The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Acknowledgments
• Editor’s Note
• About the Frontispiece
• The Sources of the Text
• Chronology
• George Washington a Collection
• Prologue
• 1: To Richard Henry Lee
• 2: The Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior In Company and Conversation
• Chapter One: the Rules of Bravery and Liberty 1756-1775
• 3: Address to His Command
• 4: To Governor Robert Hunter Morris
• 5: To Francis Dandridge
• 6: To George Mason
• 7: To Thomas Johnson
• 8: To George William Fairfax
• 9: To Bryan Fairfax
• 10: To Bryan Fairfax
• 11: To Bryan Fairfax
• 12: To the President of the Second Continental Congress
• 13: To Mrs. Martha Washington
• 14: General Orders
• 15: To Lieutenant General Thomas Gage
• 16: To the Inhabitants of the Island of Bermuda
• 17: To the Inhabitants of Canada
• Chapter Two: Tyranny: the Scourge of Liberty 1775-1777
• 18: To Joseph Reed
• 19: General Orders
• 20: To Joseph Reed
• 21: To the President of Congress
• 22: To Joseph Reed
• 23: To John Augustine Washington
• 24: General Orders
• 25: General Orders
• 26: To the Officers and Soldiers of the Pennsylvania Associators
• 27: To the President of Congress
• 28: To Lund Washington
• 29: Proclamation
• 30: To an Unidentified Correspondent
• 31: To President James Warren
• 32: To Major General Philip Schuyler
• Chapter Three: the Passions of Men and the Principles of Action 1778-1780
• 33: General Orders
• 34: To John Banister
• 35: To John Augustine Washington
• 36: To Comte D’estaing
• 37: To Gouverneur Morris
• 38: To Henry Laurens
• 39: To Benjamin Harrison
• 40: To the President of Congress
• 41: To Thomas Nelson
• 42: To George Mason
• 43: To James Warren
• 44: To Gouverneur Morris
• 45: Speech to the Delaware Chiefs
• 46: Circular to the States
• 47: To John Jay
• 48: A Conference Between the Chevalier De La Luzerne and General Washington
• 49: To Edmund Pendleton
• 50: To Joseph Jones
• 51: To President Joseph Reed
• 52: To President Joseph Reed
• 53: To Joseph Jones
• 54: Circular to the States
• 55: To the President of Congress
• 56: Circular to the States
• Chapter Four: Trials and Triumph 1780-1781
• 57: To George Mason
• 58: To William Fitzhugh
• 59: To James Duane
• 60: Circular to the New England States
• 61: To Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens
• 62: General Orders
• 63: To John Sullivan
• 64: To John Parke Custis
• 65: To Lund Washington
• 66: To the President of Congress
• 67: General Orders
• Chapter Five: Washington’s Knowledge of Himself and His Army 1782-1783
• 68: To Colonel Lewis Nicola
• 69: To the Secretary At War
• 70: To Joseph Jones
• 71: To Major General Nathanael Greene
• 72: General Orders
• 73: To Governor Benjamin Harrison
• 74: To Alexander Hamilton
• 75: To the President of Congress
• 76: To Joseph Jones
• 77: Speech to the Officers of the Army
• 78: To the President of Congress
• Chapter Six: Washington’s Knowledge of His Countrymen 1783
• 79: To Joseph Jones
• 80: To Major General Nathanael Greene
• 81: To Alexander Hamilton
• 82: To Theodorick Bland
• 83: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 84: General Orders
• 85: To Lieutenant Colonel Tench Tilghman
• 86: Circular to the States
• Chapter Seven: the General Resigns 1783
• 87: To John Augustine Washington
• 88: To Reverend William Gordon
• 89: To James Duane
• 90: Farewell Orders to the Armies of the United States
• 91: To the Ministers, Elders, Deacons, and Members of the Reformed German Congregation of New York
• 92: To the Merchants of Philadelphia
• 93: Address to Congress On Resigning His Commission
• Chapter Eight: the Citizen Stirs 1784-1786
• 94: To Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.
• 95: To Governor Benjamin Harrison
• 96: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 97: To Dr. James Craik
• 98: To Thomas Jefferson
• 99: To James Madison
• 100: To Governor Benjamin Harrison
• 101: To Thomas Johnson
• 102: To Benjamin Harrison
• 103: To the President of Congress
• 104: To William Grayson
• 105: To David Humphreys
• 106: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 107: To Edmund Randolph
• 108: To James Mchenry
• 109: To George Mason
• 110: To James Warren
• 111: To James Madison
• 112: To Henry Lee
• 113: To Robert Morris
• 114: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 115: To the Secretary For Foreign Affairs
• 116: To Marquis De Lafayette
• Chapter Nine: Making a Constitution 1786-1788
• 117: To John Jay
• 118: To Bushrod Washington
• 119: To Henry Lee
• 120: To James Madison
• 121: To Bushrod Washington
• 122: To James Madison
• 123: To James Madison
• 124: To Governor Edmund Randolph
