1Cabinet Opinion on Foreign Vessels and Consulting the Supreme Court, 12 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
At a meeting of the heads of the departments at the President’s on summons from him, and on consideration of various representations from the Ministers Plenipotentiary of France & Great Britain on the subject of vessels arming & arriving in our ports, and of prizes it is their opinion that letters be written to the said Ministers informing them that the Executive of the U.S., desirous of...
2Cabinet Opinion on Relations with Spain and Great Britain, 20 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
At a meeting this day of the heads of departments at the President’s on summons from him, a letter from Messrs Viar & Jaudenes dated June 18. & addressed to the Secretary of state, was read: whereupon it is the opinion that a full detail of the proceedings of the U.S. with respect to the Southern Indians, & the Spaniards be prepared, and a notification as to the particular matters charged in...
3Cabinet Opinion on the Rules of Neutrality, 3 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
August 3. 1793 The foregoing rules having been considered by us at several meetings, and being now unanimously approved, they are submitted to the President of the United States. DS , in George Taylor, Jr.’s writing, DLC:GW ; copy (letterpress copy), DLC : Jefferson Papers; LB , DLC:GW ; Df , in Alexander Hamilton’s writing, DLC : Jefferson Papers; copy, DNA : RG 46, Third Congress, 1793–1795,...
4Cabinet Opinion on French Privateers and Prizes, 5 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
At a meeting of the heads of departments & the Attorney general at the Secretary of state’s office Aug. 5. 1793. The case of the Swallow letter of marque at New York, desired to be sent out of our ports, as being a privateer. it is the opinion that there is no ground to make any new order on the subject. The Polly or Republican, in the hands of the Marshal at New York, on a charge of having...
5Cabinet Opinion on the Little Sarah [Petite Démocrate], 8 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
At a meeting at the State house of the city of Philadelphia July 8. 1793. Present the Secretary of state, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary at War. It appears that a brigantine called the Little Sarah has been fitted out at the port of Philadelphia, with fourteen cannon, & all other equipments indicating that she is intended as a Privateer to cruise under the authority of France, &...
6Cabinet Opinion on the Recall of Edmond Genet, 23 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
At meetings of the heads of departments & the Attorney General at the President’s on the 1st & 2d of Aug. 1793. On a review of the whole of mister Genet’s correspondence & conduct, it was unanimously agreed that a letter should be written to the Minister of the U.S. at Paris, stating the same to him, resuming the points of difference which had arisen between the government of the U.S. & mister...
7Cabinet Opinion on French Privateers, 17 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
At a meeting of the heads of departments at the President’s this day, on summons from him, a letter from mister Genet of the 15th inst. addressed to the Secretary of state on the subject of the seizure of a vessel by the Govr. of New York as having been armed, equipped & manned in that port with a design to cruize on the enemies of France, was recd as also the draught of an answer prepared by...
8Cabinet Opinion on Sending an Agent to the Choctaws, 1–5 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
That an Agent be sent to the Choctaw nation to endeavor secretly to engage them to support the Chickasaws in their present war with the Creeks, giving them for that purpose arms and ammunition sufficient: and that it be kept in view that if we settle our differences amicably with the Creeks, we at the same time mediate effectually the peace of the Chickasaws & Choctaws, so as to rescue the...
9Cabinet Opinion on the Polly (Republican) and the Catherine, 12 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
The President having required the opinions of the heads of the three departments on a letter from Governor Clinton of the 9th inst. stating that he had taken possession of the sloop Polly, now called the Republican, which was arming, equipping & manning by French & other citizens to cruize against some of the belligerent powers, and desiring to know what further was to be done, and they having...
10Cabinet Opinion on French Privateers, 3 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
That The Minister of the French Republic be informed that the President considers the U. States as bound pursuant to positive assurances, given in conformity to the laws of neutrality, to effectuate the restoration of, or to make compensation for, prizes which shall have been made of any of the parties at war with France subsequent to the fifth day of June last by privateers fitted out of...
