I
admitted the motive of delicacy, but that it should not induce him to
do wrong: urged the dangers to which the scramble for the fractionary
members would always lead. He here expressed his fear that there would,
ere long, be a separation of the Union; that the public mind seemed
dissatisfied and tending to this. He went home, sent for Randolph, the
Attorney General, desired him to get Mr. Madison immediately and come
to me, and if we three concurred in opinion that he should negative the
bill, he desired to hear nothing more about it, but that we would draw
the instrument for him to sign. They came. Our minds had been before
made up.
We drew the instrument. Randolph carried it to him, and told him we
all concurred in it. He walked with him to the door, and as if he still
wished to get off, he said, 'And you say you approve of this yourself.'
'Yes, Sir,' says Randolph, 'I do upon my honor.' He sent it to the House
of Representatives instantly. A few of the hottest friends of the bill
expressed passion, but the majority were satisfied, and both in and
out of doors it gave pleasure to have, at length, an instance of the
negative being exercised.
Written this the 9th of April.
July the 10th, 1792. My letter of ---- to the President, directed to him
at Mount Vernon, had not found him there, but came to him here. He told
me of this, and that he would take an occasion of speaking with me on
the subject.
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