To Thomas Jefferson from Richard Peters, 14 January 1792
From Richard Peters
Philada. Jany. 14th.
Dear Sir
I waited on you in Consequence of percieving that I am appointed District Judge for this District. Not knowing what is the proper Channel thro’ which I am either to be informed officially or to whom I must make my Intentions known I wished your advice as a Friend. It is a sudden Thing and the Members of the Senate wish me to stay with them as long as I can. I therefore wished to delay my Acceptance or at least the Reciept of the Commission until the Gentlemen who regret my leaving them have a little Time to look about them. Let me know, my dear Sir, how this Matter is to be managed and [if] it be proper to do it thro’ you, adjust the Business for me.—Yours with Sincere Esteem,
Richard Peters
RC (DNA: RG 59, MLR); endorsed by TJ as received 14 Jan. 1792 and so recorded in SJL; slightly mutilated, so that one word has been lost.
TJ transmitted Peters’ commission “as Judge of the District Court in and for Pennsylvania District” with a brief covering letter on 12 Jan 1792 (FC in DNA: RG 360, DL). This was the day prior to the Senate’s approval of the appointment (, i, 97; Tobias Lear to TJ, 13 Jan. 1792, PrC in DNA: RG 59, MLR; FC in DNA: RG 59, SDC). Peters must have waited on TJ several days before these events and was requesting aid in delaying the appointment after the fact, which aid TJ was able to supply. See Peters to TJ, 28 Jan. 1792.