11Cabinet Opinions on the Roland and Relations with Great Britain, France, and the Creek Indians, 31 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
At a meeting of the Heads of departments & Attorney General at the President’s on the 31st day of Aug. 1793. A letter from mister Gore to mister Lear, dated Boston Aug. 24. was read, stating that the Roland, a privateer fitted out at Boston & furnished with a commission under the government of France, had sent a prize into that port, which being arrested by the Marshal of the district by...
12To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 3 May 1790 (Washington Papers)
a letter is received from Mr Dumas, begun Dec. 4 & ending Jan. 26. the only interesting passage is the following “I have the satisfaction to be able to testify that the American funds are in great favor with the monied men of this country. I have seen them sell from one to another the obligations of the Congress of the first loan at 100.¾ per cent; those of the last of 1788. at 99 to 100....
13To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 10 November 1791 (Washington Papers)
Philadelphia, 10 Nov. 1791. After examining the enclosed papers relating to the land purchase of John Cleves Symmes on the Great Miami River, he thinks it proper to lay them before Congress, to demonstrate not only the foundation of Symmes’s larger claim but also the “expediency of providing some speedy and regular mode of deciding this and other questions of a like nature which might arise...
14To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 28 March 1792 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to inclose you two letters from Judge Symmes of Jan. 25th & 27th. his letter of Sep. 17. mentioned in the first of these was received by me Nov. 23. and after being laid before you, was answered Dec. 4. the part of the answer respecting leave from you to come to Philadelphia was in these words. “the President does not conceive that the Constitution has given him any controul...
15To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 28 November 1792 (Washington Papers)
The rise in the price of copper, & difficulty of obtaining it from other quarters, has induced the Director of the Mint (as I had the honor of mentioning to you yesterday) to turn his attention to Sweden, as the country from which according to his information it may be obtained on the best terms. he wishes that some means could be adopted of importing some on the public account. there is so...
16To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 19 March 1780 (Washington Papers)
Since writing to your Excellency on the subject of the expedition against Detroit, the want of men, want of money & difficulty of procuring provisions, with some other reasons more cogent if possible & which cannot be confided to a letter, have obliged us to decline that object. I thought it therefore necessary to notify this to your Excellency that no expectations of our undertaking it may...
17To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 3 September 1780 (Washington Papers)
As I know the anxieties you must have felt since the late misfortune to the South, and our latter accounts have not been quite so unfavorable as the first, I take the liberty of inclosing you a state of this unlucky affair extracted from letters from General Gates, Genl Stevens, & Govr Nash, and taken as to some circumstances from an officer who was in the action. another army is collecting....
18To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 25 October 1780 (Washington Papers)
I take the liberty of inclosing to you Letters from Genl Hamilton for New York. On some representations received by Colo. Towles that an indulgence to Govenor Hamilton and his Companions to go to New York on parole would produce the happiest effect on the situation of our Officers in Long Island We have given him, Majr Hay & some of the same Party at Winchester leave to go there on Parole: The...
19Enclosure I: Thomas Jefferson to George Hammond, 15 May 1793 (Washington Papers)
Your several memorials of the 8th instant, have been laid before the President, as had been that of the 2d as soon as received. They have been considered with all the attention and the impartiality which a firm determination could inspire to do what is equal and right between all the belligerent powers. In one of these, you communicate on the information of the british consul at Charleston,...
20To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 16 March 1792 (Washington Papers)
[Philadelphia] 16 Mar. 1792. Sends GW “two letters just recd from Colo. Humphreys.” AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State; LB (photocopy), DLC:GW . The enclosures were two letters from the U.S. minister to Portugal, David Humphreys, which the secretary of state had received this day: a dispatch of 23 Dec....
21To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 13 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson with his respects to the President submits to him another letter to mister Morris, on a subject just now put into his hands. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State. Jefferson’s second letter to Gouverneur Morris of 13 June asked Morris to inquire into an “unaccounted for” one million livres...
22To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 28 April 1793 (Washington Papers)
According to the intimation the other day, and indeed according to my own wish in a question, if not difficult, yet very important, I have the honor to inclose you a written opinion on the question Whether the U.S. ought to declare their treaties with France void, or suspended? This contains my answer to the 2d 3d 4th 5th & 6th of the written queries. The 1st had been before answered & acted...
