To George Washington from Richard Potts, 12 June 1792
From Richard Potts
Frederick Town [Md.] 12 June 1792
sir
Finding it very inconvenient to attend the Circuit and district Courts of the United States from this place so remote from the seats of those Courts, and considering it material to the interests of the United States That the Residence of the Attorney should be nearer the Scenes of Business, I am induced to give up my appointment as Attorney for the District of Maryland, and beg that this may be received as my resignation thereof—Permit me to assure you that I entertain a just sense of the honour conferred by that trust reposed in me, and am led to this step by a sense of duty, after experiencing that I cannot discharge the duties of that station with advantage to the public, without a change of Residence that present circumstances would not justify. With Sentiments of the highest Respect I have the honour to subscribe myself Your obedt Servant
Richard Potts
ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters. The postmark on the cover of this document reads: “BALT June 21.”
Richard Potts (1753–1808), a lawyer in Frederick, Md., served in the Md. house of delegates 1779–80 and 1787–88, the Continental Congress in 1781, and the Md. convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1788. He was U.S. attorney for Maryland 1789–92, chief judge of the fifth judicial circuit 1791–93 and 1796–1801, a U.S. senator 1793–96, and an associate justice of the Maryland court of appeals 1801–4.