1From George Washington to Richard Henry Lee, 12 June 1784 (Washington Papers)
Unsolicited by, and unknown to Mr Paine, I take the liberty of hinting the Services, and distressed (for so I think it may be called) situation of that Gentleman. That his Common Sense, and many of his Crisis[e]s were well timed and had a happy effect upon the public mind, none I believe, who will recur to the epocha’s at which they were published, will deny. That his Services hitherto have...
2From James Madison to Richard Henry Lee, ca. 14 November 1784 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. ca. 14 November 1784. Lee acknowledged on 26 Nov. JM’s letter from Richmond, which had arrived at Trenton on 21 Nov. The letter appears to have reported on legislative business, including the proposed general assessment bill, a revised militia law, and the postponed tax measure.
3From James Madison to Richard Henry Lee, 14 November 1784 (Madison Papers)
I did not get to this place till the fourteenth day after that fixed for the meeting of the Assembly, but was two days only after a H. of D was actually made. You will infer therefore that little business of moment has yet been done. Excepting a few Resolutions for the Delegation urging a Treaty with the Southern Indians, and negociations with the Spaniards touching the Mississippi, our time...
4From James Madison to Richard Henry Lee, 11 December 1784 (Madison Papers)
I was, by Thursday’s post, favoured with your’s of the 26th of November. We had begun to despair of a Congress being made up in time for a decision on the case referred to them by the resolutions of our last session. I now hope that we may yet hear from you, on that subject, before our adjournment. The bill on the resolutions in favour of the treaty of peace, mentioned in my last, is not yet...
5From George Washington to Richard Henry Lee, 14 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
The letter which you did me the honor to write to me on the 20th of last Month, only came to my hands by the Post preceeding the date of this. For the copy of the treaty held with the Six Nations at Fort Stanwix, you will please to accept my thanks. These people have given, I think, all that the United States could reasonably have asked of them; more perhaps than the State of New York conceive...
6The American Commissioners to [Richard Henry Lee]: Résumé, 15 December 1784 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: National Archives ⟨Paris, December 15, 1784: In our letter of November 11 we outlined to Congress what we had done up to that date, which included sending all our letters. We can now only add the answers we have received, and our replies. Enclosures 1 and 2 are our exchange with the ambassador of Portugal, enclosure 3 being the draft treaty we enclosed. Enclosures 4 and 5 are the...
7From James Madison to Richard Henry Lee, 25 December 1784 (Madison Papers)
“In the course of the last week a proposition was made to empower Congress to collect the Impost within this State [Virginia] as soon as 12 States shd. unite in the Scheme. The argumts. which prevailed agst. it were the unfavorable aspect it wd. present to foreigners, the tendency of the example to inferior combinations—the field it wd. open for contraband trade—its probable affect on the...
It appears to me important both to Congress and their officers, that the Duties & Rights of the latter, be ascertained with Precision. Until that be done, the greatest Circumspection cannot preserve their Conduct from Error, nor their Feelings from being sometimes unintentionally hurt.— I have some Reason Sir! to apprehend, that I have come into the office of Secretary for foreign Affairs,...
I have received from the Chargé des Affaires of France a Letter dated the 28 th . Instant, which I herewith enclose.— He called upon me and spoke on a variety of Subjects. It appeared to me prudent to request the favor of him to reduce his Communications to writing, in a summary way. He did so, but prefered doing it in an unformal manner, and therefore did not sign it.— I think it my duty to...
10From Thomas Jefferson to Richard Henry Lee, 7 February 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
By the Marquis Fayette we received information of your appointment to the chair of Congress, on which testimony of their esteem permit me to offer you my congratulations. We are on the point here of the great decision of war or peace, yet very few indeed are those who can say which it is to be. The most impenetrable secresy is observed. Were we to judge from the movements of the parties (and...