23To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 23 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honour to inform the President that a gentleman leaves town early tomorrow morning for New-York from whence a vessel sails on Monday for Liverpool, on board which will go a passenger who may be trusted with any letters for London. Th: J. proposes to make up his packet to-night, can the President give him previously a half hour, for the communication of the letter to...
24To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 26 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President Minutes of what passed on the subject of the letter to mister Genet. also the draught of a letter to the Merchants. both papers have been twice sent to the Attorney General’s, but he is not in town nor will he be till tomorrow. AL , DLC:GW . For these minutes, see Cabinet Opinion, 23 Aug. 1793 . In his circular letter to American...
25To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 22 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson with his respects to the Presidt returns mister Ellicot’s letter, with an answer, which if approved may go by today’s post. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State; LB (photocopy), DLC:GW . In his letter to GW of 16 Mar. 1793
26To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 10 December 1784 (Washington Papers)
Every thing on this side the water seems to indicate a certainty of war. the Emperor seems decided in not receding from the right to navigate the Scheld; & the Dutch as determined not to yeild it. I suppose that this court & that of Berlin will take part with the Dutch, the Turks of course become parties in a war against the Emperor: & it seems as probable that the Empress of Russia will join...
27To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 16 October 1792 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President some letters just received. Colo. Fay having sent him a paper of Sugar-Maple seed, Th: J., on his request, asks the President’s acceptance of the within. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State; LB (photocopy), DLC:GW . The enclosed letters were probably...
28To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 3 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honour to inclose to the President a letter from the Director of the Mint, containing a general statement of the expenditure of the last monies furnished, & an application of a further sum of 5000. D. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State. For the enclosed letter from David Rittenhouse...
29To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 22 July 1790 (Washington Papers)
Th. Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President the extract he desired from his letter of May 4. 1787. He finds by a note, which he does not know however where he got, that the city of Mexico is about 200. miles from the sea. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DLC:GW . Ever since Alexander Hamilton’s July conversations with Major Beckwith about the Anglo-Spanish war crisis,...
30To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 14 December 1791 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honour to submit to the President a letter from Mr de Viar, with the answer he has prepared to it, and a letter in consequence for Colo. Humphreys. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DLC:GW . The enclosures were the Spanish chargé José Ignacio de Viar’s letter to Thomas Jefferson of 12 Dec. and Jefferson’s reply of 13 Dec., as well as Jefferson’s letter to...
31To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 16 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to submit to the President the rough draught of an answer to Mr Genet’s letter of June 22. it is left unclosed, in case any other matters should be thought proper to be added. otherwise he would propose to close it with reiterations of friendship to his nation. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of...
32Enclosure: Thomas Jefferson to William Carmichael and William Short to be in cypher, 23 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
It is intimated to us, in such a way as to attract our attention, that France means to send a strong force early this spring to offer independance to the Spanish American colonies, beginning with those on the Missisipi: & that she will not object to the receiving those on the East side into our confederation, interesting considerations require that we should keep ourselves free to act in this...
33Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on a Conversation with Washington, 7 February 1793 (Washington Papers)
I waited on the President with letters & papers from Lisbon. after going through these I told him that I had for some time suspended speaking with him on the subject of my going out of office because I had understood that the bill for intercourse with foreign nations was likely to be rejected by the Senate in which case the remaining business of the department would be too inconsiderable to...
34To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 27 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President the translation of a letter he received last night from Messrs Viar & Jaudenes and which he supposes should be communicated to the legislature as being in answer to one communicated to them. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State. The enclosed letter of...
35To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 29 October 1792 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor of inclosing to the President a letter just received from Messrs Viar & Jaudenes, and will have that of waiting on him in the evening. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; AL (letterpress copy), DLC : Jefferson Papers; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State; LB (photocopy),
36To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 31 October 1792 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President some letters just arrived by the Pigou. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State; LB (photocopy), DLC:GW . Tobias Lear added “one from Mr Short & one from Mr Pinckney” to the receiver’s copy of this letter. Thomas Pinckney, in his letter of 29 Aug. from...
37To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 4 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his respects to the President and will pay due attention to his letter of this day. the question of convening the legislature was considered and as our opinions differed, we agreed to give them seperately which will be done tomorrow. we are to meet at 10. oclock tomorrow to apply the rules, now approved by the President, to the several memorials & complaints as yet...
