To James Madison from Gideon Granger, 28 February 1810
From Gideon Granger
Feb: 28. 1810
Dr: Sir.
My long acquaintance with Stanley Griswold Esqr1 and the Solicitude of his numerous acquaintance—emboldens me to depart from a rule to which I have generally conformd.—Of not interfering to reccommend any candidates for Office.
Mr: Griswold and myself were educated at the same time at Yale College and our acquaintance has continued ever since. He is a man of Science, and has ever sustained the character of An upright faithful Citizen devoted to the liberties of his Country. It was owing to him that New-Hampshire was revolutionized & the unfortunate dispute between him & Govr Hull has most essentially injured his affairs. He has read law with Judge Huntington.2
I⟨t is,⟩ Sir, my firm beleif that should it be the pleasure of the President to bestow on him a territorial Judgeship, he would be an useful & faithful Officer and that his appointt Would be highly pleasing to all the leading Republicans of New England. With great Esteem & Respect Yours
G Granger
RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR, 1809–17, filed under “Griswold”).
1. Stanley Griswold (1763–1815), a 1786 graduate of Yale College, had been a clergyman in Connecticut and the editor of a Republican newspaper in New Hampshire. He served as secretary of the Michigan Territory, 1805–8, until a quarrel with Gov. William Hull forced his resignation. He moved to Ohio, was appointed a U.S. senator in 1809 to fill a vacancy, but was not a candidate in the subsequent election. JM received three other letters from New England political leaders supporting Griswold’s candidacy for office as well as letters from John G. Jackson and Jeremiah Morrow. JM nominated Griswold on 9 Mar. 1810 to an Illinois territorial judgeship, and the Senate confirmed the appointment one week later (Jonathan Robinson to JM, 26 Feb. 1810, John G. Jackson to JM, 1 Mar. 1810, Elisha Mathewson to JM, 2 Mar. 1810, Obadiah German and Uriah Tracy to JM, 2 Mar. 1810, Jeremiah Morrow to JM, 7 Mar. 1810 [DNA: RG 59, LAR, 1809–17]; , 2:140, 141).
2. Samuel Huntington (1731–1796), a signer of the Declaration of Independence and president of the Continental Congress, was a judge of the superior court of Connecticut after 1773 and served as chief justice in 1784. He was the uncle of his namesake, Samuel Huntington, who had served on the Ohio Supreme Court and was currently governor of Ohio.