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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) TO THOMAS JEFFERSON, SECRETARY OF STATE. [PRIVATE.] - The Writings of George Washington, vol. XII (1790-1794)
TO THOMAS JEFFERSON, SECRETARY OF STATE. [PRIVATE.] - George Washington, The Writings of George Washington, vol. XII (1790-1794) [1891]Edition used:The Writings of George Washington, collected and edited by Worthington Chauncey Ford (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1890). Vol. XII (1790-1794).
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- The Writings of George Washington.
- 1790.
- Speech to Congress.
- Fellow-citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives:
- Gentlemen of the House of Representatives:
- 1791.
- To Arthur St. Clair, Governor of the Northwestern Territory. [private.]
- To Beverley Randolph, Governor of Virginia.
- To Henry Knox, Secretary of War.
- To Edward Rutledge.
- Address of the President of the United States to Cornplanter, Halftown, and Great-tree, Chiefs of the Seneca Nation of Indians.
- To Timothy Pickering.
- To William Deakins, Jr. and Benjamin Stoddert.
- To John Armstrong.
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury.
- To David Humphreys.
- To M. Lafayette. 1
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Alexander Hamilton.
- To the Secretaries of the Departments of State, Treasury, and War.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Messrs. Johnson, Stuart, and Carroll. 1
- To James Seagrove.
- To Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and Edward Rutledge.
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury. [private.]
- To Catharine Macaulay Graham.
- To David Humphreys.
- To Gouverneur Morris.
- To M. Lafayette.
- To Thomas Johnson.
- To M. De La Luzerne. 2
- To M. Lafayette.
- To Gouverneur Morris.
- To George Clinton, Governor of New York.
- To Edmund Randolph, Attorney-general.
- Communication of Sentiments to Benjamin Hawkins. 1
- To Robert Lewis.
- Speech to Both Houses of Congress October 25th, 1791.
- To Harriot Washington. 2
- To David Stuart.
- To M. Lafayette.
- To the Commissioners For the Federal District.
- 1792.
- To Gouverneur Morris. 1 [private.]
- To Charles Pinckney, Governor of South Carolina. [private.]
- To H. D. Gough.
- To Reuben Slaughter.
- To David Stuart.
- To John Armstrong. [private.]
- To Charles Pinckney, Governor of South Carolina. [private.]
- To Major-general Arthur St. Clair.
- To John Carroll. 2
- To the Earl of Buchan.
- To Thomas Paine.
- To Charles Carter.
- To James Madison.
- To Gouverneur Morris. [private.]
- To James Anderson.
- To Henry Lee, Governor of Virginia. [private.]
- To John Francis Mercer.
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury. [private and Confidential.]
- To Henry Knox, Secretary of War.
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury.
- To Henry Knox, Secretary of War.
- To Henry Knox, Secretary of War.
- To Henry Knox, Secretary of War.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State. [private.]
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury. [private.]
- To Edmund Randolph, Attorney-general. [private.]
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury.
- To Henry Knox, Secretary of War.
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury.
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury.
- To Henry Knox, Secretary of War.
- To John Francis Mercer.
- To Henry Knox, Secretary of War.
- To Mrs. Betty Lewis.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State. [private.]
- To Gouverneur Morris. [private.]
- To David Stuart.
- Speech to Both Houses of Congress, November 6th, 1792.
- To Benjamin Stoddert.
- To the Commissioners of the Federal District.
- To the Commissioners of the Federal District. [private.]
- To Robert Lewis.
- Agricultural Correspondence.
- Letters to Anthony Whiting, 1792. 1
- 1793.
- To Henry Lee, Governor of Virginia.
- To Charles Carroll, of Carrollton.
- To George Augustine Washington.
- To the Commissioners of the Federal District. [private.]
- To the Marchioness De Lafayette.
- To Frances Washington. 2
- To Alexander Hamilton and Henry Knox.
- To David Stuart.
- To Burwell Bassett.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Frances Washington.
- To the Secretaries of State, of the Treasury, of War and the Attorney-general of the United States. [circular.]
- To David Humphreys.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To the Secretaries and Attorney-general. [circular.]
- Proclamation of Neutrality.
- To the Earl of Buchan.
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury. [private.]
- To Henry Lee, Governor of Virginia. [private.]
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury.
- To M. Ternant.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Frances Washington.
- To Henry Knox, Secretary of War. [private.]
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Burges Ball.
- To William Tilghman.
