31To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 22 March 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
War is again declared by france agt. the temporising cabinet of vienna, and this has been the signal for Prussia to resume her former System of insecure neutrality. We may every hour expect the Result of a Battle between Jourdan & the arch duke who according to our last accounts were respectively advancing upon each other —the first Blow has been unfortunate for the allies, the whole of the...
32To George Washington from Rufus King, 6 September 1797 (Washington Papers)
I have had the honor to receive your Letter of the 15 of June; and having a few minutes before the Mail for New York is dispatched, I employ them in sending you inclosed the copy of a Letter that I received a few days past from our Consul at Hamburgh, which announces the approaching release of General La Fayette. Knowing the friendship that you have uniformly had for him, and recollecting...
33To George Washington from Rufus King, 29 January 1798 (Washington Papers)
I had the Honor today to receive your Letter concerning young la fayette, who arrived at Calais about three weeks since—this I have learnt from an american who saw him there. As it was well known in France that his father & family are in Holstein, I presume that the young man must have left France, and gone to his family—I understand that General La fayette intends imbarking for america Early...
34To John Jay from Rufus King, 9 September 1797 (Jay Papers)
What we know of the negotiations between france Austria and England, gives little encouragement to hope that their issue will be pacific— The internal Situation of france is alarming; instead of a Reconciliation between the Directory & the Councils, the breach appears to grow wider— Both sides court the Armies, and a civil war seems to be organizing itself— I send you a posthumous work of M r...
35To Thomas Jefferson from Rufus King, 22 August 1797 (Jefferson Papers)
I have requested Capt. Newel of the Ship Cleopatra, who is bound to Philadelphia to take charge of a Diploma delivered to me for you by Sir John Sinclair, President of the Board of Agriculture. I have just received from Mr. Strickland a letter for you; but as he informs me that the letter is to accompany a small box, containing an assortment of seeds which is also to be sent to my care, but...
36To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 4 March 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
Our opinions do not differ upon a very important subject, that has more than once been mentioned in our correspondence: I am intirely ignorant of the Sentiments of the Pr. tho’ I have again and again treated of it, and sometimes with earnestness, in my Dispatches This silence gives me some inquietude. Mr. G. will send you the Reflections that have occurred to him, and will also explain the...
37To John Jay from Rufus King, 31 October 1797 (Jay Papers)
Our Envoys have been at Paris from the first of the month— during the last fortnight there has been no Person from France by whom I could have heard from them— Col. Trumbull is at Paris on his Return from Germany, and we expect him here in a day or two; we shall be better able after his arrival than at present to form an Opinion concerning the issue of our Negociation— It remains still...
38To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 21 January 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
We have the new york Papers to the 15. ult. These contain the Speech as well as the answers of the two Houses. All seems intended for the best, but it gives an ill Idea abroad of our Zeal, to find that our Army decreed so many months since remained to be raised. The difficulty and time necessary to find suitable Officers, reminds one of the like impediments which preceded the appointment of...
39To John Jay from Rufus King, 12 November 1797 (Jay Papers)
By M r . Seton I sent you the Dec[larati]on of this Government on the rupture of the Negociation at Lisle— I now send you Lord Malmesburys correspondence with a number of News Papers— The treaty between Portugal & France has been annulled by the latter, because it had not been ratified by the former within the time first prescribed for that Purpose, tho it is asserted that this time had been...
40To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 2 July 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
France will pursue with us the Plan that she has elsewhere found successful. She will endeavour to overthrow us by the Divisions among ourselves which she will excite and support by all the means of which she is mistress. The Paris Papers of the 18. ulto. say le Citoyen Roziers est nommé Consul Genl. aux Etats unis. Gamier (en convenl. de Saintes) consul, & Boscq vice consul à Wilmington,...
41To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 9 November 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
The same uncertainty continues respecting the recommencement of the war. Both austria & Prussia are bolder than before the late naval success of this Country, but the conduct of the Emperor is rather calculated to shew that he may be purchased by further acquisitions in Italy. Naples will not decline a war; her existence perhaps depends upon his provoking it. The Casus fœderis with austria is...
42To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 6 June 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
We have certain intelligence that the Toulon expedition has sailed. The number of Troops, of Transports, and of men of war are variously stated, but it is known that Buona parte commands and that the fleet is a very great one—its Destination is the subject of inquietude and of conjecture. A few Days will bring us more perfect accounts, and from the Force and Position of the Br. fleet under Ld....
43To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 14 July 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
I send you inclosed an interesting little piece addressed to Gallatin by a former Citizen of Geneva—if translated and published it may do good. We have no news from the mediterranean since the Capture of Malta, nor can we do more than conjecture the future destination of Buonaparte. Turin with its arsenals is possessed by a french army, so that Sardignia is at the feet of the Directory. The...
44To George Washington from Rufus King, 26 April 1797 (Washington Papers)
As I forward several copies of the news Paper that contained the advertisement concerning your suit in the Chancery of Virginia, though a Ship in which one of them was sent, has been carried into France I hope some others arrived safe and in Season —Every one is anxious to hear from Vienna, the latest accounts from which, leaving it uncertain whether we are to expect the news of a Great...
45To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 6[–10] August 1797 (Hamilton Papers)
No satisfactory Opinion can yet be formed concerning the termination of the negotiations for Peace. Even those who are supposed to have the best information are without confidence—on the one Hand peace may be concluded sooner than any one thinks probable, on the other the negotiations at Lisle and montebello may be suddenly broken off, and France again engaged with austria as well as England....
