Philad. where he was going to have the error rectified; but as I informed him that I had written to you on the subject, and that his presence was not necessary to identify the person, he gave up his journey. With due consideration etc."

*To SIR UVEDALE PRICE 84

Mount Vernon (in Virginia), February 5, 1799. Sir: At the sametime that I pray you to accept my thanks for your polite, and obliging favour of the 31st of March in the past year, it becomes necessary that I should apologize for what, otherwise, might carry with it the appearance of inattention to your kindness, in sending me your Essay on the "Picturesque." This Work, Sir, did not reach my hands until within a few days; which will account for my silence 'till now.

The subject is curious, and I persuade myself I shall read the two Volumes with pleasure and edification in my first leisure moments. In the meantime I have the honor etc.

*To WILLIAM B. HARRISON

Mount Vernon, February 6, 1799.

Sir: I have received your letter of the 24th. Ulto., and thank you for your kind assurance of suffering no tenant to remain on your land (near my Mill) who is a nuisance to me.

But it was from a thorough conviction in my mind that no person, or persons, who meant to get a livelihood by dint of labour. In short who did not depend more upon slight of hand, and unwarrantable shifts than labour, for a support, who would live on it in the exhausted state in which it is, that induced me to propose becoming your tenant, for the whole tract.

The draft is in the writing of Tobias Lear.

"Of Foxley, Herefordshire, England.

1799]

PROPERTY DAMAGE

123

To this application of mine, your letter gives no answer; which is the cause of my giving you the trouble of the second Letter; forasmuch, if you are inclined to lease the Land to me for a term of years (and I could not take it on a short one, for the reasons mentioned in my last) I may know on what conditions; and if agreeable, be making my arrangements accordingly for the next year.

You will be able to judge, without any observations of mine, whether it will not be for your interest, and the advantage of the Land, that the whole should be in the hands of one person who will pay the rent regularly as it becomes due, without trouble; and who, by proper inclosures (the fencing of which I should be obliged to do with timber from my own land) wd. be improving, instead of rendering it less and less valuable every year, leaving it totally divested of even firewood, or any thing to support it, in the manner, and under the circumstances it now is, and is going on. I say your own good sense will enable you to judge of these matters as well as I can. All I request is, to be informed, whether you will lease the land to me, or not; and in the former case, on what terms; being certain that my enclosures will forever be subject to depredations while the tenements are in the hands of persons who cannot support their families by fair and honest labour, without being in a starving condition great part of the year.

With respect to John Javins I have nothing particular to charge him with; nor do I know any thing with which to impeach his honesty. Nor am I able to fix by legal proof anything against the others; but certain it is the best fences I can make are no proof against their hogs &ca.; and my meadows and grain are continually destroyed by their Stocks. And it is not less certain that my Stock (of Hogs and Sheep in particular) are constantly diminishing and while one of the Pools has no

visible way of raising them, sells more things than any person of his condition in the County. In a word, I have lately been told that he keeps a tipling house which is a receptacle for such articles as Negros can steal from their Owners. I am etc.

TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR

Mount Vernon, February 6, 1799.

Dear Sir: Enclosed are sundry letters which have come to my hands, requesting Appointments in the Army of the United States,85

You will observe that all these letters, excepting one, are from foreigners; and as I presume it is a principle pretty well established, that it would be improper to admit persons of this description into our Army, unless it is a few Characters well skilled as Engineers or Artilleriests, I have sent those to your office that may go into the proper channel for applications, and not rest in my hands.

The name of John Cooper, the writer of one of the enclosed letters, was not among those handed in to me from your office. You will see what he says on the subject of an appointt. and will know whether the recommendations he mentions have been sent to you, and how far he may have a chance for an appointt. from any vacancy, if he shd. be found deserving. With due consideration etc.86

*To GOVERNOR JONATHAN TRUMBULL

Mount Vernon, February 6, 1799.

