301To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 22 January 1783 (Washington Papers)
Having lately received a call from Congress to pass the Atlantic in the character of one of their ministers for negotiating peace, I cannot leave the Continent without separating myself for a moment from the general gratitude of my country to offer my individual tribute to your Excellency for all you have suffered & all you have effected for us. were I to indulge myself in those warm effusions...
302To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 30 July 1792 (Washington Papers)
I received yesterday the letter you did me the honor to write on the 23d inst. covering one from the Governor of Vermont. as the question Which party has a right to complain, depends on the fact Which party has hitherto exercised jurisdiction in the place where the seizure was made, and the Governor’s letter does not ascertain that fact, I think it will be better to wait his answer to my two...
303To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 8 May 1791 (Washington Papers)
The last week does not furnish one single public event worthy communicating to you: so that I have only to say ‘all is well.’ Paine’s answer to Burke’s pamphlet begins to produce some squibs in our public papers. in Fenno’s paper they are Burkites, in the other Painites. one of Fenno’s was evidently from the author of the discourses on Davila. I am afraid the indiscretion of a printer has...
304To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 15 June 1790 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose for the President’s perusal a letter from Mr Gouverneur Morris on the subject of our affairs in Amsterdam; the observations are worthy being known to the President. Mr Howell of Rhode island has imposed on him the duty also of putting into his hands the letter & papers from him. the printed papers are merely to prove his dispositions enounced in the...
305To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 15 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of state having had under consideration the two letters of Oct. 13. 1789. from the President of the U.S. to mr Gouverneur Morris, & those from mr Morris to the President of Jan. 22. Jan. 22. Apr. 7. 13. May. 1. 29. July 3. Aug. 16. & Sep. 18. referred to him by the President, makes the following Report thereon. The President’s letters of Jan. 22. authorized mr Morris to enter...
306To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 22 December 1791 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State Reports to the President of the United States that one of the Commissioners of Spain, in the name of both, has lately communicated to him verbally, by order of his court, that his Catholic majesty, apprised of our sollicitude to have some arrangements made respecting our free navigation of the river Missisipi, & the use of a port thereon, is ready to enter into treaty...
307To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 24 April 1791 (Washington Papers)
I had the honour of addressing you on the 17th since which I have recieved yours of the 13th. I inclose you extracts from letters received from mister Short in one of the 7th of Feb. mister Short informs me that he has received a letter from mister de Montmorin, announcing to him that the King has named Ternant his minister here. the questions on our tobacco & oil have taken unfavorable turns....
308To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 18 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President the copies of the Algerine papers which have been made out to form the basis of instructions for the Commissioner to be appointed. the President will be pleased to consider whether he would chuse to have them altered in any particular. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His...
309To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 14 June 1792 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson with his respects incloses to the Presiden⟨t⟩ two letters recieved yesterday from mister Morris. he had sent the Observations of mister Keith to mister Rittenhouse, wi⟨th⟩ a note for his consideration. Th: J. incloses the Note wit⟨h⟩ mister Rittenhouse’s answer for the perusal of the Presiden⟨t⟩ if he thinks them worth the time. P.S. the Proces-verbal accompanying mister Morris’s...
310To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 3 November 1792 (Washington Papers)
In order to enable you to lay before Congress the account required by law of the application of the monies appropriated to foreign purposes through the Agency of the Department of State, I have now the honor to transmit you the two statements No. 1. & 2. herein enclosed, comprehending the period of Two Years preceding the 1st day of July last. The first statement is of the sums paid from the...
311To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 22 March 1792 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of state having had under consideration the expediency & extent of a Convention with Spain to be established for with respect to fugitives from the United states to their adjoining provinces, or from those provinces to the United States, Reports to the President of the United States the inclosed Analytical view of the motives & principles which should govern such a Convention,...
312To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 30 May 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President French copies of the communications of mister Genet on the subject of our debt to France, as they will convey his sense perhaps more faithfully to the Secretary of the treasury should the President think proper to refer them to him. he has changed the expression in the close of the 2d paragraph of the letter to mister Van Berkel, so as to...
