From George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, 12 November 1796
To Alexander Hamilton
Philadelphia 12th Novr 1796
My dear Sir,
In due time, and in good order, I received your letters dated the 4th, 5th & 10th instt; and shall be mindful of their contents.
What construction do you put upon the information received through the assistant of D——r-B——? and what notice, if any, should it meet with now, or hereafter, if application should be made for leave, or the event take place without?1
Having sometime since, called upon the different Secretaries for such matters (within their respective departments) as required to be communicated to Congress at the opening of the Session, the enclosed papers are from two of them; one has given a shape to the ideas. From the Treasury department I have received nothing yet; and presume nothing will come from the Secretary of it except such matters as are of the fiscal kind, founded upon facts & statements.
The Secretary of War has closed his notes, or draught, with a communication, declaration, and an invocation, which I had no intention of introducing, if such sentiments could be avoided with that decent respect wch is due to such members of both houses as have been uniform & steady in their Support of those measures of government which I have thought the interest & welfare of this country required, and accordingly recommended.2
The reasons which have operated a reluctance in my mind to touch on this subject at the opening of the Session, are two—First, that it might not be supposed it was introduced for the purpose of a complimentary notice of the event, by those who might feel a disposition to offer it; and secondly, that it might not embarrass others, who had rather be silent; much less put it in the power of a third set, to oppose (if it should be attempted) sentiments of this sort, in the answer to the Speech.
These being my reasons—judge of their force. If they out weigh what may be considered as indifference—slight—or disrespectful in me, towards the body to whom the Address is made, let them prevail. If not, adopt in whole, or in part, or new model altogether to your liking, the sentiments, or expressions of Mr McHenry.
Among the things noted in my Memorandums,3 & not to be found in the enclosures is an intimation to this effect—viz.—that from the best information I have been able to obtain, and from the best view I have of the general system of European Politics, and of the state of matters in the Mediterranean in particular, our Commerce in that quarter will always be upon a precarious establishment unless a protecting force is given to it. If Congress in their investigation of the subject should coincide in this opinion, it will rest with their wisdom to decide whether that trade, in particular, is of sufficient importance to countervail the expence of its protection. How much beyond this to extend the view towards a Navy, in the present uncertain State of our Fiscal concerns, merits consideration. My own sentiments lead strongly to the means of Commencement.4
This last article in addition to the several matters contained in the enclosures, and what will naturally flow from the texts mentioned in your letter,5 together with a general reference to the proper Officers for estimates—Papers—&ca—alluded to in the Speech will comprehend every thing that has occurred to me, as necessary to be mentioned at the opening of the Session; and I would thank you much for letting me have the whole as early in next week as your convenience will permit—at any rate on Saturday;6 with your opinion on the propriety of giving Congress a full statement relatively to the Situation of our Affairs with France, as suggested in my letter of the —— instant.7 With Affectionate regard I am always Yours
Go: Washington
P.S. I was in the very Act of closing this letter when yours of yesterday’s date came to hand⟨—⟩due consideration shall be given to the Contents of it.8
ALS, DLC: Hamilton Papers.
1. Dr. Richard Bayley, the health officer for the port of New York, recently relayed information to Hamilton about a French fleet (see Hamilton to GW, 5 Nov., and n.2 to that document).
2. GW likely enclosed an undated draft, in Secretary of State Timothy Pickering’s writing and docketed “Memoranda—for communications to Congress Nov. 1796.” The draft is in MHi: Pickering Papers. Pickering’s memoranda, a significant part of which GW incorporated into his annual message to Congress almost word-for-word, contained commentary regarding the commissioners appointed under the Jay Treaty, the evacuation of frontier posts, and other matters (see GW to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 7 Dec., source note). The enclosed notes transmitted to GW by Secretary of War James McHenry have not been found. An undated draft, docketed “Opinion State of the nation &c.,” is in DLC: James McHenry Papers. However, the proposal in that document for a provisional army and the suspension of U.S. treaties with France, suggests that it was composed during the Quasi-War with France, which occurred during the John Adams administration. Pickering and McHenry transmitted these documents months after GW had asked his cabinet secretaries to provide their input on national matters. GW intended their communications, in addition to memorandums of his composition, to form the basis of his annual message to Congress (see GW to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 7 Dec., source note). For later State and Treasury department reports, which were submitted to Congress but unrelated to the annual message, see GW to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 9 Jan. 1797, and n.1 to that document.
3. GW’s memorandums have not been found.
4. Both the French seizure of U.S. vessels and the threat posed by Barbary powers to U.S. shipping in the Mediterranean became important factors in GW’s advocacy for the creation of a navy, which he expressed in his annual message to Congress (see also GW to the Dey of Algiers, 3 Dec.).
5. In his letter to GW of 10 Nov., Hamilton mentioned that he had composed a rough draft for GW’s annual message (see n.1 to that document).
6. The following Saturday was 19 November. Hamilton replied to this letter on that date with additional suggestions for GW’s annual message.
7. See GW to Hamilton, 2 November.
8. GW next wrote Hamilton on 21 November.