Description:

TIMOTHY PICKERING
(1745 - 1829) American politician and Adjutant General of the Continental Army, Secretary of War (1795) and Secretary of State (1795-1800). Very fine content A.L.S. as Secretary of State, 1p. 4to., [Philadelphia] Dec. 10, 1796 to Robert Troup (1757 - 1832) concerning accusations made against him by French Ambassador Pierre Adet, who at the time was openly fitting out privateers to raid British shipping posing an enormous threat to American neutrality. In part: "...Oppressive insinuations and groundless charges and complaints from the ministers of the French Republic with the United States have been so frequent and are so familiar, that those of Mr. [Pierre] Adet's respecting your conduct in the federal courts did not excite the smallest suspicion that you had acted amiss; on the contrary, I should rather have been disposed to consider them on proofs of an honorable and upright discharge of your duty. I shall be glad to receive from Mr. Harrison similar information in regard to the privateer La Vengeance; and I now write him for that purpose...". Like Citizen Genêt before him, Pierre Adet (1763 - 1832) was outspoken in his support of the political opposition to Washington's administration and actively campaigned for Thomas Jefferson in 1796. The privateer, La Vengeance became an issue when she sailed into New York with a captured Spanish ship. The owner of the Spanish ship filed suit, alleging that La Vengeance had been illegally outfitted in the United States. The case wound its way to the Supreme Court where Troup had been arguing the case (together with Alexander Hamilton) on behalf of the Spanish owner. Adet was likely criticizing Troup's dual role as Clerk of the New York federal courts and as counsel for the plaintiff. A fascinating letter worthy of further research. Usual folds, else fine condition. Matted with an engraving of Pickering.

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October 9, 2010 11:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

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