101III: From Thomas Jefferson, 4 April 1792 (Washington Papers)
The Constitution has declared that “Representatives & direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers,” that “the number of representatives shall not exceed one for every 30,000, but each state shall have at least one representative; & until such enumeration shall be made, the state of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse 3. Massachusets...
102To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 28 May 1781 (Washington Papers)
I make no doubt you will have heard before this shall have the honour of being presented to Your Excellency of the junction of Lord Cornwallis with the force at Petersburg under Arnold who had succeeded to the command on the death of Major General Philips. I am now advised that they have evacuated Petersburg, joined at Westover a Reinforcement of 2000 Men just arrived from New York, crossed...
103To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 14 February 1790 (Washington Papers)
I have duly received the letter of the 21st of January with which you have honored me, and no longer hesitate to undertake the office to which you are pleased to call me. your desire that I should come on as quickly as possible is a sufficient reason for me to postpone every matter of business, however pressing, which admits postponement. still it will be the close of the ensuing week before I...
104To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 9 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his respects to the President & sends him a letter put into his hands by Govr St Clair. he also sends him Govr Clinton’s answer, this moment received. he does not say how it happened that Th: J’s letter of Feb. 17. did not get to him till Feb. 28. it was certainly put into the Post office here on the morning of Feb. 18. it must be presumed the Govr has been absent from...
105To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 19 June 1779 (Washington Papers)
I have the pleasure to enclose you the particulars of Colo. Clarkes success against St Vincenne as stated in his letter but lately received the messenger with his first letter having been killed. I fear it will be impossible for Colo. Clarke to be so strengthened as to enable him to do what he desires indeed the express who brought this letter gives us reason to fear St Vincenne is in danger...
106To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 24 January 1792 (Washington Papers)
Estimate of the demands on the Foreign Fund from July 1, 1790, to March, 4, 1793 1790-1. 1791.-2. 1792-3 8 months France Salary 4500 6000. 6000. Secretary of Chargé des Affaires, during his absence in Holland. Suppose 4 months abt 243. 1350. 900. his expences on that journey abt 675. Gazettes postage, and other Extras abt 350. 350.
107To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 3 October 1793 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to inclose herewith the following papers. 1. a Note from mister Coxe which covered a letter from Nassau. 2. a letter from George Nicholas which covered his commission, returned. 3. a letter from mister Gore, relating to mister Duplaine, & the communications between him & Govr Hancock, which I asked at the desire of the Secretary at war, & which are for him. 4. a letter from...
108To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 5 December 1788 (Washington Papers)
I this moment discover that I have dated my letter of yesterday Nov. 4. instead of Dec. 4. tho’ the letter be gone out of my hands I hope the present will reach the bearer of it in time to accompany that, and to prevent the embarrasment of dates which it might otherwise occasion. I have only to repeat assurances of the sentiments of esteem & respect with which I have the honor to be Your...
109To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 16 November 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson with his respects to the President has the honor to inclose for his information the following letters written in consequence of the two last consultations preceding his departure. there being quadruplicates of most of them, the trouble of looking over them will be proportionably diminished to the President. Nov. 8. four letters to the foreign ministers on the extent of our...
110To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 6 March 1784 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 3d is this moment put into my hands, and as the post does not usually stay here above an hour, it leaves me time to scribble a few lines only, scarcely admitting them to be prefaced with an acknowlegement of the pleasure it will give me to be permitted to communicate with you occasionnally. we received dispatches from Europe yesterday, by Capt. Barney. there is no news but in...
111To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 19 February 1791 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State having recieved from the Commissioners for the State of Vermont a letter proposing these Questions 1. Whether, as that state will not be a distinct member of the union till the 4th day of March next, the President can, before that day, nominate officers for it? and 2. if he cannot, whether he can nominate them after the recess of the Senate? makes thereon to the...
112To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 2–4 September 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President his letter of Aug. 7. to mister Hammond, which was confined to the special cases of three vessels therein named. the object of mister Hammond’s letter of Aug. 30. is to obtain from the government a declaration that the principle of those special cases shall be extended to all captures made within our waters or by the proscribed vessels,...
