1From Alexander Hamilton to Gouverneur Morris, 12 May 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
I have received the pleasure of your favour of yesterday’s date. The reasons you assign for the interval of silence on your part are admitted as sufficient; though I regret that the principal one exists—the combination of the tories for a general insurrection. But perhaps on the scale of policy I ought rather to congratulate you on the event: That there are too many tories in your state as...
2From Alexander Hamilton to Gouverneur Morris, 19 May 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
I this moment received the favour of your letter of the 16th instant. I partly agree and partly disagree with you respecting the deficiencies of your constitution. That there is a want of vigor in the executive, I believe will be found true. To determine the qualifications proper for the chief executive Magistrate requires the deliberate wisdom of a select assembly, and cannot be safely lodged...
3From Alexander Hamilton to Gouverneur Morris, 6 July 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
I received your favour of the 4th, by express. If I recollect how far my last went, it did not announce the return of the enemy from Westfield to Amboy, nor their evacuation of that place since. After resting and refreshing themselves a night, they decamped the following day and proceeded to Amboy from which place they went to Staten Island as expeditiously as they could; where they still...
4From Alexander Hamilton to Gouverneur Morris, 22 July 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
Your favour of the 18th ⟨from Saratoga reached me⟩ yesterday. Your pronouncing Fort Edward among the other forts indefensible surprises me a little, as it is intirely contrary to the representations of several Gentlemen of judgment, who have had an opportunity of seeing and considering its situation, by whom we have been taught to believe, that it would be an excellent post, at least ⟨for⟩...
5From Alexander Hamilton to Gouverneur Morris, 1 September 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
Agreeable to the intention of the Council I have delivered their inclosed letter to His Excellency who after perusing it has sealed and forwarded it to Mr. Hancock. The relieving Fort Schuyler is a very happy and important event, and will concur with the two happy strokes given by Harkemar and Stark to reverse the face of affairs and turn the scale against Mr Burgoigne. I hope Capt...
6George Washington to Gouverneur Morris, 8 May 1779 (Hamilton Papers)
Middlebrook [ New Jersey ] May 8, 1779 . States reasons for favoring a campaign in South. Discusses distressing state of the Army. Df , in writings of George Washington and H, George Washington Papers, Library of Congress. Morris was a delegate to Congress from New York.
7From Alexander Hamilton to Gouverneur Morris, 21 February 1784 (Hamilton Papers)
I duly received my dear Sir your letter of the 27th: of January and I would have sooner told you how much pleasure it gave me, if I had had time; but legislative folly has afforded so plentiful a harvest to us lawyers that we have scarcely a moment to spare from the substantial business of reaping. Today being sunday I have resolved to give an hour to friendship and to you. Good people would...
8From Alexander Hamilton to Gouverneur Morris, [21 March 1784] (Hamilton Papers)
Permit me to introduce to Your acquaintance and attention Mr Seaton Cashier of the Bank of New York. He is just setting out for Philadelphia to procure materials, and information in the forms of business. I recommend him to you, because I am persuaded you will with pleasure facilitate his object. Personally I dare say you will be pleased with him. He will tell you of our embarrassments and...
9From Alexander Hamilton to Gouverneur Morris, [7 April 1784] (Hamilton Papers)
Pardon me My Dr. Sir for not sooner having obeyed your orders with respect to the inclosed. I part with it reluctantly; for that is so rare an article, that when we get so much of it in so small a compass we can not easily consent to be dispossessed of it. I am very happy to hear of the union of your two banks; for you will believe me when I tell you, that on more deliberate consideration, I...
10From Alexander Hamilton to Gouverneur Morris, [19 May 1788] (Hamilton Papers)
I acknowlege my delinquency in not thanking you before for your obliging letter from Richmond. But the truth is that I have been so overwhelmed in avocations of one kind or another that I have scarcely had a moment to spare to a friend. You I trust will be the less disposed to be inexorable, as I hope you believe there is no one for whom I have more inclination than yourself—I mean of the male...
11From Alexander Hamilton to Gouverneur Morris, 22 June 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
Your three letters of the 21st of March, 6th and 10th of April have been received, and gave me great pleasure. I accept your challenge to meet you in the field of mutual confidential communication; though I cannot always promise punctuality, or copiousness. I will however do the best I can. Will it not be a necessary preliminary to agree upon a Cypher? One has been devised for me, which though...
12From Alexander Hamilton to Gouverneur Morris, 13 September 1792. (Hamilton Papers)
The Legislature at their last Session having made provision for the paying off the Debt due to foreign Officers, the Interest of which is payable at the house of Mr. Grand, Banker, at Paris; and the President having authorized me to carry that provision into effect, I have concluded to commit such part of the business as is to be transacted at Paris to your Management; not doubting of the...
13Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 18 June 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, June 18, 1792. “… I suppose you will before this have seen the commissaries of the Treasury, I will thank you to let me know whether you have settled with them the manner of counting the payments made from Antwerp. There will be a considerable sum at Amsterdam probably soon at the disposition of the U.S. for being applied to the French debt. I shd. suppose no time ought to be lost,...
14Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 28 June 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, June 28, 1792. “… On the 18th. inst. I write you also from this place & wait with much impatience to hear from you respecting what has been settled with the Commissaries of the treasury, as I mentioned to you in that letter there would be a considerable payment to be made them as soon as you shall have fixed the rate of the late payments & the mode in wch. the next shd. be made. I...
15Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 6 July 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, July 6, 1792. “I recieved yesterday your letter of the 28th. of June, & am glad to find that the settlement with the commissaries of the treasury will soon be made. The extract of the letter from the sec. of the Treasury, which I in-closed to you in mine of the 28th. ulto. will shew you his desire relative thereto. I am happy that the business is now in your hands & am persuaded...
16Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 10 July 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, July 10, 1792. “I have this inst. recd. your letter of the 5th as you there acknowlege the rect. of mine of the 28th. of June. I have nothing further to add, to what I said in that & my last letter, than simply to mention that the decree of the assembly on wch. you count seems to me not to have advanced the business at all. As far as I can understand it, it limits to four millions...
17Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 17 July 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, July 17, 1792. “The last post, (which brought your letter of the 9th.) arrived too late in the day for me to answer it, by the post of that day. I observe by it that you recd. a note from the minister desiring a rendezvous on the 6th. & that on the 9th. you had heard nothing further from him. He cannot have been collecting the accts. as you suppose for they were made out & stated...
18Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 23[–24] July 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, July 23 [ –24 ,] 1792 . “In consequence of your letter of July 16. I have written to the bankers to desire them to furnish you the state of the payments they have made to France. I can inform you however in the mean time that they told me the statement made by the French treasury was just.… I in-close you two reciepts of the French agent at Antwerp which complete the payments made...
19Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 4 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, August 4, 1792. “… As to the loans at Amsterdam, I told you we had a right to re-imburse them, at will & some have except precisely the one of which you speak —& wch. is one sui generis —it is however only of 2. millions of florins I think, & was made by Mr. Adams at an int. of 4 p. cent—with certain reimbursements & premiums by lottery wch. augment the interest to about 6.—& wch....
20Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 7 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, August 7, 1792. “I was obliged to answer with much precipitation your letter of the 30th. ulto recd. here the 4th. inst—as the post sat out from hence immediately after the arrival of yours. I hoped to have learned from you by the post of to-day what had been decided on between you & the commissaries or at least what was the answer which you expected from them at the departure of...
21Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 17 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, August 17, 1792. “The post of last tuesday brought here your two letters of Aug. 6. & 9. which shews that the first had been unfortunately too late for the post of that day. I was at Amsterdam when these letters arrived here & had directed such as arrived that day not to be sent to me, as I returned here the day after (wednesday). By a mistake however they were sent & crossed me on...
22Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 21 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, August 21, 1792. “I hoped that the post of this day which has just arrived would have brought me a letter from you but it has not. I know therefore nothing further with respect to your arrangements with the commissaries than was contained in a simple paragraph, saying you had agreed with the commissaries for the present & desire one million &c. to be paid. Was the depreciation...
23Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 28 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, August 28, 1792. “I recd. by the last post your letter of the 20th. & this moment that of the 23d. This letter proves to me that nothing has been done with respect to the depreciation as the livres wch. you mention make the exchange if I do not miscalculate 32½ which I suppose was the exchange existing at the time of your arrangement—of course the depreciation was not taken into the...
24Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 4 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, September 4, 1792. “… Hogguer refuses to accept the money any other way than as has hitherto been practised, viz by giving a draught or bill on the commissaries of the treasury for the amt.—or on a reciept where it shall be expressed that at my requisition he engages himself to hold the money until the King’s free consent can be obtained for its disposal. He refuses even giving a...
25Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 7 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, September 7, 1792. “… In my last I informed you of Hogguer’s refusing to recieve the payment you had agreed for with the commissaries in any other than the mode he has hitherto practised; namely by giving a draught for the amount on the national treasury; & of my finally (after the rect. of your letter) directing our bankers to make the payment to him, not withstanding my own...
26Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 14 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, September 14, 1792. “… I hasten merely to observe on that part of your letter in wch: you say that the observation cannot in any wise influence your conduct &c. Surely you do not mean after having carried the matter thus far & put it out of my reach to withdraw yourself from consummating the measure you adopted—under the idea now of being unauthorized—the measure itself never...
27Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 18 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, September 18, 1792. “I answered in much haste & confusion in my last letter of the 14th. yours of the 9th. It would admit of a greater degree of developement, but it seems unnecessary in the present moment. I have recieved your letter of the 12th. in which you acknowlege the reciept of mine of the 7th & the only observation you make thereon is that you had previously sent to the...
28Enclosure: Pierre Henri Hélène Marie Lebrun-Tondu to Gouverneur Morris, 19 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
Paris, September 19, 1792. “Je viens, Monsieur, de recevoir une lettre de M. Maulde, Ministre plenipotentiare de france à la haye, par laquelle il m’instruit de l’insinuation perfide que M. Short a faite à M. hoguer, Banquier à Amsterdam, en l’excitant à exiger une formalité, impraticable dans la circonstance, avant de remettre à la Trésorerie Nationale un fonds des 5. ous 6. cent mille...
29Enclosure: William Short to Gouverneur Morris, 21 September 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
The Hague, September 21, 1792. “I answered by the last post yours of the 12th. recd. that day & since that I am without hearing from you. The commissaries have acknowleged in their letter to our bankers the reciept of the draught for 1,625,000 florins, & say they will credit the U.S. therefore. I flatter myself however they mean for the value of the florins viz 6,000,000 livres & not the...
30Enclosure: The Commissaries of the French Treasury to Gouverneur Morris, 2 August 1792 (Hamilton Papers)
Nous avons reçu, Monsieur, votre lettre du 30 juillet. Nous ferons volontiers recevoir à Amsterdam les ommes que les Etats unis sont dans l’intention de rembourser à la nation française à compte de leur dette, et nous en chargerons M M. Hoggeur Grand et Compe. les memes banquiers qui ont jusqu’à present suivi toutes les operations relatives à cet remboursement. A l’égard du taux du change...