5951From James Madison to Horatio Gates, 11 December 1787 (Madison Papers)
Your favour of the 26 Ult: was duly handed to me by Majr. Drumgole. However important the object of his errand may have been, it has not been possible to take any step with regard to it. No authority equal to the business exists in the recess of Congress; and the Authority of Congress has been out of existence for some time, and if we are to judge from the present aspect of things, will...
5952James Madison to W. R. Robinson, 10 March 1831 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your note conveying an invitation from the Committee of Arrangement to a public dinner in commemoration of the public services of our Countyman James Barbour. I regret that the State of my health does not permit me to join the friends & neighbours whom I so much respect, in the tribute they are about to offer, to a fellow Citizen & Countyman who distinguished by the varied &...
5953From James Madison to John G. Jackson, 9 March 1812 (Madison Papers)
As the Intelligencer will not publish the message & documents just laid before Congress, till tomorrow, and not leave this till friday, I send you a copy of the Message. It is justified by the documents, among which are the original , credential & instructions from the Govr. of Canada, and an original letter from Earl of Liverpool to him, approving the conduct of the Secret Agent. This...
5954From James Madison to Beverley Randolph, 23 June 1790 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 23 June 1790. Acknowledged in Randolph to JM, 12 July 1790 . Reports that the House has passed a bill adding two members to the board of commissioners for settling the accounts between the United States and the states.
5955Minutes of the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia, 8 December 1826 (Madison Papers)
When, during one of those intervals, the board having taken up the case of Robert Yeates —the consideration of which was postponed at the meeting in Oct. last—made thereon the following order. The following will be communicated by the Secretary, in answer to the reference made to this board by the faculty, of the case of R. Yeates. The faculty, on the suggestion of Mr Professor Long, having...
5956Notes on Debates, 29 March 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS ( LC : Madison Papers). For a description of the manuscript of Notes on Debates, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (6 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , V, 231–34 . The objections urged agst. the motion of Mr. Lee on the Journal calling for specific Report of the Supt. of Finance as to monies passing thro’ his hands...
5957From James Madison to Richard Harrison, 23 November 1803 (Madison Papers)
The statement you furnished of Mr. Adam’s accounts is correct as to dates and allowances. His loss on exchanges at London is to be made up to him as part of his expenses: but instead of charging them in a gross sum, he ought to exhibit the heads and proofs of expense in the same manner as has been heretofore practised in similar cases, such as those of Mr. Jay, Mr. Short, Mr. Thos. Pinckney...
5958James Madison to Joseph C. Cabell, 28 December 1832 (Madison Papers)
I wrote you a few lines last evening in answer to yours of the 22d. Resuming my search for the letter of June 29. 1821 I have been successful & hasten to give you the words omitted in your copy. "After their full lustre" fill the blank with the words, "to the arguments agst. the su’ability of States", by individuals. I was rather surprized to find such a substantial identity in several...
5959James Madison to George McDuffie, 8 May 1830 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. a copy of the late Report, on the Bank of the U.S. and finding by the name on the envelope, that I am indebted for the communication to your politeness, I tender you my thanks for it. The document contains very interesting & instructive views of the subject; particularly of the objectionable features in the substitute proposed for the existing Bank. I am glad to find that the...
5960James Madison to Bernard Peyton, December 1829 (Madison Papers)
I am about sending down a few Hhds of Tobo. which will probably arrive a day or two after this. If I shd. not be disappd. in 2 hired Waggons, there will be 8 Hhds. I leave them as heretofore to be sold at your discretion. I have four or five more, which are I believe of inferior quality; and I am not decided whether the present price may not recommend the retaining them, for the chance of the...
5961Additional Revenue, [20 January] 1797 (Madison Papers)
The House took up the resolution for direct taxes on land and on slaves reported by the Committee of the Whole on 19 January. Coit (Connecticut) called for the propositions for taxes on land and slaves to be put separately ( Annals of Congress Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States … (42 vols.; Washington, 1834–56). , 4th Cong., 2d sess., 1932). Mr. Madison thought it...
5962From James Madison to Albert Gallatin, 2 March 1807 (Madison Papers)
Be pleased to issue your warrant on the appropriation for the Contingent expenses of the Department of State, for one hundred dollars, in favor of Abraham Bradley Jnr., he being the holder of a bill of Exchange for that sum, dated Abington 15th. Jany. 1807, drawn upon the Post Master General, by Jerrard W. Hopkins, who is to be charged & held accountable for the same. The said Hopkins was the...
5963From James Madison to Uriah Tracy, 26 March 1806 (Madison Papers)
In answer to your letter of the 24th. inst. I have the honor to state that the deficiency of Clerk hire for the last year was occasioned by the employment of a gentleman to arrange some of the old diplomatic correspondence in French, and his services have been continued on account of a particular pressure of business attending the Session of Congress. It must be added that the encreasing...
