Randolph, [ca. 1 May] 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). At the top of this undated, torn, and water-stained scrap of paper, Randolph wrote “Madison to Randolph E.” On the reverse of the sheet, “J. Madison” appears twice in Randolph’s hand and also a “32.” What this numeral connotes is unknown. Being sharp in outline, the “3” can hardly be a vestige of an “8” which, in combination with the “2,” might have represented the...
181From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 1 May 178[2] (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Madison, Papers [Gilpin ed.] Henry D. Gilpin, ed., The Papers of James Madison (3 vols.; Washington, 1840). , I, 90–93; and Madison, Letters [Cong. ed.] [William C. Rives and Philip R. Fendall, eds.], Letters and Other Writings of James Madison (published by order of Congress; 4 vols.; Philadelphia, 1865). , I, 43). The third paragraph of the letter, as here printed, is taken...
182From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, [7] May 1782 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Madison, Papers [Gilpin ed.] Henry D. Gilpin, ed., The Papers of James Madison (3 vols.; Washington, 1840). , I, 125–26). The enclosed gazette details all the information which we have received relative to the parliamentary advances towards a negotiation with the United States. The first reports which issued from the packet which brought them, were of a very different...
183From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 14 May 1782 (Madison Papers)
Tr ( LC : Madison Papers). Above the date line of his transcription, the anonymous copyist wrote “To Edmund Randolph.” Someone also unknown, while checking the four pages of copy against the now missing original, interlineated two omissions (see nn. 9 and 10) and then wrote at the top of the first page, “a Duplicate letters both corrected the same Sep 14, ’38.” See Papers of Madison William T....
184From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 21 May 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). The cover is missing, and the name of the addressee is not shown in the letter. Docketed in Randolph’s hand, “J Madison May 21. 1782.” JM’s autograph list of letters from “JM. to E. Randolph” ( Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (4 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , III, 100–101 , editorial note)...
185From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 28 May 1782 (Madison Papers)
Excerpt ( Madison, Papers [Gilpin ed.] Henry D. Gilpin, ed., The Papers of James Madison (3 vols.; Washington, 1840). , I, 130–34). The manuscript has not been found. Only the last two paragraphs of the text, probably in cipher in the original, are printed here, because the rest of the letter is identical with the one which JM wrote to Joseph Jones on the same date, except for the personal...
186From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 29 May 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Addressed, “Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Docketed, “J. Madison Jr. May 29. 1782.” The inclosed letter was put into my hands several weeks ago. As I found by looking into it that it related to a subject decided on in the case of Col. Carrington, and which wd. be communicated by him to Majr. Pierce, I thought it unnecessary to transmit it by the Post. This is the...
187From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 4 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). In the second volume of this collection, beginning with folio 73, are four pages of a letter written by JM and dated “June 4th. 1782.” Although the cover is missing, the contents permit no doubt that Randolph was the addressee. Folio 42 of the third volume of JM’s manuscripts in the Library of Congress seems to be an additional page containing a postscript to the...
188From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 6 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Lacks complimentary close and signature but is in JM’s hand. Docketed, “J. Madison. June 6. 1782.” Addressed: “Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond. Favd. by Mr. Webb.” Mr. Webb being detained till this morning I enclose you the gazette of it. You will find a singular extract from Lord North’s Butchet. The Speech was delivered on the 11th. of March. It must have been Mr....
189Barbé-Marbois Letter Written with Jm’s Collaboration, 9 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Pennsylvania Packet , 11 June 1782; also Virginia Gazette Virginia Gazette, or, the American Advertiser (Richmond, James Hayes, 1781–86). , 22 June 1782). David C. Claypoole, editor of the Packet , introduced the letter to his readers with this foreword, probably supplied by JM: “The following Extract of a Letter written from Philadelphia, by a Gentleman in Office to one of the...
190From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 11 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Docketed, “J. Madison, Phil: 11. June 1782.” Words written by JM in the official cipher are italicized. I have your favor of the 1st. instant. I hope you received mine altho you do not acknowledge them. My punctuality has not been intermitted more than once or twice since your departure, and in no instance for a considerable time past. I have written so fully...
191From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 18 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). The cover is missing and the letter is not docketed. I recd. no letter from you yesterday nor shall I receive any for that week unless it be through the channel of Rivington’s Gazette, the Post having been robbed of his mail on Saturday eving last in Maryland. I hope your letter did not contain anything not in Cypher which is unfit for the public eye. The policy...
192From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 25 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned letter in JM’s hand. The cover is missing. Randolph wrote his own name in the lower left-hand margin of the first page of the manuscript. Probably many years later JM or someone at his bidding placed a bracket at the beginning of the first paragraph and another bracket at the close of the fifth paragraph to designate that portion of the letter for...
193From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 2 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Docketed, “James Madison. 2d July 1782.” The cover is missing. The italicized words are those that JM wrote in the official cipher. The confidential & circumstancial communications in your favor of the 20th. of June have afforded me much pleasure. Those which relate to the scheme of garbleing the delegatetion were far from surprizing me. In...
194From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 9 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned letter in JM’s hand. The cover is missing. Docketed by Randolph with his own name only. The italicized words are those written by JM in the official cipher. Late in his life JM or someone by his direction bracketed the first and third paragraphs of this letter, thus designating them for inclusion in the first edition of his papers ( Madison, Papers [Gilpin...
195From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 16 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Docketed by Randolph, “July 16. 1782.” The cover is missing. What may have been a brief complimentary close and signature are too faded to be legible. The italicized words are those written by JM in cipher, except in the one instance mentioned in n. 10. For the passage which he encoded in the Lovell rather than the official cipher, see n. 27. Many years after writing...
196From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 23 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). The letter lacks a complimentary close and signature. Words italicized in the next to last paragraph of the letter were written by JM in the Lovell cipher. The cover is franked by “J. Madison Jr.” and addressed by him to “The honble Edmund Randolph Esqr Richmond.” For a time the cover was used as a wrapper for a number of letters, because it is docketed by Randolph,...
197From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 30 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Docketed by Randolph, “July 30. 1782.” Cover missing. The italicized words are those written by JM in the Lovell cipher. I was not mistaken in my intimation that an attack would be made on the last commission and instructions relative to peace [.] on Wednesday last the motion was made by M—r Lee and seconded by
198From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 5–6 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Docketed by Randolph, “Js. Madison Aug 5–6. 1782 contains Lovell’s cypher.” Words italicized in the first paragraph were written in James Lovell’s cipher, those following “Augst. 6th.” in the official cipher. For the use of these codes, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (5 vols. to date;...
199From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 9 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover franked by “J. Madison Jr.” and addressed by him to “The honble Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond by Express.” Docketed by Randolph, “1782, Aug. 9.” Extract of a letter from Carlton & Digby to Gen Washington. Augt. 2. “We are acquainted Sir by Authority, that negociations for a general peace have already commenced at Paris & that Mr. Grenville is invested with...
200From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 13 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). JM addressed the cover, “The honble Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” The docket, in Randolph’s hand, reads “J. Madison Jr April 13. 1782.” Except where otherwise noted, words italicized in the letter were written by JM in the official cipher. Subsequent to his recovery of the letter in 1821, JM lined through “April 13” with ink and beneath it wrote “August 13.”...