My dear Sir: By the Ship Nancy from London, just arrived at Alexandria; I have received four copies of the Prints of the

85 A list of the letters sent follows this draft in the Washington Papers.

86 The draft is in the writing of Tobias Lear.

1799]

TRUMBULL'S PRINTS

125

Deaths of Montgomery and Warren (the number of setts I presume I subscribed for) 87 sent me by your Brother.

88

It is my wish to make him a remittance agreeably to the terms of the Subscription; but having taken no copy of it, and not being able to recollect what is to pay, must be my apology for troubling you with this letter: presuming that the original Paper or a copy thereof, might have been left with you; and moreover, that you may be empowered to receive from the Subscribers in the United States, the amount of their subscriptions, in which case, upon receiving the advice, I shall, instead of making the remittance of mine to London, transmit it to you.

Whether any thing was to have been paid in advance, and whether in that case I paid mine, is more than I can decide without a resort (for the latter) to my Papers from Philadelphia, which are yet to be unpacked, and arranged.99

By a Paper accompanying the Prints of Montgomery and Warren, the other part of the original design is suspended, on account of the peculiarity of the times.

As I shall not write to Mr. Trumbull until I hear from you, the sooner you can make it convenient to give me the information herein required, the more agreeable it will be.

I enquire frequently after you, and with pleasure hear always that you enjoy good health. Mrs. Washington who is as well as usual, and Nelly Custis who on my birthday (the 22d. instant) will change her name for that of Lewis, a Nephew of mine, and brother to those who lived with me in New York and Philadelphia, unite in best wishes and respectful compliments to Mrs. Trumbull and yourself, with My dear Sir etc.

"A set of these prints (the one of the death of Warren is better known as the Battle of Bunker Hill), the property of Walter G. Peter, of Washington, D. C., is in the Washington Collection in the National Museum. One set was hung in the "new room" (Banquet Hall) and one set in the central hall of Mount Vernon.

88 John Trumbull.

"Washington had already paid half of the subscription (3 guineas) for two sets of the prints on Apr. 17, 1790 (Cf. Washington's letter to Joseph Anthony, Sept. 30, 1799, post.)

*To THE SECRETARY OF STATE

Mount Vernon, February 10, 1799.

Dear Sir: Your letters of the 24th of the last, and 2d of the present month," have been duly received; for which, and their enclosures, I thank you.

I am not surprised that some Members of the Ho. of Representatives should dis-relish your Report. It contains remarks, and speaks truths which they are desirous should be unknown to the People. I wish the parts which were left out, had been retained. The crisis, in my opinion, calls loudly for plain dealing; that the Citizens at large may be well informed, and decide, with respect to public measures, upon a thorough knowledge of facts. Concealment is a species of mis-information; and misrepresentation and false alarms found the ground work of opposition. The plan of wch. is, to keep the People as much as possible in ignorance and terror; for it is believed by themselves, that a perfect understanding of our real situation, in regard to our foreign relations would be a death blow to their consequence and struggles; and for that reason, have always something on foot to disquiet the public mind.

"Pickering has stated: “I ... inclose copies of the President's communications to Congress on the 18th and 21st of January, concerning French affairs. In my report, I had noticed (in as gentle terms as possible) Mr. Gerry's conduct, as wrong in principle, and in many particulars very reprehensible: but these (contrary to my wishes) were omitted. There was one omission which I deemed important to retain, as it was the text of my observations on Mr. Gerry's strange opinion of the sincerity of Talleyrand in his talks of negotiation prior to the arrival of the Envoys dispatches in Europe. For your own eye, I have inserted in the copy of my report now inclosed, the passages referred to, as I had written them. It was this absurd but mischievous opinion which suggested to me the necessity of making a report on those communications: I call it mischievous, because many will read and respect that opinion without examining and discovering that it is without foundation. Mr. Gerry's whole letter is calculated to apologize for his improper conduct: so improper as to be inexcusable; and of this he is apparently conscious; and hence his laboured but weak attempt to justify it." A photostat of the original, through the courtesy of Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach, of New York City, is in the Washington Papers.