46To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 15 July 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
The french still maintain themselves in switzerland tho’ unless soon and strongly reinforced they will be driven out of it. The success of the Allies has been almost uninterupted in Italy, from whence according to present appearances the Enemy must be in a short time be totally expelled. Thus far the Coalition has performed Prodigies—but the confederates are not without mutual Jealousies,...
47To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 29 April 1797 (Hamilton Papers)
Unless greater attention is given to the procuring of the requisite evidence in the Cases of Capture than has yet been done, we shall ultimately meet with serious Losses, and give occasion to much Complaint. The Sufferers depend on the Government, and the Government on the Sufferers, and thus that wh. shd. be done is omitted. I inclose to you a copy of notes wh. Mr. Gore & I made this morning...
48To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 27 June 1797 (Hamilton Papers)
Lord Malmesbury will leave London in three or four Days for Lille where the conferences between this Country and France are to be held. Opinions fluctuate concerning the Probability of peace. A Struggle evidently exists in France between the Directory & the Legislature, in the latter of which Bodies it is supposed there is a sincere desire of Peace. Some late proceedings in the Legislature, or...
49To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 12 May 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
It will not surprise you to hear that an open Scism, accompanied by mutual reproaches took place between our Envoys before they separated. Mr. Gerry remains at Paris; and there is a strong opinion that great pains will be taken to persuade him to consent to a public reception, in order to deceive and mock his Country with overtures of an insidious negociation. Marshall & Pinckney left Paris...
50To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 19 December 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
The same uncertainty continues to perplex us concerning the Recommencement of the war. One day we are told that Naples has really begun & that Austria is on the way to support her; the next, that Naples is kept back by Austria to whom the Directory have made the most Advantageous offers. It is certain that france feels the change that has within the last six months taken place in Europe and is...
51To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 17 September 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
I am charmed with the military appointments; in the main they are quite what they should be—such chiefs ought to give Glory as well as Security to their Country, and they will do both, if the occasions offer. You see that I relapse into my former strain. I know not what you and others whose Sentiments I respect may think, but I must unsettle all that is best settled in my opinions of the...
52To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 9 September 1797 (Hamilton Papers)
We have this day accounts from Paris, which tho~ very important and interesting, are not unexpected. The Breach between the Councils and the directory has for some time destroyed all Prospect of a reconciliation between them; and either an organized civil war, in consequence of the different sides adopted by the several armies, or a Measure like that which has happened, had become...
53To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, [31 July 1798] (Hamilton Papers)
You will believe that I have been much gratified with the late intelligence from home. France has calculated all her plans on our decisions, and the expectation that her friends if not more numerous, would be more active, and possess greater energy, than the friends of our Government—or rather she has believed that our Government like that of every country, that she has succeeded to overturn...
54To John Jay from Rufus King, 5 August 1800 (Jay Papers)
I have lately received your obliging letter of the 16 of June which confirms the accounts brought by M r Gore, as well as those derived from less authentic sources, respecting the increased & mutual exasperation of parties among us: that the return of the presidential Election; should in our present circumstances give fresh activity to the Partizans of the respective Candidates was naturally...
55To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 23 September 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
You will have no war! France will propose to renew the negotiation upon the Basis laid down in the Presidents Instructions to the Envoys —at least so I conjecture. If the negotiation is recommenced the most obvious precaution suggests the expediency of confiding it to hands above all suspicion. We see that we have nothing to fear from the arms of France; all her skill, and energy, &...
56To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 7 July 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
Buena parte has made the Debut of the campaigne by the easy tho important conquest of Malta. This Island has been supposed impregnable and therefore was the Depositary of great wealth removed there from Italy. It contained likewise an excellent arensal, two or three ships of the Line, and as many as 6.000 excellent Seamen. It was the maltese Seamen who made the fine campaign under Suffrein in...
57To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 8 June 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
Since writing you a day or two past, I have had the pleasure to receive your Letter by the Packet, and am rejoiced to find my hopes confirmed by your Opinion that we shall not be wanting to ourselves in our Conduct towards France. Immediately on hearing of the proceedings of the Admiralty Judge of st. Domingo, I remonstrated to the Government against them, and was without delay answered that...
58To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 20 October 1798 (Hamilton Papers)
I have received your letter of the 22. of august with an inclosure that has been delivered as directed. On that subject, things are here, as we could desire: there will be precisely such a cooperation as we wish, the moment we are ready. The Secretary of State will shew you my communications on this Subject, tho’ I have not a word from him respecting it; your outline corresponds with what had...
59To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 8 March 1797 (Hamilton Papers)
On the 28 ulto. the Bank of England stopped payment in Specie. And since every Bank in Great Britain has followed the Example; the Directors say the Bank is more than Solvent, exclusive of their capital Stock invested in the Funds. Committees of the two House of Parliament, which have examined the affairs of the Bank, confirm by their Report the Declaration of the Directors, and Associations...
60To Alexander Hamilton from Rufus King, 2 April 1797 (Hamilton Papers)
As Mr. Church is the bearer, I refer you to him for what it would take many Pages to relate, and will only say that notwithstanding the injuries we continue to receive from France I still hope, the same policy that has hitherto kept us out of the war, will continue to influence and decide our Government. How the new President will conduct himself in a situation thorny and embarrassing remains...