The Undersigned, Agents of the State of New York on the one and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the other Part, having mutually agreed under the Direction of Congress that the Honorable Robert Hanson Harrison of the State of Maryland Esqr., the honorable John Rutledge of the State of South Carolina Esqr., the Honorable George Wythe, the honorable William Grayson, the honorable James...
2To Thomas Jefferson from Elbridge Gerry and Others, 23 August 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
We have the honor of addressing this by our worthy friend, the honorable Mr. Sayre, who was formerly Sheriff of London. The active part, which at the commencement of the revolution, he took in favor of America, is, we presume, too well known to you, to require a relation: and the loss he sustained, in consequence of his opposition to the british ministry, is not less a matter of general...
3To John Adams from Rufus King, 2 November 1785 (Adams Papers)
A confidential intimacy with our common friend M r. Gerry, with whom I have served during the last year has given me full information of the correspondence which has lately passed between you and him: and it is in consequence of a Sentence in your last letter to M r. Gerry, that I take the Liberty of addressing this to you— if M r. Gerry remained in Congress, I should suppose that the...
4To John Adams from Rufus King, 4 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I had the honor to write to you under date of the second of November, at which time the congress of the last year was at the point of seperation to make way for their successors— states sufficient to form a new Congress did not assemble until the 23 d. ult, when they proceeded to the choice of a President, and M r. Hancock, although absent, was elected— whether he will accept the Appointment...
5To John Adams from Rufus King, 10 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
M r. Hancock has accepted as President of Congress and will be here in a few days; Seven States have been represented for a few days only since November commenced— Six states only are now represented, I inclose a list of the Names of the Delegates— A Bill passed the house of representatives of massachusetts during their autumn Session, repealing all the Laws preventing the Return or Residence...
6From John Adams to Rufus King, 23 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I am much obliged to you for your kind Letter of the 2 d. of November, and hope that a Correspondence So agreably begun may be prosecuted, to the Benefit of the Country We have the Honour to serve. Although I may be not personally known to you, the Character uniformly given of your Talents, Application, and publick Spirit, leave me no room to doubt, that I Shall derive much necessary...
7From John Adams to Rufus King, 22 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday I was honoured with your Letters of the 4. and 10. Dec r. — The Act of Congress respecting the British Consul General, is wise, and well guarded: Nevertheless I think that We Should not be So inattentive to Ettiquette, as to omit a Proposition for Sending a Minister Plenipotentiary. We give up, a Point, by receiving a Consul in return for a Minister, which, although it may appear of...
8To John Adams from Rufus King, 1 February 1786 (Adams Papers)
Seven States only have been represented in congress since October, of consequence very few questions of national importance have been under the examination of this Assembly— The meetings of the Legislatures have probably detained many of the Delegates, but it is expected, that Ten States will, within a short period, be represented—There is some ground to expect that several of the Southern...
9From John Adams to Rufus King, 14 February 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have inclosed to M r Ramsay an Address to the landed trading and funded Interests of England, which contains Some good Sense, intermixed here and there with a little Folly. M r. Ramsay will be so good as to let you read it and in return you may let him read the inclosed Principle of the Commutation Act. As the Commerce of the United States begins to run to the East Indies, every Thing which...
10To John Adams from Rufus King, 2 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
M r. Alsop of this city, whom you must recollect as a delegate from this State to congress in 1775 & 1776, and whose daughter I have lately married, requests me to ask your Opinion, “whether a Refugee, whose Estate has been confiscated here, and to an amount exceeding that of his Debts, can by the British laws, or the Treaty of peace between G. Britain & the united States of america, be...
11To John Adams from Rufus King, 4 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
By the January Packet I was honored with your letter of the 23. of December, and by M r. Anstey who arrived in the February Packet, I received your’s of the 22. of January: I pray you to accept my acknowledgments for these Kind attentions, and to be assured that if any communications in my power concerning our common country, will afford you any information, the pleasure of transmitting them,...
12To John Adams from Rufus King, 5 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
It has undoubtedly been said in England that the act of congress of the 15. of February relative to the federal Revenues, is full proof that the united States are in the utmost confusion, and that the Union is nearly dissolved— ignorant as the People of England still are of the Genius and Temper of the Citizens of America, it will not be extraordinary that such Opinions should be fondly...
13From John Adams to Rufus King, 14 June 1786 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday, arrived by the Post your Favours of the 2. 4. & 5. of May. Every Day will furnish America with fresh Proofs, of the fallacious nature of all her hopes of Prosperity, Grandeur and Glory, from the friendly disposition of foreign Powers. Whatever Assistance she may ever derive from any of them, must be purchased at a greater Price than it will be worth. Reverence thyself, is a Prœcept...
14From John Adams to Rufus King, 14 June 1786 (Adams Papers)
I had heard Sometime ago, of your Marriage with the amiable Daughter of my old Friend, M r Alsop, as well as of that of M r Gerry, and of both with the more Pleasure, probably as a good Work of the Same kind, for connecting Massachusetts and New York in the Bands of Love was going on here. Last Sunday under the Right Reverend Sanction of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of st Asaph...
15To John Adams from Rufus King, 3 October 1786 (Adams Papers)
You will undoubtedly hear much of the tumultuous and irregular conduct of a considerably numerous class of people in the western counties of massachusetts— the same temper which appears to have collected these illegal Assemblies in Massachusetts, has shewn itself in New Hampshire; but General Sullivan, who is now President of that State, by very proper and decisive Measures has put an End to...
16From John Adams to Rufus King, 29 November 1786 (Adams Papers)
The tumultuous Conduct of many People in New England which is mentioned in your obliging Letter of the 3 d of October, does not I hope arise from any Competitions for the Government. If the People who wish for Hancock, or those who prefer Bowdoin, those who vote for Sullivan—or such as desire Langden, are Capable of exciting such kinds of Discontent, and Convulsions in order to keep out—or to...
