[Docket: 21 Sept= 1798 / Gen. Washington. / inform him— what / I had written to the / President respecting / the matter em- / [undecipherable]] [Confidential] Trenton 21 Sept^r 1798 (126) Dear Sir. I reed your letter of the 16^th instant; yesterday evening. I thought it of consequence [strikethrough: another Word and acquaint] [strikethrough: to] make the President [strikethrough: me acquainted] with a [strikethrough: cut of its contents, and he was send of] [strikethrough: a kind this afternoon] in aid of [strikethrough: the letter] [strikethrough: recently] [strikethrough: from] Mr. Wolcott, and to loose no time in conveying it to him. Inclosed is a copy of [strikethrough: what I] [undecipherable] written [undecipherable] which you [undecipherable] is pleased to return. I rejected on cons- ideration, that part which [strikethrough: I have] crossed, 1^st because it was only a repetition, and elucidation of [strikethrough: what] my [undecipherable] before submitted to him, [strikethrough: and rejected] and [strikethrough: 2] because I am of [strikethrough: opinion] [strikethrough: that] accept [strikethrough: too] [strikethrough: support] your [strikethrough: arrangement] [strikethrough: circumstances] or [strikethrough: things are already] against Gen. Knox's pretensions I began yesterday a comp lete letter which I do not believe I shall be able to finish today. It will explain the causes which have delayed the the public service, and the [undecipherable] particulars required by your Letter of the 14^th also + with [the] detail I shall [also] send you a copy of the letter written [strikethrough: to] by me to the President from Mount Vernon. and copy of his instructions to me. [strikethrough: I have reason to] By 3 more men [strikethrough: furnished] with respect to [strikethrough: the] Represent[undecipherable] [strikethrough: it was] concluded as the President [strikethrough: had] expressed [strikethrough: instructions] which might affect [strikethrough: either] M^r Pickering or [strikethrough: myself or both] [strikethrough: or that or act the] [undecipherable] of the Departments, to [undecipherable] and [strikethrough: that] at it [strikethrough: would] have a [undecipherable] effect [strikethrough: coming] M^r. [strikethrough: alone] Wolcott who had been absent from the seat of Government [strikethrough: during the] [strikethrough: greater] part of [strikethrough: the] time [strikethrough: then to] where [strikethrough: the] suspicion of intrigue could apply. It was accordingly acce[strikethrough: pted] [strikethrough: and the only] [undecipherable] it [strikethrough: will then] [undecipherable: not] be [undecipherable] to send me in a distinct letter that [undecipherable] of yours of the 16^th inst. [strikethrough: that] I [undecipherable] [undecipherable] cost [strikethrough: too] should [strikethrough: [undecipherable]]