To Thomas Jefferson from George Washington, 25 December 1791
From George Washington
25th. Decr. 1791
My Dear Sir
You will find by the enclosed that our troubles in the Federal City are not yet at an end.—I pray you to give the letters a consideration and inform me of the result, to morrow, or next day.—Yours affectly. & sincerely,
Go: Washington
RC (DLC); addressed: “Mr. Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as received 25 Dec. 1791. Entry in SJPL reads: “G.W. to Th:J. Federal city.”
The Commissioners had written to Washington, enclosing a copy of a memorial from the proprietors, and expressing pessimism about settling the problem of L’Enfant’s destruction of the house of Daniel Carroll of Duddington, which they felt more optimistic about when they had written TJ eleven days earlier (Commissioners to Washington, 21 Dec. 1791, DNA: RG 42; Robert Peter and others to Commissioners, 21 Dec. 1791, DNA: RG 42, PC; Commissioners to TJ, 10 Dec. 1791). TJ probably discussed this matter with Washington on the 27th, whereupon the President wrote the Commissioners that he would seek the opinion of the Attorney General (Washington to Commissioners, 27 Dec. 1791, DNA: RG 42. See Editorial Note on fixing the seat of government, Vol. 20: 52).