. 



PREFACE. ix 



,nd are inserted merely to illustrate the relations in 

 which he stood with eminent men abroad.* 



A number of unpublished letters of General Wash- 

 ington, addressed to Governor Trumbull, were in the 

 possession of Professor Silliman. Two of them were 

 written in the last year of Washington's life, and 

 embrace highly interesting observations on political 

 affairs. They contain a response to the suggestion 

 that he should save the Federal party from division 

 and defeat, by allowing himself to be brought forward 

 once more as a candidate for the Presidency, f In 

 connection with the letters to Governor Trumbull, 

 other letters of historical value, addressed by John 

 Adams, Lafayette, and other distinguished persons, 

 to Colonel Trumbull, the Artist, are printed in the 

 Appendix. 



Not a few references by Professor Silliman to 

 persons who are still living, have been retained. It 

 would have been difficult to erase them, and since 

 his notices are always kindly, it seemed unnecessary. 



* Notes which I have added either to letters or to citations are distin- 

 guished by the initial, F. 



t These letters supply a deficiency which is noticed by Mr. Sparks in his 

 collection of " The Writings of Washington," Vol. XI. p. 444. Referring 

 to the request in regard to the Presidency, addressed to Washington by 

 Governor Trumbull, Mr. Sparks observes: " Similar sentiments were ex- 

 pressed in letters from other persons. No answer, nor any remarks on the 

 subject by Washington, are found among his papers. See Sparks's Life 

 of Governeur Morris, Vol. III. p. 123." The letter of Governor Trumbull, 

 to which the first of the two letters mentioned above is a reply, is given 

 by Mr. Sparks on the same page with the foregoing note. 