313To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 24 November 1792 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson returns to the President mister Cooper’s pamphlet which he has perused with much satisfaction, & is thankful for the opportunity of perusing it, furnished him by the kindness of the President. AL , DLC:GW . Jefferson apparently enclosed the pamphlet that had been written recently by British native Thomas Cooper (1759–1839), who traveled to France in the spring of 1792 to lend...
314To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 25 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
The Director of the mint having given in to the Secretary of state a general statement of the monies hitherto received for the mint, to wit 15,000 Dollars from the Treasury, and 170.25 D. the proceeds of certain articles sold, as also of the expenditures of the mint amounting to 16,233.46 D. with an application for a further sum of 5000. Dollars the same are respectfully laid before the...
315To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 4 December 1788 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of Aug. 31. came to hand yesterday; and a confidential conveiance offering, by the way of London, I avail myself of it to acknolege the receipt. I have seen, with infinite pleasure, our new constitution accepted by 11 states, not rejected by the 12th and that the 13th happens to be a state of the least importance. it is true that the minorities in most of the accepting states have...
316To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 10 January 1781 (Washington Papers)
It may seem odd considering the important events which have taken place in this State within the course of ten days past, that I should not have transmitted an account of them to your Excellency. but such has been their extraordinary rapidity & such the unremitted exertions they have required from all concerned in Government that I do not recollect the portion of time which I could have taken...
317To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 31 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to return to the President the copy of questions which had been destined for the judges. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State. For the questions prepared for submission to the justices of the Supreme Court, see Jefferson to GW, 18 July , and enclosure .
318To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 23 August 1791 (Washington Papers)
[Philadelphia] 23 August 1791. Reports on the official communications from the secretary of the Northwest Territory from 1 Jan. to 30 June that “none of the said communications appear to require any thing to be done on the part of the Government of the United States; That they contain indeed the titles of several acts passed by the Territorial Legislature; but the Acts themselves not being yet...
319To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 12 November 1792 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President Judge Turner’s answer. his office has been thoroughly searched, and no copy exists there of the act of Virginia giving money for the federal buildings: that of Maryland only is there. he is in hopes it may be among the President’s papers. Dr Barton, a learned & very ingenious gentleman of this city, mentioning to Th: J. that he had never...
320To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 29 February 1792 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of state has had under examination the Records of Proceedings in the Executive department of the Northwestern government from the 1st of Aug. to the 31st of December 1791—transmitted by the Secretary, and Reports to the President of the United States That finding nothing therein which calls for the attention or interference of the President, he has deposited them among the...
321To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 26 November 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have been honoured with your Excellency’s Letter of the 8th instant. having found it impracticable to move suddenly the whole Convention troops, british and germans, and it being represented that there coud not immediately be covering provided for them all at fort Frederic we concluded to march of the British first from whom, was the principal danger of desertion and to permit the germans...
322To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 7 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President the draught of a letter to mister Genet, in pursuance of the opinion of Saturday last approved by the President. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State. Jefferson wrote the enclosed letter to Edmond Genet of 7 Aug. as a result of the Cabinet Opinion on...
323To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 1 April 1790 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inform the President that mr Madison has just delivered to him the result of his reflections on the question How shall communications from the several states to Congress through the channel of the President be made ? “he thinks that in no case would it be proper to go by way of letter from the Secretary of state: that they should be delivered to the houses either...
324To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 30 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President a letter received from Mr Maury, Consul at Liverpool, inclosing a copy of the order of the British government for intercepting our commerce in Grain. we shall doubtless receive it authentically & soon from mister Pinckney. in the mean time mister Maury’s information seems sufficient foundation to instruct mister Pinckney provisionally to...
325To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 31 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
Having had the honor of communicating to you in my letter of the last of July, my purpose of retiring from the office of Secretary of state at the end of the month of September, you were pleased, for particular reasons, to wish it’s postponement to the close of the year. that term being now arrived, & my propensities to retirement daily more & more irresistible, I now take the liberty of...
326Memorandum from Thomas Jefferson, 11 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
to be read at the President’s leisure. Governr H. Lee’s letter. June 28. concerning supposed pestilential disease in W. I. The Suckey. Th: J’s letter June 26. to mister Hammond. Th: J. to mister Hammond. June 25. on insinuation concerning Western posts. do to do do developemt of order about privateers arming. Philips’s letter June 7. cannot be received as Consul at Curaçoa. Chiappe’s letter...
