From George Washington to Edmund Randolph, 30 March 1794
To Edmund Randolph
Phila. March 30th 1794
Sir,
The Letters to the Minister of the French republic, appears proper. The propriety of laying those from him, before Congress, I will converse with you upon tomorrow morning at Eight o clock.1
By whom is the request made for a Passport for a Vessel belonging to Mr Jno. Brown to go to St Domingo? I have no objection to the measure if such cases are within the contemplation of the Resolution laying the Embargo—but great care shd be used or a Vessel may I conceive clear in Ballast & meet a load or part of one below the Custom Houses.2
As one Pa⟨ss⟩port has already been granted to carry Mr Hammonds letter to Jamaica I do not think the Revenue Cutter from Baltimore ought to be sent.3 If the one belonging to this Port was in condition to proceed from Charleston thither, it would have met my appro⟨bation⟩, because a double purpose wd have been answered—and I confess I see no cause why a Vessel capable of the Voyage to the latter place might not ⟨be⟩ adequate to the other also.4 Yr 5
ADf[S], DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB, DNA: RG 59, GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State. The text in angle brackets is from the letter-book copy.
1. For Randolph’s two letters to Fauchet of 29 March, see n.1 of Randolph to GW, 29 March (second letter). For Fauchet’s two letters to Randolph of 28 March, see n.1 of Randolph’s letter to GW of that date. Fauchet’s letters were not submitted to Congress (see Randolph’s first letter to GW of 31 March).
2. On the request by Philadelphia merchant John Brown for a passport for the brig Sally, see Randolph to GW, 29 March (second letter), and n.2. On GW’s granting of this passport on 22 April, see , 300. The request for a passport was necessitated by the recent congressional embargo “laid on all ships and vessels” in U.S. ports ( . 1:400).
3. For the ship bound for Jamaica and the letter from British minister George Hammond, see Randolph to GW, 29 March (first letter), and notes; see also , 293. The revenue cutter stationed at Baltimore was the Active.
4. On the passport granted to the Pennsylvania revenue cutter General Greene to sail to Charleston, S.C., see Alexander Hamilton to GW, 28 March, and n.1 to that document.
5. The closing and signature have been clipped.