5964From James Madison to William Vans Murray, 1 June 1801 (Madison Papers)
The President being desirous of diminishing expense whenever economy can be reconciled with the Public good and thinking it expedient also that our diplomatic connections with Europe should be limited to cases indispensably requiring them, has concluded to discontinue the establishment of a Public Minister at the Hague. This measure is the more convenient at the present moment as no Minister...
5965From James Madison to Chapman Johnson, 4 November 1827 (Madison Papers)
Previous to the rect. of yours of the 29. Ult. I had requested Gen. Cocke unless Mr. Bonnycastle should hold out a flattering prospect of filling the Chair of N. Phil: from abroad, to notify at once the appt. of Docr. Jones. In consequence of your suggestion, I shall immediately desire him if not too late, to suspend the notification, till the answer of your Correspondent at New York shall...
5966From James Madison to James Monroe, 29 July 1823 (Madison Papers)
I am giving you more trouble & of a more disagreeable sort than I could wish: but an enquiry into the case of General Jackson’s appointment in May 1814 involves circumstances not to be fully elucidated without a resort which you have kindly permitted. On the 14th. of May 1814. The Secy. of War proposed to me, then here, to make Jackson a Brigadier with a brevet commission of Majr. General till...
5967From James Madison to William Pinkney, 12 December 1811 (Madison Papers)
On the receipt of your letter of the 8th. you were nominated to the Senate as Successor to Mr. Rodney. The inclosed Commission will inform you of the result. In expectation of the pleasure of seeing you as soon as you can make it convenient, I tender you assurances of my great esteem and sincere regard. RC ( NjP : Pinkney Papers). Docketed by Pinkney. Enclosure not found.
5968From James Madison to William C. C. Claiborne, 17 January 1803 (Madison Papers)
I duly received your letter of 25th. Novr. 1802. inclosing the letter to you from the Governor at N. Orleans, in which it was stated that the intendant in arresting the course of our trade, had acted without orders from the Spanish Government; as well as contrary to the opinion of the Governor. This communication was laid before Congress by the President. You will find by the Resolution of the...
5969From James Madison to the House of Representatives, 31 December 1805 (Madison Papers)
The Secretary of State, to whom, by a Resolution of the House of Representatives of the 16th. inst., the memorial of Peter Landais was referred, has examined the same, and thereupon makes the following report. That it appears from the documents hereunto annexed, that the Alliance, a Frigate belonging to the United States, whilst she was cruising in concert with several other armed Vessels...
5970Presidential Proclamation, 23 November 1813 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ Presidential Proclamation. 23 November 1813, Washington. “Whereas John Armstrong Esquire Secretary of War of the United States is at present absent from the seat of Government; And whereas it is represented to me as a matter of importance that Warrants for the disbursements of monies for the use of the War Department should forthwith issue. Therefore be it known that in pursuance of the...
5971To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 20 October 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
The decrease of the fever in the City had induced me to return with Mrs. M. to it, with a view to place her in a situation that would justify me in leaving her for a while. She is likely to be detained several weeks longer, before the Docr. will approve of her entering on a journey; but I hope she is now or will be in a day or two advanced towards her recovery beyond the occasion of particular...
5972Indenture, 16 June 1773—Summary (Madison Papers)
16 June 1773 . JM, James Madison, Sr., Ambrose Madison, and Francis Madison were witnesses to a deed of sale of a farm in Orange County to Henry Gaines by William and Mary Daingerfield. These witnesses, with the exception of James Madison, Sr., also attested a receipt whereby William Daingerfield acknowledged that he had been paid £28 by Gaines for the property. Strangely, £78 is the price...
5973From James Madison to Albert Gallatin, 15 February 1804 (Madison Papers)
The Convention with Spain of the 11th. August 1802, being ratified by the President, I have the honor to enclose an estimate, for a year, of the expense necessary for carrying it into effect, as far as relates to the Board of Commissioners to be organized in virtue thereof, at Madrid, including the compensation of a Secretary, Clerks and an Agent for the United States &c. Should any...
5974[James Madison] to Henry Colman, 14 May 1835 (Madison Papers)
Among the omissions occasioned by my continued indisposition was I believe that of acknowledging at the due time the receipt of your letter of—, of thanking you for the sermons which accompanied it, and of expressing the pleasure with which you with your daughter would be welcomed at Montpellier on your way to the Virginia Springs, the season for visiting which is now approaching. I must now...
5975From James Madison to William Eaton, 22 August 1802 (Madison Papers)
Not having your last letters by me I cannot refer to their dates, nor particularly to their contents. The most important part of them communicated the plan concerted with the brother of the Bashaw of Tripoli for making use of him against the latter, in favour of the U. States. Altho’ it does not accord with the general sentiments or views of the United States to intermeddle in the domestic...
