To George Washington from Edmund Randolph, 11 October 1794
From Edmund Randolph
Philadelphia October 11. 1794
Sir
I communicated to Mrs Washington the route, which you marked out in your favor of the 9th current. All under your roof were in their usual good health this morning; and she desired me to say to you, that she will write by the express of Monday.1
Mr Fauchet certainly believes the destruction of Robespierre; and from circumstances, independent of those, which have been published, he had foreseen the event at least two months ago.
Mr Izard has returned; and his lady is preparing to go immediately to Charleston with the family.2 Mr Izard will follow in the Spring—I find him under very proper impressions of our public affairs. He mentioned to me, that a society under the democratic garb has arisen in South Carolina with the name of Madisonian.3 It is a great grief to me; because it must place Madison under embarrassment, either to seem to approve by silence, what I am confident, he must abhor; or to affront those, who intended to evince their respect for him. I hope, that he will not hesitate to adopt the latter expedient; for I shall with the freedom of friendship bring before him the genuine state of my mind concerning it. As I remarked to you in conversation, I never did see an opportunity of destroying these self-constituted bodies, until the fruit of their operations was disclosed in the insurrection of Pittsburg: indeed I was and am still persuaded, that the language, which was understood to be held by the officers of government in opposition to them, contributed to foster them. They may now, I believe, be crushed. The prospect ought not to be lost. I have the honor sir to be with the highest respect and affectionate attachment yr mo. ob. serv.
Edm: Randolph
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. The next Monday was 13 October. No letter of that date from Martha Washington to GW has been found.
2. Ralph Izard was a senator from South Carolina. His wife, Alice DeLancey Izard (1745–1832), a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Colden DeLancey of New York, married him in 1767. On 18 Oct., Martha Washington wrote to Fanny Bassett Washington in part: “Mrs Izard a ladie of my acquaintance since I have been hear is setting out on a journey to her seat in charlestown—south carolina—Mr Izard has been in congress ever since the president has—after serving his six years he means to retire and his family goes on this fall, they will come to alexandria and wish much to visit mount vernon if it is not very inconvenient to you I shall be much obliged to you to goe down to mount vernon with Mrs Izard and her family as they would be glad to rest thair a day it would be well to let Mr Pearce know it—the Ladies intend to set out on wednesday—next—thair present intention is to go by lancaster and little York town—and come from thance to the Federal City—I would wish you to be very kind to them and put up a supply of good bread or any thing else that they may want.” According to a later letter, Mrs. Izard did stop at Mount Vernon “but was so unlucky as not to find any person at home” (, 277–80).
3. Izard may have been referring to the Madison Society, formed in the Washington District of South Carolina. For resolutions passed by that society at Greenville in early July, see City Gazette & Daily Advertiser (Charleston, S.C.), 26 July.