TO MR. SHORT.
Philadelphia, January 28, 1792.
Dear Sir,—My last private letter to you was of November 25th, your last received was of September 29th. Though the present will be very confidential, and will go, I do not know how, I cannot take time to cypher it all. What has lately occurred here will convince you I have been right in not raising your expectations as to an appointment. The President proposed at first the nomination of Mr. T. Pinckney to the court of London, but would not name him till we could have an assurance from him that he would accept, nor did he indicate what the other appointments would be till Mr. Pinckney's answer came. Then he nominated to the Senate Mr. Morris, M. P. for France, Pinckney, M. P. for London, and yourself M. R. for the Hague. The first of these appointments was extremely unpopular, and so little relished by several of the Senate, that every effort was used to negative it. Those whose personal objections to Mr. Morris overruled their deference to the President, finding themselves a minority, joined with another small party who are against all foreign appointments, and endeavored with them to put down the whole system rather than let this article pass. This plan was defeated, and Mr. Morris passed by a vote of 16 against 11. When your nomination came on, it was consented to, by 15 against 11, every man of the latter, however, rising and declaring, that as to yourself they had no personal objection, but only meant by their vote to declare their opinion against keeping any person at the Hague. Those who voted in the negative were not exactly the same in both cases. When the biennial bill furnishing money for the support of the foreign establishment shall come up at the next session, to be continued, the same contest will arise again, and I think it very possible that if the opponents of Mr. Morris cannot remove him otherwise, they will join again with those who are against the whole establishment, and try to discontinue the whole. If they fail in this, I still see no security in their continuing the mission to the Hague; because to do this they must enlarge the fund from forty to fifty thousand dollars. The President afterwards proceeded to join you to Carmichael on a special mission to Spain, to which there was no opposition, except from three gentlemen who were against opening the Mississippi.
I am, with sincere attachment, dear Sir, your affectionate friend and servant.