• 125: To Henry Knox
• 126: To David Humphreys
• 127: To Henry Knox
• 128: To Henry Knox
• 129: To the Secretary For Foreign Affairs
• 130: To Governor Edmund Randolph
• 131: To James Madison
• 132: To Henry Knox
• 133: Summary of Letters From Jay, Knox, and Madison *
• 134: To Alexander Hamilton
• 135: To Patrick Henry
• 136: To Alexander Hamilton
• 137: To Bushrod Washington
• 138: To David Stuart
• 139: To James Madison
• 140: To Governor Edmund Randolph
• 141: To James Madison
• 142: To James Madison
• 143: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 144: To James Madison
• 145: To John Armstrong
• 146: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 147: To Marquis De Chastellux
• 148: To Reverend Francis Adrian Vanderkemp
• 149: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 150: To Henry Knox
• 151: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 152: To Benjamin Lincoln
• Chapter Ten: the Drama of Founding 1788-1789
• 153: To the Secretary For Foreign Affairs
• 154: To Jonathan Trumbull
• 155: To Noah Webster, Esq.
• 156: To Benjamin Lincoln
• 157: To Alexander Hamilton
• 158: To Thomas Jefferson
• 159: To Alexander Hamilton
• 160: To Benjamin Lincoln
• 161: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 162: To Benjamin Lincoln
• 163: To Francis Hopkinson
• 164: To George Steptoe Washington
• 165: To James Madison
• 166: To the Mayor, Corporation, and Citizens of Alexandria
• Chapter Eleven: Presidential Addresses 1789-1796
• 167: Fragments of the Discarded First Inaugural Address
• 168: The First Inaugural Speech
• 169: First Annual Message
• 170: Second Annual Message
• 171: Third Annual Message
• 172: Fourth Annual Message
• 173: The Second Inaugural Speech
• 174: Fifth Annual Message
• 175: Sixth Annual Message
• 176: Seventh Annual Message
• 177: Eighth Annual Message
• 178: Farewell Address
• Chapter Twelve: Washington the President 1789-1791
• 179: To James Madison
• 180: To the United Baptist Churches In Virginia
• 181: To the General Assembly of Presbyterian Churches
• 182: To the Annual Meeting of Quakers
• 183: Thanksgiving Proclamation
• 184: Sketch of a Plan of American Finance
• 185: To Catherine Macaulay Graham
• 186: To David Stuart
• 187: To David Stuart
• 188: To the Hebrew Congregations
• 189: To the Roman Catholics In the United States of America
• 190: To the Hebrew Congregation In Newport
• 191: To the Hebrew Congregations of the City of Savannah, Georgia
• 192: To the Chiefs and Counselors of the Seneca Nation
• 193: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 194: To Gouverneur Morris
• 195: To Arthur Young
• Chapter Thirteen: Trials of Division 1792-1796
• 196: To James Madison
• 197: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 198: To the Secretary of the Treasury
• 199: To the Secretary of State
• 200: To the Secretary of the Treasury
• 201: To the Attorney General
• 202: Proclamation
• 203: To the Secretary of State
• 204: Proclamation
• 205: Proclamation of Neutrality
• 206: To Governor Henry Lee
• 207: Proclamation
• 208: Proclamation
• 209: To Governor Henry Lee
• 210: To Burgess Ball
• 211: Proclamation
• 212: To the Secretary of State
• 213: To John Jay
• 214: To the Commissioners of the District of Columbia
• 215: To Thomas Jefferson
• 216: To Alexander Hamilton
• 217: To Alexander Hamilton
• 218: To Alexander Hamilton
• 219: To Gouverneur Morris
• 220: To the House of Representatives
• Chapter Fourteen: a Work Completed 1796-1799
• 221: To Alexander Hamilton
• 222: To the Emperor of Germany
• 223: To Alexander Hamilton
• 224: To Thomas Pinckney
• 225: To Alexander Hamilton
• 226: To Thomas Jefferson
• 227: To Alexander Hamilton
• 228: Talk to the Cherokee Nation
• 229: To Alexander Hamilton
• 230: To Alexander Hamilton
• 231: To Jonathan Trumbull
• 232: To Marquis De Lafayette
• 233: To Patrick Henry
• Epilogue
• 234: To Governor Jonathan Trumbull
• 235: Last Will and Testament

179

TO JAMES MADISON

New York, May 5, 1789

My dear Sir:

Notwithstanding the conviction I am under of the labour which is imposed upon you by Public Individuals as well as public bodies; yet, as you have begun, so I could wish you to finish, the good work in a short reply to the Address of the House of Representatives (which I now enclose) that there may be an accordance in this business.

Thursday 12 Oclock, I have appointed to receive the Address. The proper plan is with the House to determine. As the first of everything, in our situation will serve to establish a Precedent, it is devoutly wished on my part, that these precedents may be fixed on true principles. With Affectionate regard etc.