Early Governors' Papers

State of Tennessee Knoxville 22 January 1799

Sir

Irec^d your letter of the 22 Ultimo, with the two enclosures, Viz 2 copies of regulations for the volunteer Companies, that might may offer their services to the president of the United States. Ishall communicate with great pleasure convey the acknow ledgments of the president to Allen Gillispie & Alexander Nelson esquires, and also give him the necessary inform ation, respecting the manner of in which companies are to be accepted, and under what conditions they are to will be acceptedl which Iam very sure will be immediately complied with by the Companies -

Ireadily agree with you that the designs of France is not equivocal, and that she is practicing the same insidious arts in America that she has ^before done in several of the european countries. It is rea Easy to discover that ^that nation is extremely hostile against the Government of our Country, and in every instance of her conduct, marks of inveteracy may be traced-

It is with much pain Idiscover there still remains a disposition among pur selves ^some of our own Citizens, to Foster and cherish the designs of that Hostile, ambitious and dispotic Government, and sure Iam if I may ^I be permitted to suggest the Idea, that no time ought to be lost in making offensive defensive preparations suffici ently permanent to oppose against the attacks of that insidious Nation - the late embassy by a visit of