1Notes on Ancient and Modern Confederacies, [April–June?] 1786 (Madison Papers)
As a member of Congress JM had worked tirelessly to strengthen the federal authority, a goal which he had continued to pursue in the Virginia legislature. The appointment of JM in January 1786 as a delegate to the proposed commercial convention at Annapolis the following September offered him a new opportunity to work for reform of the Confederation. During the mid-1780s JM’s political...
2From James Madison to James Monroe, 9 April 1786 (Madison Papers)
I am favoured with yours of the 18th. of March. My last answered your preceding one relating to your territorial speculation. I hope it has been reced. I forgot to intimate to you, though I presume it would have been superfluous, that it will be well in every purchase to ascertain by information as far as possible, the proportion of land which lies on the river and comes within the description...
3Notes on Buffon’s Histoire naturelle, [completed ca. May 1786] (Madison Papers)
Rural St. Thomas’s parish in Orange County, Virginia, was not totally isolated from the world of science in the 1780s; by 1784 JM began to acquire Comte de Buffon’s monumental Histoire naturelle , a work that in time reached ninety volumes and spanned fifty-three years of publishing. At Montpelier in 1785 JM prized the first edition of Buffon’s work, and during Jefferson’s “five charmed years...
4From James Madison to Mr. Smith, [ca. 1 May] 1786 (Madison Papers)
J.M. Jr. asks the favor of Mr. Smith to procure & send him the following articles. About 200 Paccan Nuts, or as they are frequently called, Illinois Hickory Nuts. If there should be any danger of their rooting on the way it will be proper to pack them in dry sand. Some of the seed of the Sugar Tree. Some of the seed or nuts of any other new or curious plants or trees; to be wrapped up...
5From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 12 May 1786 (Madison Papers)
My last was of March 18. since which I have been favoured with yours of the 8. & 9th. of Feby. Bancroft’s application in favor of Paradise inclosed in the latter shall be attended to as far as the case will admit; though I see not how any relief can be obtained. If Mr. P. stands on the list of foreign creditors his agent here may probably convert his Securities into money without any very...
6From James Madison to James Monroe, 13 May 1786 (Madison Papers)
I was favored a few days ago with yours of the 28th. ult. I am under great obligations for your kindness in the affair with Taylor. My late letters will have informed you of my wishes that you may fully partake of the bargain entered into already, as well as of every future adventure in that quarter. The encouragement you give me to expect your company has in a manner determined me to...
7From James Madison to James Monroe, 4 June 1786 (Madison Papers)
At the date of my last I expected I should by this time have been on the Journey which promises the pleasures of taking you by the hand in New York. Several circumstances have produced a delay, which I did not calculate upon, and which are like to continue it for eight or ten days to come. My journey will also be rendered tedious by the route which I shall pursue. I have some business which...
8From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 19 June 1786 (Madison Papers)
Since my last which was of the 18th. of May I have recd. your very agreeable favor of the 28th. of Octobr. I began to fear it had miscarried. Your reflections on the idle poor of Europe, form a valuable lesson to the Legislators of every Country, and particularly of a new one. I hope you will enable yourself before you return to America to compare with this description of people in France the...
9From James Madison to James Monroe, 21 June 1786 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 31th. ult. did not come to hand till two days ago. As I expect to see you in a short time, I will suspend the full communication of my ideas on the subject of it till I have that pleasure. I cannot however forbear in the mean time expressing my amazement that a thought should be entertained of surrendering the Missisipi and of guarantying the possessions of Spain in America ....
10From James Madison to James Monroe, 11 July 1786 (Madison Papers)
I reached this yesterday afternoon, not without sensible effects of the extreme heat of the four last days of my journey. A little repose will I hope soon refit both me & my horses for prosecuting it towards N. York. Before I set out however I wish to know from you, for I have forgotten, the precise sum which you have paid to Taylor, with the residue of the debt & the time at which it is to be...
11From James Madison to Ambrose Madison, 7 August 1786 (Madison Papers)
The business depending before Congress not permitting Jas. Monroe to make a trip up the North River and a solitary trip being very disagreeable to me as well as likely to be less satisfactory in the result, I have declined for the present going further Northward than this City. I have however concerted some arrangements with Col. M: which have for their object, the extension of our...
12From James Madison to James Monroe, 12 [11] August 1786 (Madison Papers)
I called at Hunts at Trenton but he had come a few days before to this City. On my arrival last night I sought him out and find that he has disposed of two of the Horses belonging to the Sett on which you relied. The fourth horse he had never actually procured, but had him within his reach in case a bargain had been concluded with you. One therefore of that Sett only remains. His price would...
13From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 12 August 1786 (Madison Papers)
My last of the 19th. of June intimated that my next would be from N. York or this place. I expected it would rather have been from the former which I left a few days ago, but my time was so taken up there with my friends and some business that I thought it best to postpone it till my return here. My ride through Virga. Maryd. & Pena. was in the midst of harvest. I found the crops of wheat in...
14From James Madison to James Monroe, 15 August 1786 (Madison Papers)
I inclose herewith a letter for Mr. Jefferson, in which I have communicated the matter agreed on between us. As I thought it best to put it in cypher, I have not left the letter unsealed as I intended for your perusal, but subjoin an extract of the paragraph relating to that subject “My trip to N. Y. was occasioned cheifly by a plan concerted between Col M. & myself for a purchase of land on...
15From James Madison to James Monroe, 17 August 1786 (Madison Papers)
I have your favor of the 14th. inst. The expedient of which you ask my opinion has recd. as it deserved all the consideration which the time & other circumstances would allow me to give. I think that in the present State of things, such an arrangement would be beneficial & even pleasing to those most concerned in it; and yet I doubt extremely the policy of your proposing it to Congs. The...
