Alexander Hamilton Papers
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To Alexander Hamilton from Edmund Randolph, 15 May 1794

From Edmund Randolph

[Philadelphia] May 15, 1794. Encloses “a letter from mr. Fauchet1 requesting a passport for a vessel charged with his dispatches.” Requests “the Secretary to order one to issue as soon as he possibly can.”

LC, RG 59, Domestic Letters of the Department of State, Vol. 6, January 2-June 26, 1794, National Archives.

1Jean Antoine Joseph Fauchet wrote to Randolph on May 13, 1794, requesting a passport for L’Aimable of Port de Paix, Santo Domingo, to send dispatches to Santo Domingo (LS, Arch. des Aff. Etr., Corr. Pol., Etats-Unis description begins Transcripts or photostats from the French Foreign Office deposited in the Library of Congress. description ends , Vol. 41). The President granted a passport for the vessel to proceed in ballast for Santo Domingo on May 15, 1794 (JPP description begins “Journal of the Proceedings of the President,” George Washington Papers, Library of Congress. description ends , 292). On June 30, 1794, however, George Hammond wrote to Randolph: “I have the honor of acquainting you that I have this day received an official account, from his Majesty’s Governor of Bermuda [Henry Hamilton], that on the 2d. Currt a British privateer brought into that Island a French Schooner, named l’aimable Gentille, bound from Philadelphia to Port de paix in the Island of St. Domingo, and having on board a permission, dated the 15th Ulto, and signed by the President of the United States, for her to proceed to Port de paix in ballast: She was however laden with one hundred and fifty barrels of gunpowder, with Ammunition, and military stores. Within some few days after the departure of this vessel, I was apprized of the nature of her cargo, but as I was unable to adduce any direct proof of it, I did not deem myself justified in making any representation to this Government upon the subject. But having now obtained the most satisfactory and incontrovertible evidence of the fact, and presuming that l’aimable Gentille was one of the vessels enumerated in your letter to me of the 2d of this month, as having been furnished with passports from the President it is incumbent upon me to communicate to you the information I have received” (LS, RG 59, Notes from the British Legation in the United States to the Department of State, Vol. 1, October 26, 1791–August 15, 1794, National Archives).

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