327To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 18 May 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inform the President that having, from a slight expression of mister Genet’s yesterday, doubted whether he did not chuse to wait upon the President separately from mister Ternant, he called on the latter yesterday evening, but he was not at home. he called again this morning, & left it to himself & mister Genet to come together or separately as they should chuse....
328Memorandum from Thomas Jefferson, 18 August 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson on examination of the subject finds that the resolution for restoring or compensating prizes taken by the proscribed vessels was agreed to by the heads of departmts & Attorney Genl on the 5th. there was a difference of opinion how far it should be communicated to mister Hammond; the President was pleased to call at the office of Th: J. and to decide in favor of a full...
329To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 10 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of state, according to the requisition of the President of the US. of the 8th instant has examined the laws passed during the late session of Congress and Reports That none of those laws relate to, or require the immediate or special agency of the President, except the “Act regulating foreign coins & for other purposes,” (a copy of which is hereto annexed) whereupon it would be...
330Memorandum from Thomas Jefferson, 11 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
Qu. 1? What sacrifice may be made to retain mister Johnson in the office of Commissioner for the federal territory? Answ. for such an object it is worth while to give up the plan of an allowance per diem, to give, instead of that, a sum in gross, and to extend that sum to 500. Dollars per annum, and expences; the latter to be rendered in account. If mister Johnson persists in resigning, as it...
331To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 12 February 1793 (Washington Papers)
According to the desire you expressed the other day when speaking of the application of France for 3. millions of livres, I have the honour to inclose a statement of the Questions which appear to me to enter into the consideration of that application. after putting them on paper, I saw that some developements & observations would be necessary to explain their propriety & connection. these...
332To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 20 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson, with his respect to the President incloses him the draught of a letter to mister Pinckney: also some Canada gazettes, with the letter from Colo. Fay accompanying them. he perceives from this letter that Colo. Fay had not awaited his approbation to make use of the name of Th: J. in the land-job. he thinks it possible the government of Canada may get hold of this, & perhaps make...
333To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 29 April 1790 (Washington Papers)
Mr Jefferson has the honor to submit to the President draughts of letters to mr Short and the Marquis de la Luzerne. as to the former he asks his attention to the paragraph respecting the devices for the Medal. he hopes he will change and accomodate the letter to M. de la Luzerne to his own ideas of the part that gentleman acted, & of the length proper to go in expressing our sense of it. the...
334To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 7 November 1791 (Washington Papers)
I have duly considered the letter you were pleased to refer to me, of the 18th of August from his Excellency Governor [Charles] Pinckney to yourself, together with the draught of one proposed to be written by him to the Governor of Florida claiming the redelivery of certain fugitives from justice who have been received in that Country. The inconveniencies of such a receptacle for debtors and...
335To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 14 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inform the President that the Spanish papers are now all ready. he sends him a set for his examination & will send two others Monday morning. he also sends the draught of the message he would propose, with the blank filled up which had been left in it whenever the President is satisfied about it, either with or without amendments, Th: J. will have copies made...
336To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 23 May 1792 (Washington Papers)
I have determined to make the subject of a letter, what, for some time past, has been a subject of inquietude to my mind without having found a good occasion of disburthening itself to you in conversation, during the busy scenes which occupied you here. perhaps too you may be able, in your present situation, or on the road, to give it more time & reflection than you could do here at any...
337Memorandum from Thomas Jefferson, 14 September 1790 (Washington Papers)
In conversations with mister Carrol, mister Stoddard and mister Dickens they were properly impressed with the idea that if the present occasion of securing the Federal seat on the Patowmack should be lost, it could never more be regained, that it would be dangerous to rely on any aids from Congress, or the assemblies of Virginia or Maryland, & that therefore measures should be adopted to carry...
338To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 19 June 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to return to the President the minutes of the 17th inst. the letters then agreed on are sent to the Secretaries of the Treasury & war for their corrections, & will then be handed to the President. he sends him also a letter from the Attorney of Kentuckey for his information, & because the subject of it belongs to another department. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous...
