'
January the 12th. General Samuel Smith says that Pickering, Wolcott,
and McHenry, wrote a joint letter from Trenton to the President, then at
Braintree, dissuading him from the mission to France. Stoddard refused
to join it. Stoddard says the instructions are such, that if the
Directory have any disposition to reconciliation, a treaty will be made.
He observed to him also, that Ellsworth looks beyond this mission to
the Presidential chair. That with this view, he will endeavor to make
a treaty, and a good one. That Davie has the same vanity and views. All
this communicated by Stoddard to S. Smith.
January the 13th. Baer and Harrison G. Otis told J. Nicholas, that in
the caucus mentioned ante 10th, there wanted but five votes to produce a
declaration of war. Baer was against it.
January the 19th. W. C. Nicholas tells me, that in a conversation with
Dexter three or four days ago, he asked Dexter whether it would not be
practicable for the States to agree on some uniform mode of choosing
electors of President. Dexter said, 'I suppose you would prefer an
election by districts.' 'Yes,' said Nicholas, 'I think it would be
best; but would nevertheless agree to any other consistent with the
constitution.' Dexter said he did not know what might be the opinion of
his State, but his own was, that no mode of election would answer any
good purpose; that he should prefer one for life.
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