1To Alexander Hamilton from Benjamin Hawkins, 16 February 1791 (Hamilton Papers)
I have just received an authentic copy of the Resolutions of the general assembly of North Carolina which I shewed to you in a news-paper some time past, containing among other Items the following instructions to the Senators from that State. “Resolved that they strenuosly oppose every excise and direct taxation law should any be attempted in Congress.” Being of Opinion that the Constitution...
2To Alexander Hamilton from Benjamin Hawkins, 26 November 1791 (Hamilton Papers)
The legislature of North Carolina will soon be in Session, and I think it of considerable importance, that they should be informed of the Reasons Why you have refused to that State, the right , claimed by their executive, to subscribe their certificates or notes, issued prior to the first of January 1790, and received into the treasury. I therefore request the favour of you to give me such...
3To Alexander Hamilton from Benjamin Hawkins, 11 March 1794 (Hamilton Papers)
[ Philadelphia, March 11, 1794. On March 12, 1794, Hamilton wrote to Hawkins : “I have received your Note of Yesterday.” Letter not found. ] Hawkins was United States Senator from North Carolina from November, 1789, to March, 1795.
4To George Washington from Benjamin Hawkins, 10 June 1784 (Washington Papers)
I have the honour to enclose to your Excellency some acts passed the last Session of our Legislature—by which you will see in some measure the disposition of this State to comply with the views of Congress; as well as, to grant such further powers as may render the Confederation more competent to the purposes of the Union. The Act for levying our proportion of one million five hundred thousand...
5To George Washington from Benjamin Hawkins, 4 November 1790 (Washington Papers)
I have been informed within a few days of the death of Mr Stokes judge of this district: another of course must be appointed. When I had the honour of conversing with you on the subject of appointments upon the extension of the Laws of the Union to this State, I informed you that the gentleman you then nominated to this trust was incontestably the most respectable and respected law character,...
6To George Washington from Benjamin Hawkins, 25 April 1791 (Washington Papers)
I came here from North Carolina the 31st of March under the expectation of the pleasure of meeting you. It being necessary that I should attend to some business interesting to an Orphan of a friend and it being probable that the season is too far advanced for your journey I shall this day return. I found on my arrival in North Carolina the people pretty generally disposed to think favourably...
7I: Benjamin Hawkins’s Notes on the Debate in the United States Senate, c.3 Jan. 1792 (Washington Papers)
S——te, on the agency it ought to have in judging of the expediency of sendg M——rs abroad. Resolution—“That in the opinion of the S——te it will not be for the interest of the U.S. to appoint M——rs Ple——y to reside permanently at Foreign Courts.” Mr. Haw[kins]—Doubts the P—— right to decide on the measure without the previous advice of the Se——te. Sees embarrassments in negativeing the character...
8To George Washington from Benjamin Hawkins, 27 January 1792 (Washington Papers)
I this day drew the attention of the Senate to the evident impropriety in publishing their Executive proceedings. I stated in as strong a point of view as I was capable of, the injustice and impolicy of suffering ourselves to become dupes to the foreign public characters resident at the seat of Government; by detailing in conversation any part of our proceedings. Our Secretary was imprudently,...
9To George Washington from Benjamin Hawkins, 10 February 1792 (Washington Papers)
Prompted by the free and candid manner you expressed yourself on political affairs to me some days past, I shall without reserve, communicate to you the reasons which enduced me yesterday to vote for striking out the second section in the bill which I enclose to you. That I may be understood throughout I must take a retrospect on indian affairs for some years back. During the war we...
10To George Washington from Benjamin Hawkins, 16 March 1792 (Washington Papers)
As I make it a rule to give my assent to all military nominations without enquiry, and shall continue to do so, so long as a military Judge shall be President of the United States; I hope it will not be deemed indelicate in me to offer the opinion of an individual, which has resulted from reflections on the conversation I had last evening with you. Colo. Lee as a military man certainly...
11Benjamin Hawkins to Tobias Lear, 26 November 1792 (Washington Papers)
No. 37 N. Carolina 26 novr 1792 On the same day you applied to me, I had a conference wth Mr Johnston and the representatives from N. Carolina the result of which this day is that Thomas Overton of More County or Henry Waters of [New] Hanover is equal to the appointment contemplated by the President. Overton was I believe of the rank of Major in the line of the late Army, and of the State of...
12To George Washington from Benjamin Hawkins, 11 January 1793 (Washington Papers)
I send you herewith the papers mentioned this morning. Mr [Robert] Morris acknowledging himself in the Senate, a party concerned, (and as such, would not vote) moved to postpone the consideration of the last memorial, assigning as the reason, “that the Indians in question, would soon be in this city, that the company meant to apply to them, on the subject, and had reason to believe, that they...
13To George Washington from Benjamin Hawkins, 20 February 1793 (Washington Papers)
There being a proba[bi]lity that an accommodation of our differences with the Northwestern Indians is to be effected by treaty in the course of the expected negotiations with them: Or their enmity placed in so strong a point of view, as to endure a general acquiescence in the measures, which must of necessity be persued, by the government, to compell them to embrace such equitable terms, as...
14To George Washington from Benjamin Hawkins, 21 January 1794 (Washington Papers)
The gentleman who wrote the inclosed I have long known his character is unexceptionable, he is a brother of the late Colo. Richd Henderson, who purchased Kentuckey, one of the Royal Judges of North Carolina: He resides in the interior part of the State and is a native of it. I have no other intimation of the intention of Mr Thomas than this from Mr Henderson. With the most respectful...