16From James Madison to James Monroe, ca. 31 August 1786 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. ca. 31 August 1786, Philadelphia. JM expressed his anxiety at being unable to repay Monroe the money he had advanced on their purchase of Mohawk lands. Mentioned in Monroe to JM, 12 and 25 September 1786 .
17From James Madison to Ambrose Madison, 8 September 1786 (Madison Papers)
I came to this place a day or two ago, where I found two Commsrs only. A few more have since come in, but the prospect of a sufficient no. to make the Meeting respectable is not flattering. I was sorry to find in Philada. that the unpunctuality of some of the purchasers of the Tobo. had put it out of the power of Mr. H. to supply me with all the money become due under the contracts. This...
18From James Madison to James Monroe, 11 September 1786 (Madison Papers)
I have two letters from you not yet acknowledged, one of the 1st the other of the 3d. inst. Nothing could be more distressing than the issue of the business stated in the latter. If the affirmative vote of 7 States sd. be pursued it will add the insult of Trick to the injury of the thing itself. Our prospect here makes no amends for what is done with you. Delaware N. J. & Va. alone are on the...
19From James Madison to Charles Thomson, 25 September 1786 (Madison Papers)
I have been honoured with your favour of the 15th. instant inclosing a copy of the proceeding of Congress relative to a Controversy between the States of South Carolina and Georgia, and notifying my appointment as a member of the Court which is to hear and determine it. As I foresee nothing which will render my attendance on the duties of this appointment impracticable, you will please Sir, to...
20Survey of Mohawk Lands, [October?] 1786 (Madison Papers)
Extending the 2 longest lines each to 160 chs makes 953 acres extending lines 116 to 160 leaving the other 106 856 taking one at 116 the other 106 769 making the Closing line 36 & parallelizing the two longest (160) 722 do. do. do. & sedating this parallelism 873 taking 2 long lines at 160 & 106, the closing is 49 Chs. do.
21From James Madison to James Monroe, 5 October 1786 (Madison Papers)
I recd. yesterday your favour of the 2d. inst: which makes the 3d. for which my acknowledgments are due. The progression which a certain measure seems to be making is an alarming proof of the predominance of temporary and partial interests over those just & extended maxims of policy which have been so much boasted of among us and which alone can effectuate the durable prosperity of the Union....
22From James Madison to James Madison, Sr., ca. 26 October 1786 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. ca. 26 October 1786, Fredericksburg. Concerning family affairs and articles to be sent from Philadelphia to Orange. Mentioned in JM’s letter of 1 November 1786 to his father .
23From James Madison to James Monroe, 30 October 1786 (Madison Papers)
I drop you a few lines rather as a fulfilment of my promise than for the purpose of information, since they go by Mr. Jones who is much better acquainted with the politics here than myself. I find with pleasure that the navigation of the Misspi. will be defended by the Legislature with as much zeal as could be wished. Indeed the only danger is that too much resentment may be indulged by many...
30 October 1786. JM moved that the House, on 2 November, elect with the Senate a governor of Virginia for the ensuing year, beginning 13 November. JM carried the approved resolution to the Senate ( JHDV Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia; Begun and Held at the Capitol, in the City of Williamsburg. Beginning in 1780, the portion after the semicolon reads, Begun...
⟨J. M. In Virga. Legislature previous to Convention of 1787⟩ Genl. [Regns. neces]sary, whether the object be to Ms ( DLC ). In JM’s hand. On the verso are JM’s Notes for Speech Opposing Paper Money, ca. 1 Nov. 1786 . JM apparently made these notes from his Notes for Debate on Commercial Regulations by Congress, 30 Nov.–1 Dec. 1785 ( Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson et al., eds., The...
26From James Madison to James Madison, Sr., 1 November 1786 (Madison Papers)
Jno. Lusher & Joe got down this forenoon, with the articles sent. I shall execute your instructions as to the advertisements, and the Revised laws, if I can get at the latter time eno’ in the morning. I will do the same as to the French Dicty. for Mr. Taylor if I can effect it in time; if not I will make use of the first succeeding opportunity. I can give you no account of the Key of the...
27From James Madison to George Washington, 1 November 1786 (Madison Papers)
I have been here too short a time as yet to have collected fully the politics of the Session. In general appearances are favorable. On the question for a paper emission the measure was this day rejected in emphatical terms by a majority of 84 vs 17. The affair of the Missisippi is but imperfectly known. I find that its influence on the federal spirit will not be less than was apprehended. The...
28Outline for Speech Opposing Paper Money, [ca. 1 November 1786] (Madison Papers)
JM had long anticipated that an emission of paper currency would be attempted in the October 1786 session of the Virginia legislature ( JM to Monroe, 4 June 1786 ). He made two sets of notes opposing paper money, one an expanded version of the other. Since the dating and order of preparation are matters of conjecture, the briefer of the two texts has been placed first and the date on which the...
29Notes for Speech Opposing Paper Money, [ca. 1 November] 1786 (Madison Papers)
Agst. Paper money. Novr. 1786 Virg: Assy. Ms ( DLC ). The one-page document is an expanded version of JM’s Outline (ca. 1 Nov.) . On the recto JM copied Notes for Debate on Commercial Regulations by Congress, ante 31 Oct. 1786 . This heading was added by JM at some later time. The paper-money debate took place on 1 Nov., and a resolution rejecting the proposition passed 85 to 17 ( JHDV Journal...
30From James Madison to Nicholas Lewis, 4 November 1786 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 4 November 1786. Mentioned in Nicholas Lewis’s letter of 26 November 1786 to JM . Included Walker Maury’s account against Jefferson for the tuition and board of Peter Carr.