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Subject Area: Political Theory
Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution

TO TIMOTHY PICKERING. - George Washington, The Writings of George Washington, vol. XIII (1794-1798) [1892]

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. XIII (1794-1798).

Part of: The Writings of George Washington, 14 vols.

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TO TIMOTHY PICKERING.

Dear Sir,

Your obliging favor of the 11th Inst. enclosing copies of the instructions to, and dispatches from the Envoys of the United States at Paris was received with thankfulness by the last Post.—

One would think that the measure of infamy was filled, and the profligacy of, and corruption in the system pursued by the French Directory required no further disclosure of the principles by which it is actuated, than what is contained in the above dispatches; to open the eyes of the blindest; and yet, I am persuaded that those communications will produce no change in the leaders of the opposition, unless there should appear a manifest desertion of the followers. There is a sufficient evidence already in the Aurora of the turn they intend to give the business, and of the ground they mean to occupy—but I do not believe they will be able to maintain that—or any other much longer.1

With very great esteem.

[1 ]“The Demo’s seem to be lifting up their heads again—according to Mr. Bache.—They are a little crestfallen—or one might say, thunder-stricken—on the publication of the dispatches from our envoys; but the contents of these dispatches are now resolved by them into harmless chit chat—mere trifles—less than was, or ought to have been expected from the misconduct of the Administration of this country, and that it is better to submit to such chastisement than to hazard greater evils by shewing futile resentment. So much for a little consultation among themselves.”—Washington to James McHenry, May, 1798.