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George Washington Papers, Series 2, Letterbooks 1754-1799

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George Washington Papers, Series 2, Letterbooks 1754-1799 George Washington Papers, Series 2, Letterbooks 1754-1799 To MARQUIS DE CHARTIER DE LOTBINIÈRE Mount Vernon, February 22, 1788. Sir: I have been honored by the receipt of your letter of the 27th. Ulto. and am sorry to find, by it, that you have been so violently attacked by the tertium ague. I hope the bad effects of it are removed before this, and that you will not be afflicted by any returns of it. I am very happy to find that matters have been adjusted between the Courts of Versailles and London without coming to an open rupture; for notwithstanding the exploits that may be performed or the eclat which may be acquired by military operations, yet the effects of war must be sincerely regreted by every humane and feeling mind. I thank you, Sir, for your politness in offering me the services of the young Gentleman, your relation, who is at present with you, as my Aid de Camp; I have not the smallest doubt but his abilities and dispositions are such as would do him credit in any post, but, Sir, I must decline the honor which you would do me, for, at the close of the war, I resigned my military employments and quitted publick life, I have, therefore, no occasion for the services of an Aid de Camp, and I hope that a continuance 76 of peace in this Country will render them unnecessary at any future period. I have the Honor etc. 76. In the writing of Tobias Lear. From a photostat of the original kindly furnished by the Bostonian Society. To THOMAS SMITH Mount Vernon, February 22, 1788. Sir: I have, at this late period, to acknowledge the rect. of your letter of the 22d. of May last. The reason of my not doing it in course, was not owing to any neglect or inattention on my part, but to the want of knowing that it was in my hands, for I received the Title papers of my land in Washington County which you sent to me in Philadelphia, and not expecting that anything was contained in the enclosure more than those, I delay'd opening it till a few days since. George Washington Papers, Series 2, Letterbooks 1754-1799 http://www.loc.gov/resource/mgw2.015 I have forwarded the letter to Mr. Bushrod Washington which was under the same cover with my papers; but I expect the contents of it have been anticipated by a letter from you since that time. You have undoubtedly recd. a letter from me before this, requesting you to retain whatever you consider as a compensation for the trouble of yourself and Mr. Ross in prosecuting my land suit, out of the money which you may recover on my acct. from the bonds in your hands and transmit the 77 residue to Clement Biddle Esqr. in Philadelphia. I am, etc. 77. From the “Letter Book” copy in the Washington Papers. To SIR EDWARD NEWENHAM Mount Vernon, February 24, 1788. Dear Sir: I have been favored with your letter of the 10th. of Augt. and am very sorry to find, by it, that your intended voyage to this Country was prevented, and especially after you had made your arrangements and was upon the point of sailing; the cause of your detention must have made it still more displeasing to you, for, of all the vexations in life, that of a tedious and perplexing Lawsuit is the most disagreeable. I am, however, in hopes that your visit is not wholly given up, but only postponed. You will be so good, my dear Sir, as to inform your friend Colo. Persse that I have a grateful sense of the favourable sentiments which he entertains of me, and present my best thanks to him for the Hay seed and Goosebury bushes which he is so polite as to propose sending me. I must beg that you would not put yourself to any trouble or inconvenience in obtaining the wolf dogs for me, for however desirious I may be to procure a breed of them, I should think they were too dearly purchased if you met with any difficulty in getting them. At the same time you complain of having been deluged by incessant rains, we were, in this part of the continent, distressed by the opposite extreme. The drought, in this neighbourhood, was as severe last summer and fall as was ever known in the memory of man; The Grass and small grain were greatly injured by it; and the Indian Corn, in some places, almost entirely cut off. My farms were among the number of those which felt it in its greatest severity, but, happily, it was not general. The middle and eastern States had favourable seasons and food crops. A very severe winter has added to the inconvenience of short crops. We have since Christmas, experienced a George Washington Papers, Series 2, Letterbooks 1754-1799 http://www.loc.gov/resource/mgw2.015 series of cold weather which is very seldom felt in this climate, the navigation of our Rivers has been stopped by the frost since the first of January. I thank you, my dear Sir, for your information upon the general State of politics in Europe; and would, in return, give you some account of our public affairs here had anything of importance transpired since my last letter to you of the of . I can only say that we are still in a state of expectation, waiting the result of the State Convention relative to the proposed plan of Government. Six States only have as yet decided upon it; they are favourable. The convention of new Hampshire is now in session. The most formidable opposition to it is expected to come from New York and Virginia; but as nine States will have determined upon it (and in all probability adopted it) before their Conventions take place, it is expected that its opponents in those States will not have sufficient influence to prevent its adoption there when it is found to be the general voice of the continent. Rhode Island has discovered some symptoms of recovering from her delirium; the papers mention the votes of several towns instructing their delegates in the legislature to have a convention of the People for the purpose of considering the proposed constitution. 78 Mrs. Washington joins me in Compliments to Lady Newenham and yourself. I am, etc. To BENJAMIN LINCOLN Mount Vernon, February 28, 1788. My dear Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your three letters of the 3d. 6th and 9th inst. The information conveyed by the last was extremely pleasing to me, though I cannot say it was altogether unexpected, as the tenor of your former letters had, in some measure, prepared me for the event; but the conduct of the minority was more satisfactory than could have been expected. The full and fair discussion, which you gave the subject in your convention, was attended with the happiest consequences; it afforded complete information to all those who went thither with dispositions to be informed, and at the same time gave an opportunity to confute, and point out the fallacy of those specious 78. From the “Letter Book” copy in the Washington Papers. arguments which were offered in opposition to the proposed Government. Nor is this all. The conciliating behaviour of the minority will strike a damp on the hopes which opponents in other States might, otherwise have formed from the smallness of the majority, and must be greatly George Washington Papers, Series 2, Letterbooks 1754-1799 http://www.loc.gov/resource/mgw2.015 influential in obtaining a favourable determination in those States which have not yet decided upon it. There is not perhaps a man in Virginia less qualified than I am, to say from his own knowledge and observation, what will be the fate of the Constitution here, for I very seldom ride beyond the limits of my own farms, and am wholly indebted to those gentlemen who visit me for any information of the disposition of the people towards it; but from all I can collect I have not the smallest doubt of its being accepted. I thank you, my dear Sir, for the accounts which you have, from time to time, transmitted me since the meeting of your convention, nothing could have been more grateful or acceptable to me, I am also obliged by your promise to inform me of any important matters, that may transpire, and you know I shall, at all times be happy to hear of your welfare. Mrs. Washington joins me in compliments 79 to Mrs. Lincoln and yourself. With the greatest esteem &c. 79. From the “Letter Book” copy in the Washington Papers. To CALEB GIBBS Mount Vernon, February 28, 1788. Sir: I have received your letter of the 9th. inst. accompanied by the papers which you was so polite as to send me. I must beg you to accept my thanks for your attention in forwarding to me the pleasing decision of your convention upon the proposed Government. The candid and conciliating behavour of the minority places them in a more favourable point of view than the debates of the Convention gave room to expect, and sufficiently shews the good effects of the full and fair discussion which the subject met with. The adoption of the Constitution in Massachusetts will, I presume, be greatly influential in obtaining 80 a favourable determination upon it in those States where the question is yet to be agitated. No person can, at this moment pretend to say what will be its fate here, and I am perhaps less qualified to give an opinion upon it, from my own observation, than almost anyone, as I very seldom ride off my farms, and am indebted to Gentlemen who call upon me for any information which I have of the disposition of the people towards it, but from what I can collect, I have no doubt of its 81 being accepted here.
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