From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 24 June 1801
To James Madison
June 24. 1801.
Th: Jefferson returns to mr Madison Erving’s letter to Genl. Dear-borne, & approves of a commission to him as Consul at London. where to find a competent successor for Lisbon1 he knows not, unless Gilman, who refused St. Domingo, will accept this. perhaps Genl. Dearborne can judge. the place must be reserved for a man of real diplomatic abilities.—Marchant’s case will be the subject of further consultation with mr Madison.—Th:J. sends a letter from Pierpoint Edwards for Messrs. Madison, Gallatin & Dearborne, ad legendum, & to be returned. the Hippè begins to be felt. as soon as the qualms of this are a little assuaged, another broken dose should be given.—he sends to the same gentlemen mr Paul’s application for a door keeper’s place & mr Jones’s for a clerk’s or some other place. knowing how they are overrun with these things, it is with reluctance he troubles them with them; but as those places are not within his cognisance, he must either refer the applications, or reject them, which would be thought hard, & might sometimes deprive the offices of an application of value. he makes this apology for the future as well as past references of this kind.
RC (DLC: Madison Papers). Enclosure not found.
George W. Erving was commissioned consul at london on 3 July 1801 while Thomas Bulkeley retained his post as consul at Lisbon until early 1802 when he was replaced by William Jarvis (, Miscellaneous, 1:307, 308; , 1:248, 406, 407; commission in Lb in DNA: RG 59, PTCC; Erving to TJ, 5 June).
Th:j. Sends a Letter: see Pierpont Edwards to TJ, 10 June.
Ad legendum: “for reading.”
Mr Paul’s Application: a letter from Thomas Paul to TJ of 23 June has not been found but is recorded in SJL at that date with notation “Geo. T.” Paul also wrote to TJ on 19 Oct. 1801 from Baltimore and 18 Jan. 1802 from Washington, both letters not found but recorded in SJL as received 20 Oct. 1801 and 18 Jan. 1802, respectively.
1. Preceding two words interlined.