38To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 12 August 1792 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to inclose you two letters lately recieved from mister Barclay. under another cover also I send to the Commissioners, open for your examination, a plan for a Capitol from mister Blodget, which came by the last post. you will see, by that, the use of the paper of which I presented you a few sheets, Blodget’s plan being on a sheet I had given him. it renders the use of a scale &...
39Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on a Conversation with Washington, 20 February 1793 (Washington Papers)
I had 5. or 6. days ago received from Ternant extracts from the lettres of his ministers, complaing of both G. Morris & mister Short. I sent them this day to the Presidt with an extract from a private lettre of mister Short’s justifying himself, & I called this eveng on the Presidt. he said he considd the extracts from Ternant as very serious, in short as decisive: that he saw that G. Morris...
40To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 9 September 1792 (Washington Papers)
I received on the 2d inst. the letter of Aug. 23. which you did me the honor to write me; but the immediate return of our post, contrary to his custom, prevented my answer by that occasion. the proceedings of Spain mentioned in your letter are really of a complexion to excite uneasiness, & a suspicion that their friendly overtures about the Missisipi have been merely to lull us while they...
41To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 6 September 1793 (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Thomas Jefferson, 6 Sept. 1793. GW wrote Jefferson on 7 Sept. : “I have received your letter of yesterday’s date.”
42To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 18 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President a copy of the questions to be proposed to the judges, which he has endeavoured to make with exactness, but cannot be sure he may not have mistaken some of the interlineations of the original he has added at the end those from his own paper which were agreed to. they are the numbers 22. &c to the end. he incloses also the rough draughts of...
43Enclosure: Thomas Jefferson’s Report on Morocco and Algiers, 14 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State having duly examined into the Papers and documents of his Office relative to the negotiations proposed to be undertaken with the Governments of Morocco and Algiers, makes thereupon to the President of the United States, the following Report. The Reports which he made on the 28th of Decemr 1790, on the trade of the United States in the Mediterranean to the House of...
44To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 2 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
In obedience to the act of our assembly, a copy of which I now do myself the honor of inclosing you, I am, in the name of the General assembly, “to request you to proclaim pardon to all deserters from the Virginia line of the continental army, who shall within two months after the publication of the act” (which took place about a week ago) “return to their several companies, if on land, & if...
45To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, c.29 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
At the request of General Hamilton I transmit you Letters from General Specht and himself, to Generals Philips and Reidesal, and a state of the deficiencies of provisions furnished to the barracks. I have no reason to doubt the truth of the state they send, so far as it may be understood of animal food, for of meal they have had alway enough, but in justice to ourselves must assure you that...
46To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 18 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to submit to the President’s approbation the draught of letters to mister Genet and the Attorney Genl on the subject of the prosecution desired by the former to be instituted against Messrs Jay & King. He also incloses the form of a warrant for D=2544.37 for the Director of the Mint for the purchase of copper. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; AL (letterpress...
47To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 17 October 1792 (Washington Papers)
In a letter from Monticello I took the liberty of saying that as soon as I should return here, where my letter books were, I would take the liberty of troubling you with the perusal of such parts of my correspondence from France as would shew my genuine sentiments of the new constitution. when I arrived in Philadelphia, the 5th inst. I found that many of my letters had been already put into...
48To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 4 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President the draught of a letter to mister Pinckney. also the paper sent to him for the signatures now put to it. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State. Later on this date GW approved Jefferson’s letter to Thomas Pinckney of 4 June, whose topics included the...
49To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 7 March 1792 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his respects to the President and sends him his report on the subject of commerce with Spain, & the form of a message to the Senate. a second copy is now making out for the President’s own use, so that he may send in the one now inclosed to-day, assured of receiving the other the moment it is finished. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George...
50To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 30 July 1791 (Washington Papers)
I have the honour to inclose for your perusal a letter which I have prepared for mister Short. The ill humour into which the French colonies are getting, & the little dependence on the troops sent thither, may produce a hesitation in the National assembly as to the conditions they will impose in their constitution, in a moment of hesitation small matters may influence their decision. they may...