commercial system, that we are not to make particular sacrifices to, nor expect particular favors from any power.

It is conceived, therefore, upon the whole, to be the true interest of the United States, to close the present treaty with Great Britain in the manner advised by the Senate.

MILITARY PAPERS.

A. HAMILTON.

SIR:

SECRETARY OF WAR TO HAMILTON.

WAR DEPARTMENT, July 25th, 1798.

I am directed to inform you that the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, has appointed you Inspector-General, with the rank of Major-General, and to transmit you your commission made out accordingly.

It may be proper to mention, that the nominations to the Senate for the general officers of the established and provisional army, were presented on the same day, and in the order in which they appear in the annexed list; and that in registering them in this department, the same order will be observed.

Permit me to add to this information, that as no command can be immediately given to the general officers, the President conceives they will consider it proper that the pay and emoluments of their respective commissions ought not to commence previous to their being called into actual service, and to flatter myself that all considerations of a private nature will yield to the crisis, and afford me the pleasure of communicating your acceptance to the President.

I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant,
JAMES MCHENRY.

HAMILTON TO MHENRY.

SIR:

PHILADELPHIA, July 28, 1798.

I last evening had the honor of receiving your letter of the 25th inst., announcing to me my appointment as Inspector and Major-General. At a crisis like the present, I esteem it my duty to obey the call of the government. Feeling, too, as I ought, the value of the high confidence which is reposed in me, I beg you to convey to the President my most cordial acknowledgments, and the assurance of my best endeavor to merit it. With great respect and esteem, I am, sir, &c.

HAMILTON TO M'HENRY.

July 28th, 1798.

Allow me to remind you of my nephew, Philip Church, whom I warmly recommend for a captaincy in the infantry.

He is the eldest son of his father; has had a good education; is a young man of sense, of genuine spirit and worth of considerable expectations in point of fortune. I shall esteem his appointment to this grade a personal favor, while I believe that it will consist with every rule of propriety.

HAMILTON TO M'HENRY.

PHILADELPHIA, July 30th, 1798.

DEAR MCHENRY:

Scruples of delicacy have occasioned me to hesitate about offering to you certain ideas which it appears to me, on mature

reflection, cannot be withheld consistently either with friendship to you, or regard to the service.

I observe you plunged in a vast mass of details. I know from experience, that it is impossible for any man, whatever be his talents or diligence, to wade through such a mass, without neglecting the most material things, and attaching to his operations a feebleness and sloth of execution. It is essential to the success of the minister of a great department, that he subdivide the objects of his care, distribute them among competent assistants, and content himself with a general but vigilant superintendence. This course is particularly necessary when an unforeseen emergency has suddenly accumulated a number of new objects to be provided for and executed.

Hence you will give me leave, in all the frankness of friend ship, to express to you an opinion that you will do well to call effectually to your aid the Inspector-General, and likewise Major-General Knox, and to charge them with the management of particular branches of the service.

You already contemplate, and very properly, that the Inspector-General shall occupy himself in preparing a system of tactics and discipline. But will it not be expedient and natural to charge him also with superintending the recruiting service? and may he not be made useful in other ways to the business of the department? General Knox, if he can be drawn to the seat of government, may be rendered extensively useful, especially in whatever relates to the artillery branch.

But you will perceive that ideas of this sort presuppose an abandonment of the plan of suspending the emoluments of these officers. They cannot afford to give their time and attention without compensation. As to myself, I must be free to confess that this is utterly impossible. I have the less embarrassment in making the declaration, because it must be obvious that the plan is against my pecuniary interest. Serious occupation in my military office must involve the relinquishment substantially of my profession; and the exchange of from three to four thousand pounds for the compensation of Inspector-General, is evidently but a sorry bargain.

Yours, truly, &c.

SIR:

ADAMS TO HAMILTON.

QUINCY, September 4, 1798.

I have received your favor of the 22d of August, recommending Colonel Toussard to be Inspector of Artillery.

I have no reason to suspect that your entire confidence in his honor and fidelity is misplaced. But as his native country is France, and his speech betrays his original, I am very apprehensive that in a French war, neither the army nor the people would be without their jealousies and suspicions, which might be very injurious to the service.

I shall take the subject into consideration, and your judg ment will have great weight. There has been already so much uneasiness expressed on account of the French officers in the artillery, that I expect much difficulty.

I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your most obedient servant,

JOHN ADAMS.

ADAMS TO HAMILTON.

QUINCY, October, 17, 1798.

SIR:

I have received, last night, a letter from his Excellency Governor Jay, enclosing a copy of an act of the legislature of NewYork, for the further defence of that State, and for other purposes.

The Governor observes that it appears to be the intention of that act, that the money appropriated in it, 150,000 dollars, shall be laid out only in the manner which the national government will recognize as useful and advisable, and His Excellency proposes to my consideration whether it would not be expedient to authorize Major-General Hamilton, as a national officer in whom

great confidence may be placed, to concert with the Governor the plan of laying out the money to the best advantage, and to appoint the General to superintend the execution of it.

I have not hesitated to comply with the Governor's request, saving all right of the legislature of the United States.

Accordingly I hereby request you, sir, to concert with His Excellency the plan, and to superintend the execution of it, at least, until some other arrangement shall be made, if any other should hereafter be thought expedient.

With great esteem, I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your obedient and humble servant,

Major-General ALEXANDER HAMILTON, New-York.

JOHN ADAMS.

HAMILTON TO M'HENRY.

NEW-YORK, October 19, 1798.

SIR:

I was yesterday honored with your letter, transmitting my commission as Inspector and Major-General.

Agreeably to your desire, I hold myself prepared to attend you within the period you assign. But as the object appears to embrace a concert of advice and assistance with General Knox (who cannot be expected in much less than the utmost limit of the time prescribed), I shall permit myself to defer my journey so as to reach you about the first of November, unless I am told that an anticipation of that day is deemed requisite.

I cannot but observe with satisfaction the conclusion of your letter as to the relative rank of the three Major-Generals.

I received at the same time your letter of the 11th instant, having been absent from the city for five days past.

I shall to-day confer with Major Hoops and Colonel Stevens on the subject of it, chiefly to ascertain the actual state of things, and by to-morrow's post will communicate my opinion.