113To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 12 November 1792 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the Presidt a letter from mister Pinckney. he will have that of waiting on him to-day to know what to say to the Commrs of the Federal seat about the order for money on Virginia. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State; LB (photocopy), DLC:GW . Jefferson had received...
114To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 22 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President the letter of the National assembly to him of Dec. 22. 92. it’s most distinct object seems to have been to thank the U.S. for their succours to St Domingo. it glances blindly however at commercial arrangements, and on the 19th of Feb. the same assembly passed the decree putting our commerce in their dominions on the footing of natives &...
115Memorandum of Thomas Jefferson, 22 December 1791 (Washington Papers)
Note on the subject of vacant Consulships. Lisbon. Candidates. Edward Church. his case is known to the President. John Telles of Philadelphia. his papers inclosed. Samuel Harrison. see Colo. Humphrey’s letter to the President. John Cowper. (Virginia) recommended by Josiah Parker. Cadiz. the former candidates not approved, & no new offer. it is very desireable we should have a consul there....
116Enclosure Thomas Jefferson’s First Opinion on a New Foreign Loan, 5 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
Instructions having been given to borrow 2. millions of florins in Holland, & the Secretary of the Treasury proposing to open a further loan of 3. millions of florins, which he says “a comprehensive view of the affairs of the U.S. in various relations, appears to him to recommend,” the President is pleased to ask Whether I see any objections to the proposition? The power to borrow money is...
117To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 24 April 1790 (Washington Papers)
The Constitution having declared that the President “shall nominate, & by & with the advice & consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors other public ministers & consuls” the President desires my opinion whether the Senate has a right to negative the grade he may think it expedient to use in a foreign mission, as well as the person to be appointed? I think the Senate has no right to...
118To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 2 April 1791 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor of addressing you on the 27th Ult. since which letters are received of Jan. 26. from mister Carmichael, and of Jan. 3. & 15. Madrid, and Feb. 6. and 12. Lisbon from Colo. Humphreys. as these are interesting and may tend to settle suspense of mind to a certain degree I shall trouble you with quotations from some parts & the substance of others. Colo. H. says “I learn from other...
119VII, 22 November 1793 (Washington Papers)
Notes Text cases where individuals (as Henfield &c.) organize themselves into military bodies within the U.S. or participate in acts of hostility by sea, where jurisdiction attaches to the person . What is the present legal mode of restraint? binding to the good behavior? military restraint? or what? or can the act only be punished after it is committed? The Constitution having...
120To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 3 November 1792 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President three sets of the papers relative to the Spanish interference for the President & the two houses. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State; LB (photocopy), DLC:GW . Jefferson’s enclosures included copies of the 29 Oct. letter that he received from Spanish...
121To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 8 August 1790 (Washington Papers)
Th. Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President the following papers. 1. the secret letter & paper of Aug. 2. for mister Carmichael. 2. the secret letter for the Chevalr de Pinto. 3. a letter for mister Joshua Johnson. on supposition that, delivering them himself to Colo. Humphreys, he might wish to comment to him on their contents, and particularly as to the 1st to qualify such of the...
122To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 27 October 1790 (Washington Papers)
I had intended to have set out about this time for Philadelphia, but the desire of having mister Madison’s company, who cannot return for some days yet, and a belief that nothing important requires my presence at Philadelphia as yet, induce me to postpone my departure to the 8th of the ensuing month, so that it will be about the 12th before I can have the honor of waiting on you at Mount...
123To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 8 September 1791 (Washington Papers)
We were detained on the road by the rains so that we did not arrive here till yesterday about two oclock. as soon as horses could be got ready, we set out & rode till dark, examining chiefly the grounds newly laid open, which we found much superior to what we had imagined. we have passed this day in consultation with the Commissioners, who having deliberated on every article contained in our...
124To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 6 November 1791 (Washington Papers)
I have the honour to inclose you a draught of a letter to Governor Pinkney, & to observe that I suppose it to be proper that there should, on fit occasions, be a direct correspondence between the President of the U.S. and the Governors of the states; and that it will probably be grateful to them to recieve from the President answers to the letters they address to him. the correspondence with...