339To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 25 February 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inform the President that he called this evening on M. de Ternant, who produced to him the original letter of M. Le Brun instructing him to apply to our government for two millions of livres to be laid out in flour & one million in salted provisions. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; AL (letterpress copy), DLC : Jefferson Papers. Ternant’s account of his...
340To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 7 November 1793 (Washington Papers)
The Secretary of State having received from the Secretary of the territory South of the Ohio a report of the Proceedings of the Governor of that territory from Mar. 1. to Sep. 1. 1793. has examined the same and Reports to the President That he finds nothing therein which will require his immediate agency. ALS , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; ALS (letterpress copy), DLC : Jefferson Papers;...
341To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 12 July 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to send to the President Dr Thornton’s answer to mister Hallet’s objections this moment received, & which he has not had time to read. perhaps the President may think it worth while to communicate them to mister Hobens & see what he thinks of them, for which reason he sends them to the President in the instant of receiving them. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous...
342To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 2 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have received from the Committee of Congress at Headquarters three letters calling for aids of men & provisions. I beg leave to refer you to my letter to them of this date on those subjects. I thought it necessary however to suggest to you the preparing an arrangement of officers for the men: for tho’ they are to supply our battalions, yet as our whole line of officers almost are in...
343To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 4 January 1792 (Washington Papers)
Having been in conversation to-day with Monsr Payan, one of the St Domingo deputies, I took occasion to enquire of him the footing on which our commerce there stands at present, & particularly whether the colonial arret of 1789 permitting a free importation of our flour till 1793 was still in force. he answered that that arret was revoked in France on the clamours of the merchants there: but...
344To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 23 September 1780 (Washington Papers)
I yesterday forwarded to you a letter from Colo. Wood informing you of his situation. That Post has been for some time past pretty regularly supplyed, and I hope will continue so to be for some time to come. A Person whose punctuality can be relied on offers to contract for victualling it. If We can agree on terms, and the Assembly will Strengthen our Hands Sufficiently, We think to adopt that...
345To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 4 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson, with his respects to the President, incloses him a letter from the Van Staphorsts & Hubbard quieting our apprehensions for the fate of the first dispatches sent to mister Short relative to our negociations with Spain. also another letter from mister Thatcher on the subject of the Marshal of Maine. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, George Washington’s...
346To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 8 December 1792 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to inclose to the President a letter from the Commissioners of Washington. Also begs leave to add to the list of candidates for the light house of Cape Henry, the name of John Waller Johnson, who has hitherto served in the Customs under Colo. Heath. he is recommended as a person of worth by a mister Waller Lewis of Spotsylvania, who is himself a man of worth. he has...
347To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 26 March 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson with his respects to the President, incloses a description of a new plan of a Capitol in which mister Hallet is engaged, who has expressed very earnest wishes that the ultimate decision may not be pronounced till he can bring it forward. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB , DNA : RG 59, GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State; LB (photocopy), DLC:GW .
348Memorandum from Thomas Jefferson, 15 November 1792 (Washington Papers)
Department of State, to wit: The requisites of the Law having been complied with on the part of the Ship Canton fitted out from the port of Philadelphia, on a voyage to India, Hugh Alexander Makee Master thereof became entitled to a passport in the usual form, which was this day granted. (N.B. The above passport is one of the six which were signed by the President previous to his departure for...
349II: Draft of a Message to the United States Senate, c.3–4 Jan. 1792 (Washington Papers)
Your house has been pleased to communicate to me their resolutions, purporting a decision by them that it is expedient &c. from whence an implication arises that in their opinion they might have decided that no such appointments were expedient. After mature consideration & consultation, I am of opinion that the constitution has made the President the sole competent judge to what places...
350To George Washington from Thomas Jefferson, 15 December 1793 (Washington Papers)
Th: Jefferson has the honor to return to the President the letter of mister Rumaine praying to be relieved from duties on the wrecks of fortune with which he escaped from St Domingo. Th: J. has put the letter of the same person to himself, with those of mister Genet into the hands of mister Murray, to make them the foundation of a bill of relief. AL , DNA : RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB ,...