5976From James Madison to Ambrose Madison, 19 May 1791 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 9th. instant found me in this City. I immediately wrote to Mr. Leiper & this day recd his answer on the subject of Tobo. which I inclose. I think you & my father wd. do well to send your tobo. to him as soon as you can, takin⟨g⟩ care to send none but of the most respectable quality. I cannot comply here with my father’s request as to the raisins & Tamarinds. Before I left Philada....
5977From James Madison to the Senate, 6 July 1813 (Madison Papers)
I have received from the Committee appointed by the resolution of the Senate of the 14th day of June a copy of that resolution, which authorizes the Committee to confer with the President on the subject of the nomination made by him of a Minister Plenipotentiary to Sweden. Conceiving it to be my duty to decline the proposed conference with the Committee, and it being uncertain when it may be...
5978From James Madison to Tobias Lear, 26 October 1811 (Madison Papers)
The notice that the departure of the Store vessel is taking place, being sudden, I cannot specify the several letters for which I am indebted. I believe from successive references recollected by me, that none have miscarried. I must particularly thank you for the Sheep & Wheat accompanied by one of them. The Wheat was sown partly by myself, and partly by several friends among whom it was...
5979From James Madison to DeWitt Clinton, 14 January 1807 (Madison Papers)
I have just received a letter from Mr. Monroe, dated 24th. October last, in which he intimates that on account of a deficiency of evidence of the fact of John Pierce having been killed by a shot from the Leander, and respecting the position of the Vessel in which he was shot, Captn. Whitby’s trial by a Court Martial had been postponed until the lst. of March next, to give the American...
5980Notes on Debates, 31 March 1783 (Madison Papers)
MS ( LC : Madison Papers). For a description of the manuscript of Notes on Debates, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (6 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). , V, 231–34 . A letter was recd. from the Govr, of R. Island with resolutions of the Legislature of that State justifying the conduct of Mr. Howell. On the arrival of...
5981From James Madison to Robert R. Livingston, 1 May 1802 (Madison Papers)
You will receive by Mr. Dupont herewith a public letter on th⟨ose⟩ subjects most important in your hands. You will receive at the same time a private letter from the President in which he refers for fuller communications than he gives on the subject of Louisiana & the Floridas. I have thought it best however not to go as far into certain views of the subject as he has done, because they are in...
5982From James Madison to Joseph H. Nicholson, 28 October 1808 (Madison Papers)
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th., and to inform you that the Exequatur of Anthony Morales, was revoked by the President of the United States, on the 1st. of November 1806. It appears moreover by a letter from the Consul of the United States at Amsterdam, to this Department, dated the 27th. of October last year, that, he, the said Morales, "was never...
5983From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 9 January 1787 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 9th. Ult. has been so long on hand unanswered that I can not now acknowledged it without observing in apology for the delay that I waited for some measures of which I wished to communicate the event. The district bill of which I formerly made mention, was finally thrown into a very curious situation, and lost by a single voice. I refer you for its history to Col. Pendleton,...
5984James Madison to Josiah Stoddard Johnston, 14 May 1830 (Madison Papers)
J. Madison with his respects to Mr. Johnston, returns many thanks for the copy of his late very able speech in the Senate of the U. States. It would seem not easy to resist the force of its reasoning against the doctrine, which claims for the States, individually, a constitutional veto, having the effect of nullifying a law, unless overruled by three-forths of the States. RC ( ViU ); draft (DLC) .
5985From James Madison to John Armstrong, 12 August 1814 (Madison Papers)
Note to the Secretary of War on letters from him to Brown of July 19 —and to Izard of July 27. and August 2. with a memorandum of the Secretary on the two last, “that in case the attack on Kingston be rendered impracticable, and that the moment of ascendancy on the Lake Ontario may not be lost, 2000 of Izard’s men may be carried to the west end of the Lake to join Gaines; being landed on the...
5986From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 9 May 1789 (Madison Papers)
My last was of the 29th. March. A few days ago I had the pleasure of yours of the 12. Jany. I thank you for your attention to the works of the Abbè Barthelemy and the Marquis Condorcet, And wish much that your attempts to procure me a genuine copy of the King of Prussia’s may succeed. I send you herewith the first No. of the Congressional Register, which will give you some idea of the...
5987From James Madison to Robert R. Livingston, 3 July 1810 (Madison Papers)
It has been my wish to find some specimen of manufacture within my domestic precincts worthy of being presented to your daughter Mrs. Livingston. Delay has not relieved me from the mortification of betraying the poverty of our resources, by resorting to Mrs. M’s Smokehouse; from which are forwarded a few Virginia Hams, in a The Box contains 2 dozen, & Mr. G. is requested to forward it to...