125To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 15 January 1792 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to return to the President the letters of the Commissioners on their discharge of the workmen ⟨&ca⟩ in the Federal city. the copy of the Extracts from them for Majr L’Enfant was not finished till last night, & therefore could not be sent to him till to-day, consequently the conference with him is put off to tomorrow. Th: J. incloses a copy of his letter to Majr...
126To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 3 November 1780 (Washington Papers)
Since I had the honor of writing to your Excellency on the 25th ult. the enemy have withdrawn their force from the north side of James river, and have taken post at Portsmouth, which we learn they are fortifying; their highest post is Suffolk where there is a very narrow and defensible pass between Nansemond river and the dismal swamp, which covers the country below from being entered by us....
127To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 12 July 1790 (Washington Papers)
(Translation.) Means which the Congress may make use of in order to force the Regencies of Barbary to make Peace with them. The Flag of the United States cannot be displayed ’till after the Congress shall have made peace with the Regencies of Barbary. The consideration of the advantages which the anglo-americans would derive from this navigation, have already induced the Congress to attempt...
128To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 7 April 1793 (Washington Papers)
The accounts of the last week from Lisbon, announcing an actual declaration of war by France against England & Holland, when applied to the preceding note of the British court ordering the French minister to leave London (which is generally considered as preliminary to a declaration of war), now render it extremely probable that those powers are at actual war, and necessary in my opinion that...
129To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 25 February 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson, with his respects to the President has the honor to inclose him AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State; LB (photocopy), DLC:GW . GW’s executive journal records the receipt of this letter and its enclosures on 26 Feb. 1793 ( JPP, Dorothy Twohig, ed.
130To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 5 November 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson with his respects to the President sends for his perusal some of the letters which had been accumulating at his office, & which he received yesterday. he will wait on the President to-day to translate the Spanish papers sent by mister Short, as also with some other letters in foreign languages. Th: J. sends to the President a supply he received yesterday of paper, of which the...
131To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 31 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor to enclose you a statement of the expenditure of the monies appropriated to our intercourse with foreign nations to be laid before the legislature according to the requisitions of the law. The account of the Secretary of State commences July 1. 1792, where that rendered at the last session, ended; and is brought down to this time. In the two preceding Years of this...
132To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 29 August 1790 (Washington Papers)
On considering more fully the question Whether it will be expedient to Notify to Ld Dorchester the real object of the expedition preparing by Governor St. Clair, I still think it will not be expedient. for If the Notification be early, he will get the Indians out of the way, & defeat our object. If it be so late, as not to leave him time to withdraw them before our stroke be struck, it will...
133To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 6 November 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose several letters for the perusal of the President. when he wrote to the Governor of Kentuckey, on a former intimation from the Spanish representatives, there was no probability that the intervention of military force would be requisite, and as far as illegal enterprizes could be prevented by the peaceable process of law, his writing was proper. it is...
134To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 18 May 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his respects to the President and will take the liberty of waiting on him at half after one, as well that he may get through some long papers he has to communicate to him, as that he may be sure of being there when mister Genet comes. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State; LB...
135To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 11 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his respects to the President. he had expected that the Secretaries of the Treasury & War would have given to the President immediately the statement of facts in the case of the Little Sarah, as drawn by the former & agreed to, as also their Reasons: but Colo. Hamilton having informed Th: J. that he has not been able to prepare copies, Th: J. sends the President the...
136To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 12 September 1795 (Washington Papers)
The last post brought me a letter from Madame de Chastellux, covering the enclosed, which she informs me is on the same subject with hers to me, and that she refers you to me for particulars. I had very little acquaintance with her personally in Paris. I understood she was the daughter of an English general Plunket in the Austrian service, entirely without fortune. Chastellux is said to have...
137To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 10 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of state, according to instructions received from the President of the U.S., Reports That, for the information of the Commissioners appointed to treat with the Western Indians, he has examined the several treaties entered into with them, subsequent to the declaration of Independance, & relating to the lands between the Ohio & lake⟨s⟩; & also the extent of the grants,...
