To George Washington from Thomas Mifflin, 8 May 1788
From Thomas Mifflin
Philadelphia May 8th 1788.
Sir,
I have the honor to transmit to your Excellency the copy of a circular letter to the State-Societies of the Cincinnati from the Gentlemen who have attended here in consequence of the recommendation of the General-Meeting in May last.1
The Members present not making a Quorum no other business could be entered on. I am with the greatest Respect Your Excellencys Obedient & humble Serva⟨nt⟩
Thomas Mifflin
V.P.G.C.
ALS, DSoC; LS, in the hand of William Jackson, DLC:GW; ALS (retained copy), DSoC.
1. On 11 May George Turner, secretary of the Society of the Cincinnati, wrote GW from Philadelphia: “I must apologize for not forwarding to your Excellency with General Mifflin’s Letter of the 8th Instant (which was committed to my Care) the Copy of the Circular Letter it was intended to enclose. It was an Omission occasioned through Hurry, and which I did not recollect ’till this Moment. I have now the honour to send it herewith” (DLC:GW). The circular letter of 8 May signed for the Society of the Cincinnati by Turner and the other ten members of the Society in attendance at the “Extra-Meeting” of the Society in Philadelphia reported their inability to take any actions due to a lack of a quorum but included this statement regarding L’Enfant’s predicament: “The Considerations which induced the last General-Meeting to admit the Claims exhibited by Major L’Enfant against the Society, still existing in full Force, and the Honour of the Society being pledged for the payment of the Money, we cannot avoid expressing our earnest Wish, that the final Settlement of this Business may sustain no farther Delay; and that the several State-Societies, who have not yet complied with the Requisition, would immediately take Measures for remitting their Quotas, as directed in the Resolution of the General-Meeting” (DLC:GW). See L’Enfant to GW, 15 April.