To James Madison from Peter Minor, 7 March 1821
From Peter Minor
Ridgeway Mar 7th. 1821
Dear Sir
A special meeting of the Agricultural society of Albemarle, was held yesterday upon a business, the nature of which you will understand from a perusal of the enclosed papers under cover to Mr. Skinner.1
As the paper appointing Mr Skinner the Societys agent, will necessarily be exhibited in Spain, it was thought it would go forth better authenticated with the addition of your Signature as President of the Society; & I now comply with their wishes & resolution, in asking you to affix it. I further ask the favor of you to inform me if this comes to hand, and request you to forward the packet by mail to Mr Skinner.
The committee ask your indulgence for having opened the letter of Matro de la Serna, addressed to you.2 A well grounded belief that it related to the business in question, & your absense & distance from this place they thought would excuse the liberty. With very great respect Yr. obt. Sert.
P. Minor Secy.
Agl. Soc: of Albemarle
RC (DLC). Docketed by JM.
1. The correspondence referred to was between a committee of the Agricultural Society of Albemarle and Luis de Onís, the Spanish minister to the United States, and Matro de la Serna, Spanish chargé des affaires, asking permission “to purchase in Spain and transport to the United States a Horse of the best race in that country with a view to improve the breed in our own.” The consent of the king of Spain being given, the society had appointed John S. Skinner of Baltimore, editor of the American Farmer, to be “the agent of the Society in effecting the object contemplated.” The correspondence and the accompanying resolution was sent to JM to be signed and forwarded to Skinner (True, “Minute Book of the Albemarle Agricultural Society,” printed in Annual Report of the American Historical Association for … 1918, 1:292).
2. Letter not found.