King, Rufus (1755-1827) to unknown

[draft]
Philadelphia 8 June 95.
Dear sir
I last Evening received your letter by Mr. Cabot in replying to it I am obliged to rely on my memory, as I have not leisure nor opportunity before the return post to examine the Documents to which I should otherwise have recourse -
There is reason to believe that Georgia does not posses a legal Title to any of the Lands south of the north Carolina southern Boundary line, & west of the soruces of the Rivers Savannah, Alatamaha & St. Mary's - All the Territory of the Unites States South of Virginia, was originally granted to Eight Persons, who were made a corporation, of which the celebrated John Lock[e] was Secretary, their Scheme of Government which Mr. Lock[e] formed, was, after a complete refutation in Practice abandoned [and] the Crown purchased the territorial Rights of Seven of the Proprietors, & the Share of Lord Grenville the eighth was assigned to him in Severalty contiguous to Virginia - The seven Eights then reverted in the Crown was first divided between the Colonies of No. & south Carolina, the line of Division except for a few Miles near the Ocean being the 35th parallel of Latitude - North Carolina after this Division belonged 2/3 in Severalty to lord Grenville & the residue in like manner to the Crown; & South Carolina including the whole Territory between North Carolina & the Floridas was royal property [2] under a royal Government - About the year 1732 the Province of Georgia was carved out of South Carolina, and granted to a number of Proprietors upon a scheme of Government more utopian than that of Mr. Lock[e] these Proprietors after struggling with many Difficulties surrendered their Charter to the Crown, & Georgia became a separate royal government - the Boundaries in the charter were, beginning at the Mouth of the Savannah River and running up the same to its Source, if the same should be south of the North Carolina Line, if not until the river should be intersected by the No. Carolina Line, & from the Source, or intersection due west of the So. Seas - from the mouth of the Savannah by the Ocean to the mouth of the River Alatamaha, & up the same to its source, & from thence due west to the So. Seas. These remained the Bounds of Georgia till 1763, when the Proclamation of Oct. 15. of that year annexed to Georgia the Lands lying between the Rivers Alatamaha, & up the same to its source, & St. Mary's, the same instrument (which you will find in some of the Histories of England, or in the periodical works of that day) limits Georgia to the westward by a line passing through the Heads of the Rivers St. Marys, Alatamaha & Savannah, and afterwards in 1772, a portion of this eastern Territory, originally [3] within the royal government of So. Carolina, & now claimed by Georgia, was annexed to the province of W. Florida; and the residue thereof, was by the Quebec Act, according to my recollection annexed in 1774, to Canada -
The Principle was practically settled and acquiesced in, that the Crown might rightfully curtain or enlarge the Territories of the strictly royal Colonies, thus as Georgia was taken out of So. Carolina, so West Florida was enlarged out of So. Carolina, & Canada out of So. Carolina & Georgia[.]
As well might So. Carolina, previous to her Settlement with Georgia, have contended that the Territory of Georgia belonged to her, as Georgia can, that the Territory annexed to West florida & Canada belongs to her -
The Treaty of Peace ascertains our Boundaries, all the Territory within which, and not belonging to any individual state, was vested in the United States, who in my Opinion are the Proprietors of all the Lands between No. Carolina & the Floridas, the Mississippi and a line passing thro the heads of the Georgia Rivers falling from the Westward into the Ocean - the Lands to which you allude are included in this Territory, and as I am informed constitute the residence and Hunting grounds of the Chickesaws & other Indian's, on this point however I am ill informed - [4] whether the U.S. will assist with zeal and perseverance their claims to these lands, is really difficult to conjecture, considerations of Policy may invite them to inattention in the prosecution of this Business; again several men of some consideration, have already engaged in this Speculation, their numbers will increase, and their influence will increase the Embarrassments to be encountered in asserting the Claim of the U.S. - considering the intrinsic value of the Lands and the circumstances of the Case they are Objects of important speculation - if the purchase is made under the existing Doubts which depreciate the Lands, and the Title fails, there will be a loss of some property and in any event there will be no increase of Reputation -
take what I have written above in great haste, I have no time to revise it
Adieu yours very affectio
nately -
R King