To George Washington from William Blount, 9 February 1797
From William Blount
Philadelphia Feb. 9th 1797
Sir,
In reply to your Request for specific Charges against David Campbell to opperate (as I presume) as Reasons why he should not be nominated to the office of federal Judge of the District of Tennessee,1 I offer the following, That at the first Session of the Legislature held for the State of Tennessee that Gentleman caused himself to be put in Nomination for a Judge, was himself upon the spot, pushed his Interest with his Friends and upon the Ballots being counted he had not half the Number of Votes required to elect a person to that office.2
The Members of the Legislature who voted on this occasion had seen and known Mr Campbell for years at least seven in the Exercise of the office of a Judge and in my Judgment they voted against him upon a Conviction that he did not possess legal abilities nor Stability of Sentiment or opinion sufficient to qualify him to discharge with Propriety the duties of a Judge3—The Election of the Persons who were elected Judges of Tennessee nor the Nonelection of Mr Campbell did not turn upon the spirit of any political Party for no such Party existed4—I have the Honor to be very respectfully Your obedient Servant
Wm Blount
ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters.
2. For the unsuccessful nomination of David Campbell as a judge for the Tennessee superior courts of law and equity, see Cocke to GW, 1 Feb., n.4; see also Andrew Jackson to GW, 8 Feb., n.1.
3. For other negative appraisals of Campbell’s ability, see Francis Preston to GW, 25 Jan.; Blount and Cocke to GW, 17 Jan., n.3; Cocke to GW, 1 Feb.; and Jackson to GW, 8 February.
4. No reply to Blount from GW has been found. GW later nominated John McNairy as federal district judge for Tennessee (see GW to the U.S. Senate, 17 Feb.).