15To George Washington from Benjamin Hawkins, 28 May 1795 (Washington Papers)
Judging from my long acquaintance with and attachment to you, I have decided that a letter from me would not be unacceptable. Since ⟨my⟩ return from Philadelphia, I have been at Halifax during the session⟨s⟩ of one of our sup⟨erior⟩ circuit courts; and at two or three other places of public resort; and I am happy to be able to inform you, that much of that impurity which manifests itself...
16To George Washington from Benjamin Hawkins, 4 November 1798 (Washington Papers)
The bearer of this, Mr Silas Dinsmoor is agent of the Cherokees, and one of those chosen to carry into effect the benevolent plan devised by you, for bettering the condition of the Indians in the southern parts of the United States. He is going on a visit to the Secretary of War, and will pay his respects to you. It is with pleasure I recommend him to you, as a man who has faithfully and ably...
17To John Jay from Benjamin Hawkins, 6 October 1789 (Jay Papers)
I have taken the liberty to enclose the letter for M r . Jefferson to you, it contains some seed of the Dionaea Muscipula, which I have procured for him. Our Convention are to meet on the 3 rd . monday of november, and it is expected that there will be a majority in favour of the Constitution. The opponants are secret but steady in their opposition Our change is owing more to the Character of...
18To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, 9 August 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover missing. Addressed to “The Hon’ble Mr. Maddison.” Long after JM received the letter, probably he or someone at his bidding placed a bracket at the close of the fourth paragraph. If JM meant that the first four paragraphs should be included in the earliest published collection of his papers, his wish was disregarded by Henry D. Gilpin, perhaps because the...
19To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, 4 September 1784 (Madison Papers)
I returned from Congress to Carolina in February was elected one of the representatives for the County I live in, and served in the spring session. All the requisitions of Congress were fully complied with except the one for our proportion of one million five hundred thousand dollars in addition to the five Pcent: the act for this purpose establ[ished?] has the principle laid down by Congress...
20To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, ca. 6 December 1787 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. ca. 6 December 1787, Tarborough. Mentioned in Hawkins to JM, 14 Feb. 1788 . Reports the time set for the election and meeting of the North Carolina ratifying convention.
21To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, 14 February 1788 (Madison Papers)
A neighbour of mine who is a Wheelwright called last sunday to see me; he told me he had been reading for some days past the New-Constitution, and Richard Henry Lee’s letter, and he wished me to answer him some questions. They were the following literally Is Mr. Lee thought to be a great man? Is he not a proud passionate man? Was he one of the Convention? Could it be from Ignorance or design...
22To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, 1 June 1789 (Madison Papers)
I have had the pleasure to receive your favour of the 5th of may, with the report of the committee, and the newspapers, and I can assure you I concur in every thing and from the bottom of my heart. The Character of the president, will give dignity and energy to our government, and will together with the favourable appearances stated by you tend to reconcile all parties to it. I, having know[n]...
23To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, 3 [July] 1789 (Madison Papers)
I arrived a few days past from Wilmington, and had an opportunity of hearing the sentiments of a number of people in five counties through which I traveled who were originally opposed to the new government. They have, most of them, changed their opinions, and are now friendly to it. I am anxious to know the fate of your attempt to mend the constitution, and whether anything can, with...
24To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, 27 August 1789 (Madison Papers)
I have had the pleasure to receive yr. favour of the 24th June. Our Elections ended on saturday last, and appearances as far as I can learn, are decidedly federal, in the County where I live, they were violent in the opposition, and now have changed, I was elected by a large majority, Colo. Davie who attends our court, is in for Halifax, they are all from the town and County federal, Mr....
25To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, 27 November 1801 (Madison Papers)
I have several times since your appointment to the office you now hold determined to write to you, not to congratulate you on being Secretary of State, that would be folly, as I deemed it a necessary consequence of the change of principle manifested by the public will; but to put you in mind of an old acquaintance your friend who has had an erratic Arab life for five years among the Indians...
26To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, 13 January 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
13 January 1803, Fort Wilkinson. Introduces the bearer, William Hill, who has lived with Hawkins as an assistant in the Creek agency “for nearly five years, is a very honest man and worthy of your friendly attention.” Unable to have the pleasure of seeing JM himself, Hawkins has directed Hill to call “and detail to you the occurrencies in this quarter, that you may form some idea of the Arab...
27To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, 11 July 1803 (Madison Papers)
I have had the pleasure to receive your favour by Mr. Hill, and am glad that you have had the opportunity of hearing from so honest a man a plain detail of occurrences in this quarter. You must have seen the issue of some interesting occurrences in this agency during the winter and spring in my communications to the war office. I was a good deal agitated during this period ’till after I had,...
28To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, 11 March 1811 (Madison Papers)
General Mathews and the gentleman with him arrived here on the 9th. spent yesterday with me and set out this morning for Fort stoddert. They are in good health and well fixed for traveling. He revealed to me the object of his mission, and seems pretty confident of success. I told him to call on me, and all under my authority, to aid and assist him if necessary. He was sincerely impressed with...
29To James Madison from Benjamin Hawkins, 13 October 1811 (Madison Papers)
I have had the pleasure my Dear friend to receive your favour of the 18th July. To a man of my standing with you there was no need of the frank declaration you have made to ensure a continuance of my confidence in your political conduct and to convince me that you are invulnerable in that part where you have been so violently assailed. I had known but little of the character of Mr. Smith and...
30To Thomas Jefferson from Benjamin Hawkins, 14 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
The queres you gave me I have put into the best possible train to be answered considering the class of people from whom that kind of information is to be obtained, and I expect returns will be made to me this summer. The Languages I was particularly attentive to during my residence at the Treaties and among some of the Tribes, and I shall send you a vocabulary of the Cherokee and Choctaw...