61From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 27 June 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Post of friday—to Alexandria—brought me your dispatches of the 22d instant. Mr Adets answer to your communication, relatively to the Capture of the Ship Mount Vernon, leaves the matter as undecided as before; and his reserve may, it is to be feared, be considered as a collateral evidence of the truth of the information I handed to you in my last, and contributes to shew the necessity of...
62From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 29 June 1796 (Washington Papers)
(Private) Did Mr Liston furnish the letter you asked of him, in favor of Cap: Talbots agency, to the West Indies? Has any representation been made to him, independent of that application, consequent of the evidence you have recd of the Impressment of our Seamen? When I left Philadelphia, it was expected, & from Mr & Mrs Liston themselves, that they were to follow us in ten days; and allowing a...
63From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 1 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 27th ulto is received. I am sorry Mr De Witt, from the competency of his abilities to discharge the duties of the Office of Surveyor General, declines accepting it. Colo. Tinsley’s recommendations, go more to the respectability of his character, than to his scientific knowledge. The first is essential, but not sufficient without the other. I will obtain the best information...
64From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 4 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
The Spanish Minister, Mr de Yrujo, spent two days with me, and is just gone. I caused it to be intimated to him, that as I should be absent from the Seat of the Government until the middle, or latter end of August, that I was ready to receive his letter of credence at this place. He answered (as I understood it) that his credentials were with his Baggage, on its passage to Philadelphia; and...
65From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 8 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
(Confidential) My letters to the Secretary of the Treasury of the 4th & 6th Instant, with the present enclosure, conveys fully the sentiments of the Attorney General with respect to the best mode of executing the Act “For the relief and Protection of American Seamen.” He has, since his opinion was transmitted in the above letter of the 6th, consulted two of our most eminent Lawyers, in these...
66From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 13 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
(Private & confidential) Yesterday, I was informed by a Gentleman from Richmond, that Mr Dawson was gone on to Philadelphia in order to embark for France; and about an hour ago, I received a letter of which the enclosed is an extract from a well informed acquaintance, & a stanch frd to his country. What, or whether any thing can with propriety be done in consequence of this information, must...
67From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 18 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
Private If there be any thing yet to do , which can with propriety be done, towards fulfilling the several Treaties which the United States have entered into (without specifically naming them) it is my desire that there may be no delay in the execution: and if upon examining of them carefully, any matters should be found therein requiring the attention of either of the other Departments, that...
68From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 20 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letters of the 12th & 13th instant, with their enclosures, were received by Mondays Mail, the 18th. The duplicate Commission for John Trumbull; the blank Commissions for the Revenue Officers; and the Patents passed by the Attorney General; are all signed & returned under cover with this letter. The want of funds to carry on Commerce with the Indian Tribes (agreeably to a late Act of...
69From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 25 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
Private Your private letters of the 19th 19th, and 20th instant have been duly received. The request of Mr J. Jones, to forward his letter to Colo. Monroe, is opposed to the speedy departure of Mr D—— for France; and yet the Gentleman who gave me the information spoke of it as a matter not doubtful: but added indeed (a circumstance I did not mention in my former letter) that it was on Mr Swan...
70From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 25 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letters of the 18th and 19th instant were received by fridays Post the 22d. If the answer which you returned to the Minister of the French Republic, to his enquiry relative to the prohibition of the sale of Prizes, brought by French armed Vessels into the Ports of the United States; should, as it ought, preclude any reply, it would be very agreeable: but it has not been found, that where...
71From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 27 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your two letters—both bearing date the 21st instant—with their enclosures, were received by the last Mail to Alexandria. It would have been unfortunate, and much indeed to have been regretted, if the French government had had as great cause of complaint against the conduct of the United States, as they have shewn a disposition to complain. It was natural to expect, tho’ it was not easy to...
72From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 27 July 1796 (Washington Papers)
Private Your private letter of the 21st instant has been received. Mr Monroe, in every letter he writes, relative to the discontents of the French government at the conduct of our own, always concludes without finishing his story, leaving great scope to the imagination to divine what the ulterior measures of it will be. There are some things in his correspondence, & your letters, which I am...
73From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 1 August 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letters of the 26th and 27th Ulto were received by the Post on friday last. Forwarding without further direction, the Commission appointing Mr Davis Attorney for the District of Massachusetts in place of Mr Otis, after satisfactorily ascertaining those points which had occasioned the hesitation, was perfectly conformable to my intention. I rejoice to find by the account you have given of...
74From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 5 August 1796 (Washington Papers)
Private Your private letters of the 29th & 30th have been received. If Mr Churchmans account respecting the broken seal of Mr Monroes letter, to the Department of State be true, it bespeaks the man of candour, and does him credit; but I do not see why, when called upon, he should require time to consider whether he should relate the truth—or “give a certificate that might excite suspicions of...
75From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 10 August 1796 (Washington Papers)
Private The last Post brought me the enclosed letter from General Pinckney. It becomes necessary now to prepare Instructions for him without delay. To bring him fully and perfectly acquainted with the conduct and policy of this government towards France &c. and the motives which have induced the recall of Mr Monroe. As this measure will excite, when known, much speculation; and set all the...
