From George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, 28 January 1792
To Thomas Jefferson
[Philadelphia] 28th Jany 1792.
My dear Sir
Enclosed is the rough draught of a letter to G.M.—I pray you to examine it, and alter any word, or sentence you may think too strong; or the whole of it, retaining my object; from which I shall make a fair copy, & then take a press one: be not scrupulous therefore in making the alterations you judge necessary.1 In the course of tomorrow I will send you the letter to be made up with your dispatches. Yrs Sincerely
G.W.
ALS, DLC: Thomas Jefferson Papers.
1. GW enclosed his draft of a letter to Gouverneur Morris respecting his conduct in his new appointment as minister plenipotentiary to France (for Morris’s appointment, see GW to the U.S. Senate, 22 Dec. 1791, and The Controversy over Diplomatic Appointments to Great Britain, France, and the Netherlands, c.3 Jan. 1792, editorial note). GW’s draft has not been found. Jefferson returned it the next day, writing GW: “Th: Jefferson presents his respects to the President and returns him the draught of the letter with proofs of his confidence in the indulgence of the President, having freely used the liberty he gave him in softening some expressions lest they should be too much felt by mister Morris. the changes are made with a pencil only, and can therefore be easily restored where disapproved” (DLC: Jefferson Papers). Jefferson made a transcript of GW’s draft with his own recommended additions and deletions. For these suggested alterations, all of which GW accepted, see GW to Morris, 28 Jan. 1792, nn.1–4.