138To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 1 February 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to send to the President the speech of De Coin, written at length from his notes, very exactly. he thinks he can assure the President that not a sentiment delivered by the French interpreter is omitted, nor a single one inserted which was not expressed. it differs often from what the English Interpreter delivered, because he varied much from the other who alone was...
139To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 2 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson with his respects to the President has the honor to send him the letters & orders referred to in Mr Morris’s letter, except that of the 8th of April, which must be a mistake for some other date, as the records of the office perfectly establish that no letters were written to him in the months of March & April but those of Mar. 12. & 15. & Apr. 20. & 26. now inclosed. the enigma...
140To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 13 March 1792 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State incloses to the President the letter to the King of France with the alteration he proposes for incorporating the vote of the house. if the President approves it, he will be so good as to return it in time to be written at large to-day, signed & sealed. Th: J. thinks the copy of the resolution delivered the President with the signature of the Speaker will be the proper...
141To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 8 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President a letter from our bankers, at Amsterdam stating a balance due them on the foreign intercourse fund Apr. 2. of 13,225 florins equal to about 5,300 Dollars. this being communicated for the information of the President, the following explanation is necessary. independent of the fund on which this balance appears, the bankers had in their...
142To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 31 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
When you did me the honor of appointing me to the office I now hold, I engaged in it without a view of continuing any length of time, & I pretty early concluded on the close of the first four years of our republic as a proper period for withdrawing; which I had the honor of communicating to you. when the period however arrived circumstances had arisen, which, in the opinion of some of my...
143To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 7 August 1791 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honour to send for the President’s perusal, his letters to Govr Sinclair & Judge Symmes: as also letters received from the postmaster at Richmond on the subject of the two cross posts. he has gone further as to that towards the South Western territory, than Th: J.’s letter authorized, as he only submitted it to his enquiry & consideration whether a post along that rout...
144To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 22 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson with his respects to the President has the honor of inclosing him some letters just received also the draught of a letter to the Judges. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State. The enclosed letters to Jefferson from diplomats William Carmichael and William Short of 18 April and 5 May 1793...
145To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 21 November 1791 (Washington Papers)
Philadelphia, 21 Nov. 1791. Encloses a copy of his report of this day to the House of Representatives on the petition of Jacob Isaacks, noting: “it is printed on the back of a Permit in order to shew that the proposition therein made is perfectly practicable.” ALS , NUtM ; ALS (letterpress copy), DLC : Thomas Jefferson Papers; LB , DLC:GW ; copy, DNA : RG 59, Domestic Letters.
146To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 16 April 1784 (Washington Papers)
I received your favor of the 8th inst. by Colo. Harrison. the subject of it is interesting, and, so far as you have stood connected with it, has been matter of anxiety to me: because whatever may be the ultimate fate of the institution of the Cincinnati, as in it’s course it draws to it some degree of disapprobation I have wished to see you stand on ground separated from it; & that the...
147Thomas Jefferson’s Second Opinion on a New Foreign Loan, 17 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
I cannot see my way clear in the case on which the President has been pleased to ask my opinion, but by recurring to these leading questions. Of the 7,898,999.88 D. borrowed, or rather of the 7,545,912. D. nett proceeds thereof, how much has been applied to the payment of the foreign , & purchase of the general , debt? To the balance thereof, which should be on hand, & the 2. millions of...
148To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 23 May 1792 (Washington Papers)
Since my letter of the 18th we have had no confirmation of the capture of Tippoo Saib, nor of a fable current since that of the massacre of the king of France. this last was current in Philadelphia two or three days, and had the merit I believe of being raised here, as no source for it could ever be found. letters of Mar. 1. & 16. from mister Barclay at Gibraltar contradict the death of Muley...
149To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 7 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose the draught of a letter to mister Hammond. if the President approves it, he will send it to mister Hammond’s immediately, as tomorrow’s post is the last one which will be in time for the Packet. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State. Jefferson, in his letter of 7 Aug.,...
150To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 19 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have the honor of enclosing your Excellency a copy of a letter from Genl Greene with some other intelligence received, not doubting your anxiety to know the movements in the South. I find we have deceived ourselves not a little by counting on the whole numbers of militia which have been in motion as if they had all remained with Genl Greene, when in fact they seem only to have visited &...