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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) TO ALEXANDER HAMILTON AND HENRY KNOX. - The Writings of George Washington, vol. XII (1790-1794)
TO ALEXANDER HAMILTON AND HENRY KNOX. - 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 ALEXANDER HAMILTON AND HENRY KNOX.
27 February, 1793. Sir,
As the day is near at hand, when the Presidentelect is to take the oath of qualification, and no mode is pointed out by the Constitution or law; I could wish that you, Mr. Jefferson (Genl. Knox, or Colo. Hamilton) and Mr. Randolph could meet to-morrow morning, at any place which you may fix between yourselves; and communicate to me the result of your opinions as to time, place and manner of qualification.
P. S. Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Randolph have suggested the idea of meeting at the War office at nine o’clock to-morrow morning; if this is convenient and agreeable to you you will be there accordingly—If otherwise you will be so good as to let me know.
Jefferson and Hamilton thought it ought to be in private, and that one of the judges should administer the oath at the President’s own house. Knox and Randolph were of a different sentiment, and advised that the ceremony should be in public. The President inclined to this view, and at a subsequent cabinet meeting on the 1st of March, at which Mr. Jefferson was not present, the following decision was made:
“It is our opinion,
“1. That the President ought to take the oath in public.
“2. That the time be on Monday next at twelve o’clock at noon.
“3. That the place be the Senate-chamber.
“4. That the marshal of the district inform the Vice-President, that the Senate-chamber, being the usual place of the President’s public acts, is supposed to be the best place for taking the oath, and that it is wished, that the chamber may be open.
“5. That it may be informally notified to the Vice-President, the Governor [of Pennsylvania], and foreign ministers, that the oath is to be taken at the time and place above mentioned.
“6. That Mr. Cushing be requested to attend and administer the oath.
“7. That the President go without form, attended by such gentlemen as he may choose, and return without form, except that he be preceded by the marshal.
“H. Knox.
“Edmund Randolph.”
“My opinion given yesterday was founded on prudential considerations of the moment; though I think it right in the abstract to give publicity to the act in question. If this is to be done on the present occasion, I see no objection to the above form. I am not, however, satisfied that prudential considerations are not equally balanced.
“A. Hamilton.”
The oath was finally administered publicly in the Senate-chamber. The heads of the departments, foreign ministers, such members of the House of Representatives as were in town, and as many other spectators as could be accommodated, were present. After the audience had assembled, the President rose and said:
“Fellow-citizens: I am again called upon, by the voice of my country, to execute the functions of its Chief Magistrate. When the occasion proper for it shall arrive, I shall endeavor to express the high sense I entertain of this distinguished honor, and of the confidence which has been reposed in me by the people of United America. Previous to the execution of any official act of the President, the constitution requires an oath of office. This oath I am now about to take and in your presence; that, if it shall be found during my administration of the government, I have in any instance violated willingly or knowingly the injunction thereof, I may, besides incurring constitutional punishment, be subject to the upbraidings of all who are now witnesses of the present solemn ceremony.”
The oath was then administered by Mr. Justice Cushing, and the President retired.
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