76From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 2 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
I thank you for your private letter of this date, & will arrest the talk intended for the Cherokee Indns until it can be further considered. For this purpose I send the one I have just received from you, back again; with a request that you would pursue the remarks you have begun; and let me have them as soon as you can, conveniently, in the morning; that I may be possessed of them before I see...
77From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 10 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed is approved, and if there is any Authentic ground to go upon, it ought to be extended to the case of Captn Jessup by strong & solemn expostulation or remonstrance. This conduct of G. Britain cannot, must not be suffered with impunity. ALS , ViMtvL . See Pickering to GW, this date . After receiving GW’s reply, Pickering wrote a second letter to Rufus King, U.S. minister to Great...
78From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 28 September 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letters of the 17th 20th & 20th instant, have been received. Enclosed you have a Warrant on the Secretary of the Treasury for two thousand dollars for contingent purposes, agreeably to your request. ’Tis well to learn from Mr Monroe’s own pen, “that he trusted the French Councils relative to us were fixed, & that he should hear nothing more from the Directory on the subject he had...
79From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 10 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 5th instant with its enclosure, came to hand by Friday’s Post. The extracts therein, produced both pleasure & pain—the former at hearing that our Citizens are; at length released from their unfortunate confinement in Algiers; the latter to find that others of them have fallen into a similar situation at Tunis; contrary to the Truce, & to the arrangement made with Mr...
80From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 17 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 11th instant was received by the last Post. Expecting to be at the Seat of Government by the first of next Month (if my Drivers, who have been sick are able to proceed) I shall be concise in this letter. My Sentiments relatively to the appointment of Mr Benja. Bourne, to be District Judge for the State of Rhode Island, were communicated to you in my last, and it is with...
81From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 19 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
The letter from Mr King to you, is herewith returned. In your dispatches to him, he ought to be instructed to remonstrate in strong terms against those arbitrary & oppressive Acts of the B: Ships of War & Privateers, of which we have so often complained to little effect; and to press for redress. The moment for doing these is favorable: self respect and justice to our Citizens (especially our...
82From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 21 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 15th came duly to hand. Fortune seems to have declared for us, hitherto, in the Election, or more properly Selection & ballotting, for the odd Commissioner, under the Treaty with G.B.—But something must be done, & I presume immediately, to supply Mr Trumbull’s place as Agent in the other business, to which he was appointed. I wish most ardently that the flames of war were...
83From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 25 October 1796 (Washington Papers)
The enclosed letter came under cover to me from the Sister of General Pinckney. Not knowing whether he had Sailed or not, she took this method of forwarding of it to him—and I request you to do this by the first good Conveyance. I am Yours Affectly P.S. I shall commence my Journey for Philadelphia this afternoon—but business will detain me one day at least in the Federal City. ALS , PHi :...
84From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 4 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
As it is very desireable that the papers respecting the discontents of France should be got into Congress, and sent also to Mr Pinckney as soon as possible; if you mean to give the other Gentlemen a perusal of the statement for the latter, it would save time if this was done as you are proceeding towards the close of that Statemt. It is questionable whether the present, and pressing avocations...
85From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 9 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
Not having seen the conclusion of your Statement for Genl Pinckney (if completed); and not knowing in what manner you propose to sum it up; it has occurred to me that, closing with some such sentiments as the following, might not be improper. That the conduct of the United States towards France has been, as will appear by the aforegoing statement, regulated by the strictest principles of...
86From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 14 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have given the draughts of the letters to Messrs Pinckney—Humphreys—and Adams an attentive perusal, and approve of their contents. It might however be better, to soften some of the strong expressions in the letter which is addressed to the first of those characters; or to convey them in Cypher, lest they should (which is not improbable) fall into hands they are not intended for. and might it...
87From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 3 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
At the conclusion of my public employments, I have thought it expedient to notice the publication of certain forged letters which first appeared in the year 1777, and were obtruded upon the public as mine. They are said by the editor to have been found in a small portmanteau that I had left in the care of my Mulatto servant named Billy, who, it is pretended, was taken prisoner at Fort Lee, in...
88From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 14 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
The pressure of business in the last days of my administration, occasioned my dispatching the enclosed Instrument to the Commissioners of this City without the Seal of the United States (as certified); and I should not have known it wanted this evidence, had not those Gentlemen (upon my arrival here) informed me of the omission. I now forward it for the purpose of having this defect remedied;...
89From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 10 April 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 5th instt with its enclosures, and also one of prior date, forwarding (at the request of Doctr Edwards) a Pamphlet from Sir John Sinclair have come duly to hand. For your kindness in sending these, & particularly for the information given in your letter of the 5th I feel myself very much obliged. The conduct of the French Directory towards General Pinckney is, I believe,...
90From George Washington to Timothy Pickering, 28 April 1797 (Washington Papers)
Owing to my not sending to the Post Office in Alexandria with the regularity I used to do whilst I was in the exercise of public duties, I did not receive your favor of the 21st instt until yesterday:nor have I before, acknowledged the receipt of your letter of the 11th, which also came safe. Not expecting to have much business to transact in Philadelphia I appointed no Agent there; and if...