To Alexander Hamilton from Stephen Van Rensselaer, 15 March 1799
From Stephen Van Rensselaer
Albany, March 15, 1799. “… The Assembly have a Bill for electing Electors of Presdt & Vice President1—it will pass—are you of opinion that it would be proper for the Senate to concur? Unless NYork gives us a different representation the federalist are lost.2 Whether we have any object now since the late conduct of the President3 —you are a better judge than We if it is however necessary that we should still perservere pray let me hear from you. our friends are extremely pressing that I should write to you on this subject.…”
ALS, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
2. Before the 1798 election the majority of members of the House of Representatives from New York had been Federalists. In the 1798 election six Republicans and four Federalists were chosen to represent New York.
3. This is a reference to President Adams’s peace mission to France. See Theodore Sedgwick to H, February 19, 1799, note 1, February 22, 25, 1799; Timothy Pickering to H, February 25, 1799.