5988From James Madison to Morris Birkbeck, [ca. 9 November] 1817 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your letter of Sepr 18 though at a much later day than that at which it was due. The letter inclosed in it from Mr. Coles wd. have been recd. with additional pleasure from your own hand if you had found it convenient to take Montpellier in your Westward route. He was a few days ago with me, and confirmed verbally His esteem & the friendly interest he takes in your behalf. I can...
5989From James Madison to Robert Williams, 4 November 1806 (Madison Papers)
I have the honor to inform you, that the accounts, of late received from the South Western Quarter of the United States, of which the Mississippi Territory makes a part, render it proper, in the opinion of the President, that you should immediately repair to your government. On your arrival there, you will find in the hands of Mr. Meade, the instructions, which have been given, relative to the...
5990From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 23 September 1789 (Madison Papers)
The pressure of unfinished business has suspended the adjournment of Congs. till saturday next. Among other articles which required it was the plan of amendments, on which the two Houses so far disagreed as to require conferences. It will be impossible I find to prevail on the Senate to concur in the limitation on the value of appeals to the Supreme Court, which they say is unnecessary, and...
5991From James Madison to Jeremiah Powell, 18 July 1805 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To Jeremiah Powell. 18 July 1805, Department of State. “I have received your letter of the 10th. Ult. [not found] enclosing one to you from David G. Gillis, who it appears, has been captured in a Vessel belonging to you and imprisoned at Guadaloupe. As relates to the property, it may be remarked, that if your Commercial House in St. Domingo is established in that part of the Island not...
5992From James Madison to Henry Lee, 13 April 1790 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 4th ult. by Col. Lee was received from his hands on Sunday last. I have since recd. that of the 3d Instant. The anticedent one from Alexandria, though long on the way was recd. some time before. In all these, I discover strong marks of the dissatisfaction with which you behold our public prospects. Though in several respects they do not comport with my wishes—yet I cannot...
5993The Federalist Number 58, [20 February] 1788 (Madison Papers)
The remaining charge against the house of representatives which I am to examine, is grounded on a supposition that the number of members will not be augmented from time to time, as the progress of population may demand. It has been admitted that this objection, if well supported, would have great weight. The following observations will shew that like most other objections against the...
5994James Madison to Bernard Peyton, 19 May 1835 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your two letters of the 12th & 16th. the former with bill of articles sent by Aleck which came safely to hand. Your clerk in summing the articles made the amount $283.15 instead of $183.15 an inadvertency readily corrected. It would be unreasonable not to be satisfied with the sales of the two last hogsheads of tobacco & I hope we may prove as fortunate in the two my wagon will...
5995To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 13 June 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
The letter herewith enclosed from Col. H. Lee with the papers accompanying it fully explain themselves. Inclosed also is a letter from Mr. P. Carr, who has been here several weeks. One of his inducements to visit N. York during the present vacation, was a hope of falling in with you on your visit to America. I regret much both your disappointments. It is not yet in my power to say when the...
5996From James Madison to William Cabell, 2 July 1807 (Madison Papers)
I have the honor to inclose by direction of the President, a Proclamation issued by him, of this date, and to remain with great consideration and respect, Your Most Obt: Servt: Vi .
5997From James Madison to David Lenox, 1 June 1801 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
1 June 1801, Department of State. “In one of your Reports to this Office concerning Impressed seamen the name of John Stafford is mentioned, as an American Citizen, detained in a British Ship of War on the English Station. It is possible that this may be the person alluded to in the enclosed papers [not found], and for this reason they are transmitted to you.” Printed facsimile of RC (...
5998From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 15 January 1825 (Madison Papers)
I am sorry Mr. Tucker requires time for deliberation. It shews the difficulty in our Country of withdrawing talents from rival pursuits into the service of Education. I do not think he will have chosen the best of literary careers, if he devotes himself to Novel writing. The public taste is nearly satiated with the fashionable, perhaps the best species, in which the success of Walter Scott has...
5999From James Madison to David Montague Erskine, 13 September 1807 (Madison Papers)
I have had the honor to recieve your letter of the lst. instant, inclosing a letter to you from Admiral Berkley on the subject of certain Seamen claimed as American Citizens from British ships of war detaining them; and a copy of a letter from the officers of His Britannic Majesty’s Ship Melampus stating that the three Seamen who ran from that ship, and after enlisting on board the American...
6000To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 21 January 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
When your favor of the 3d. instant arrived I was on a journey to the neighbourhood of Richmond, from which I did not return till the 18th. The mail on the day following brought me the packet of newspapers under your cover. Col. Bell has written me, that the nails ordered as stated in my last to you, are all ready for me. I had not requested them to be prepared in parcells as I shall use them,...