17To John Adams from Rufus King, 10 February 1787 (Adams Papers)
Letters are this moment receivid from Gen l. Lincoln giving the pleasing intillegence that he dispersed the Party under Shays on the morning of the 5 th. instant— the Insurgents had marched on the 4 th. from Pelham to Pitersham distant 30 miles, with about 1500 Men— Gen l. Lincoln moved after them at Eight OClock on the same Evening and came on them by Surprize at 9. OClock the next Morning,...
18Rufus King to William Grayson and Madison, 11 March 1787 (Madison Papers)
Extra[c]t of a Letter from a Gentleman in Boston of the 4th. March 1787. to R King— “—— has come back from Virginia with News that the Commissioners on the part of New York alarmed the Virginia Delegates, with an account that the Commissioners on the part of Massachusetts were for a monarchy ; & that those Delegates wrote their Legislature of it, who shut their Galaries and made a most serious...
19Madison and William Grayson to Rufus King, 11 March 1787 (Madison Papers)
Mr. M & Mr Grayson present their complts to Mr. King and beg leave to inform him that the doors of the Assembly were shut on a letter from Col Carrington & Col. Lee, which Mr. Grayson saw but did not sign for reasons irrelative to the present subject. Mr. M. was in the Legislature at the time and knows the cause was very different from the one mentioned to Mr. King. Both of them are satisfied...
20From John Adams to Rufus King, 19 April 1787 (Adams Papers)
M r. Francis Upton, a Gentleman recommended to me by M r: Hartley, will have the Honour to deliver you this Letter, He goes to NewYork, about an Estate Claimed by him, his Brother & Sister I beg Leave to introduce him to you— This Country affords nothing new—an obstinate continuation of the same Ministry, the same Principles Spirit, Passions, Prejudices, and in one word system is no News,— I...
21Powers of the Executive, [1 June] 1787 (Madison Papers)
Mad: agrees wth. Wilson in his difinition of executive powers—executive powers ex vi termini, do not include the Rights of war & peace &c. but the powers shd. be confined and defined—if large we shall have the Evils of elective Monarchies—probably the best plan will be a single Executive of long duration wth. a Council, with liberty to depart from their Opinion at his peril— Farrand, Records...
22Revisionary Power of the Executive and the Judiciary, [4 June] 1787 (Madison Papers)
This speech preceded Wilson’s motion, seconded by JM, to combine the judiciary with the executive in vetoing legislative acts. Mad. The Judicial ought to be introduced in the business of Legislation—they will protect their Department, and uniting wh. the Executive render their Check or negative more respectable—there is weight in the objections agt. this measure—but a Check is necessary...
23Rufus King’s Version, [18 June 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
Federal is an association of distinct Govt: into one—these fed. Govt. in some instances legislate on collective bodies, in others on individuals. The Confederation partakes of both—Piracies are cognizable by the Congress—&c. Our powers have this object—the Freedom & Happiness of our Country—we must go all lengths to accomplish this Object—if the Legislatures have no powers to ratify because...
24Election of the First Branch of the Legislature, [21 June] 1787 (Madison Papers)
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney moved that the members of the first branch of the legislature “‘instead of being elected by the people, shd. be elected in such manner as the Legislature of each State should direct’” ( Farrand, Records Max Farrand, ed., The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 (4 vols.; New Haven, 1911–37). , I, 358). Agt. the Election by the Legislatures and in favor of one...
25From Alexander Hamilton to Rufus King, [20 August 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
Since my arrival here, I have written to my colleagues, informing them, that if either of them would come down I would accompany him to Philadelphia. So much for the sake of propriety and public opinion. In the mean time if any material alteration should happen to be made in the plan now before the Convention, I will be obliged to you for a communication of it. I will also be obliged to you to...
26From Alexander Hamilton to Rufus King, [28 August 1787] (Hamilton Papers)
I wrote to you some days since, that to request you to inform me when there was a prospect of your finishing as I intended to be with you, for certain reasons, before the conclusion. It is whispered here that some late changes in your scheme have taken place which give it a higher tone. Is this the case? I leave town today, to attend a circuit in a neighbouring County, from which I shall...
27To John Adams from Rufus King, 27 October 1787 (Adams Papers)
I intended to have written to you previously to my departure from New York— M r. Jay has undoubtedly transmitted to you the late Acts of Congress permitting your return to America after the expiration of your Commission to the English Court, and giving you the unequivocal thanks of the U.S. for the diligent, faithful, and able discharge of your various public Duties since your Residence in...
28To James Madison from Rufus King, 6 January 1788 (Madison Papers)
I send you a copy of the confederation between the New England Colonies, together with a few Extracts from the Journals of the Commissioners. As I hope to leave Town on Tuesday for Boston, I pray you to return me these papers Sometime Tomorrow. You are sensible that information from the southern States relative to the proposed Constitution will be of importance to us at Boston while engaged on...
29To James Madison from Rufus King, 16 January 1788 (Madison Papers)
We may have 360 members in our Convention, not more than 330 have yet taken their Seats. Immediately after the settlement of Elections the Convention resolved that they would consider and freely deliberate on each paragraph without taking a [question on any of them individually,] & that on the question whether they wd. ratify, each [member] shd. be at liberty [to disc]uss the plan at large....
30To James Madison from Rufus King, 20 January 1788 (Madison Papers)
Our convention proceeds slowly. An apprehension that the liberties of the people are in danger, and a distrust of men of property or Education have a more powerful Effect upon the minds of our Opponents than any specific Objections against the constitution. If the Opposition was grounded on any precise Points, I am persuaded that it might be weakened if not entirely overcome. But every Attempt...