- To Henry Lee, Governor of Virginia. [private.]
- To the Justices of the Supreme Court.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To the Heads of Departments and the Attorney-general.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Hiland Crow.
- To Burges Ball.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State. 1
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Henry Knox, Secretary of War. [private.]
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Edmund Pendleton.
- To Tobias Lear.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- To Thomas Sim Lee, Governor of Maryland.
- To James Madison.
- To Henry Lee, Governor of Virginia. [private.]
- To Edmund Randolph, Attorney-general.
- To Richard Henry Lee.
- To Francis Willis.
- To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State.
- Speech to Both Houses of Congress, December 3d, 1793.
- Message to Both Houses of Congress; Respecting the French Minister Genet, and the Relations With France, December 5, 1793.
- To Arthur Young.
- Message to Both Houses of Congress; Relative to Transactions With Spain, December 16th, 1793.
- To Edmund Randolph. [private.]
- To William White. 1 [private.]
- Letters to Anthony Whiting, 1793. 1
- Letters to William Pearce, 2 1793.
- 1794.
- To Thomas Jefferson.
- To John Adams.
- Message to Both Houses of Congress, 20 January 1794.
- To Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. [confidential.]
- To Thomas Johnson.
- To George Clinton, Governor of New York. [private.]
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury.
- To James Mchenry. [private.]
- To James Monroe. 1
- To Richard Henry Lee.
- To Edmund Randolph, Secretary of State.
- To John Fitzgerald.
- To John Jay. [secret and Confidential.]
- To Edmund Randolph, Secretary of State.
- To Tobias Lear.
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury. [private.]
- To Robert Lewis.
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury.
- To Gouverneur Morris. [private]
- To Edmund Randolph, Secretary of State. [private.]
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury. [private.]
- To Sir John Sinclair.
- Proclamation Warning the Insurgents In the Western Parts of Pennsylvania to Desist From Their Opposition to the Laws.
- To Burges Ball.
- To Charles M. Thruston. [private.]
- To Henry Lee, Governor of Virginia. [private.]
- To John Jay.
- To David Stuart.
- To Burges Ball.
- Proclamation Concerning the Western Insurrection.
- To Major-general Daniel Morgan. 1
- To Edmund Randolph, Secretary of State. 2 [private.]
- To Edmund Randolph, Secretary of State. [private.]
- To Edmund Randolph, Secretary of State. [private.]
- To Henry Lee, Commander-in-chief of the Militia Army.
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury.
- To Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury.
- To John Jay. [private.]
- To John Adams.
- Speech to Both Houses of Congress, November 19, 1794.
- To Alexander Spotswood.
- To Tobias Lear. 1
- To John Jay. [private.]
TO THOMAS JEFFERSON, SECRETARY OF STATE.
[PRIVATE.]
18 October, 1792. My dear Sir,
I did not require the evidence of the extracts, which you enclosed to me, to convince me of your attachment to the constitution of the United States, or of your disposition to promote the general welfare of this country; but I regret, deeply regret, the difference in opinions, which have arisen and divided you and another principal officer of the government; and wish devoutly there could be an accommodation of them by mutual yieldings.
A measure of this sort would produce harmony and consequent good in our public councils. The contrary will inevitably introduce confusion and serious mischiefs; and for what? Because mankind cannot think alike, but would adopt different means to attain the same ends. For I will frankly and solemnly declare, that I believe the views of both of you to be pure and well-meant, and that experience only will decide, with respect to the salubrity of the measures, which are the subjects of dispute. Why, then, when some of the best citizens in the United States, men of discernment, uniform and tried patriots, who have no sinister views to promote, but are chaste in their ways of thinking and acting, are to be found, some on one side and some on the other of the questions, which have caused these agitations, should either of you be so tenacious of your opinions, as to make no allowances for those of the other? I could, and indeed was about to add more on this interesting subject, but will forbear, at least for the present, after expressing a wish, that the cup, which has been presented to us may not be snatched from our lips by a discordance of action, when I am persuaded there is no discordance in your views. I have a great, a sincere esteem and regard for you both, and ardently wish that some line could be marked out by which both of you could walk. I am, always, &c.
This letter was in answer to a brief one from Mr. Jefferson, accompanying extracts from letters written by him to different persons, and giving his views of the Constitution as expressed soon after that instrument was adopted by the general convention. For the letters containing these extracts, see Jefferson’s Writings, vol. ii., p. 290. North American Review, vol. xxv., p. 268.
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