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Entering on the duties of the office to which I am called, I feel it incumbent on me to apologize to this honourable house for the insufficient manner in which I fear they may be discharged. At an earlier period of my life, and through some considerable portion of it, I have been a member of legislative bodies, and not altogether inattentive to the forms of their proceedings; but much time has...
I recieved with great pleasure your letter from Varina, and though I never had a moment’s doubt of your love for me, yet it gave me infinite delight to read the expressions of it. Indeed I had often and always read it in your affectionate and attentive conduct towards me. On my part, my love to your sister and yourself knows no bounds, and as I scarcely see any other object in life, so would I...
Yours has been duly recieved , and the clover seed goes tomorrow in the schooner Industry, Capt. Green bound for Richmond. It is addressed to Chas. Johnston, and is in 3. casks containing 3 1/8 bushels each, of which 4. bushels are for yourself and the rest for me. It will be desireable to have it forwarded immediately, and of preference by waggon. I shall be at home the 19th. or 20th. and...
I have recieved no letter from you since that which you wrote on your departure from Madrid . That gave me reason to believe you would come over early in the spring, and having been ever since in the daily expectation of your arrival I had suspended writing to you. Having come on here for a few days to qualify into office, and being now on my return again, I avail myself of the opportunity by...
I take shame to myself at this late acknolegement of the receipt of so many of your favors: but the fact is that while I was here in my former office, it’s unremitting duties obliged me to interdict to myself the pleasure of private correspondence. On return to my farms I felt myself, tho’ an old man, yet too young a farmer to hazard any thing in the line which you are so firmly and usefully...
I have been longer in acknoleging the reciept of your favor of May 28. 96. than I would have been but for the constant expectation of procuring the seeds you desired (one kind of which was to be sent for to Kentuckey). This, the Buffalo clover, is in a packet which accompanies this letter: as also the wild pea which you wished to recieve, and I promised to send you. I have added some seeds of...
I arrived at home on the 20th. inst. and found the cherry and peach trees in general blossom. They had begun about a week before that. This day our first dishes of asparagus and spinach came to table. This may enable you to compare climates. The price of wheat at Philadelphia and Baltimore was 2.13 D. at Alexandria and Dumfries 1.67 at Fredericksburg 1.16. The merchants of Philadelphia and...
I inclose a note for some more sashes to be made by Mr. Trump, as we have put up those he furnished before, and find them well made and according to directions. I would wish these now ordered to be made as early as possible so as that payment may not be due till the 1st. of July; for tho’ I shall immediately order my tobacco to be sent on to you, yet it will not produce cash till July 1. I am...
Know all men by these presents that I Thomas Jefferson of Monticello in the county of Albemarle in Virginia am bound unto Nicholas and Jacob Van Staphorsts and Nicholas Hubbard of Amsterdam in the United Netherlands in the sum of two thousand Dollars of the United States of America, to the paiment whereof to themselves, their executors administrators or assigns, I bind myself, my heirs,...
After congratulations on your appointment to represent us with the new Batavian republic, I take the liberty of solliciting your care of a letter to Messrs. Nicholas and Jacob Van Staphorst and Hubbard of Amsterdam, who will of course make themselves known to you on your arrival. I think you will find them of characters considerably and advantageously distinguished from the herd of...
I wrote to Mr. Randolph two or three days ago, but I imagine he will recieve the letter at Richmond on his way up: for we expect he will of course come up this week. He has a more dangerous competitor in Billy Wood than had arisen before. But I hear little about it. I arrived in good health at home this day sennight. The mountain had then been in bloom ten days. I find that the natural...
My last to you was of Apr. 24. 96. since which I have recieved your favors of the same year of Jan. 5. and 27. Apr. 11. May 21. and Oct. 21. For that of May 21. I am particularly to thank you, as well as for it’s effects which came in due time to answer my object. I recieved the sum of two thousand dollars from Harrison & Sterett in the months of October and November, for which I gave them two...
In a letter of yesterday’s date I acknoleged the reciept of all yours which have come to hand since my last of Apr. 24. This is intended to answer yours of Oct. 10. 95. which never got to hand till Sep. 16. 96. Our legislature being then shortly to convene, I made timely applications to them, and obtained their act making you citizens of this state, which act duly authenticated I now inclose...
Your letter of the 3d. inst. did not get to Philadelphia till I had left it, and therefore came to hand here only this day week. I have bestowed on it’s subject the earliest attention I could. When on a former occasion the Executive were pleased to apply to me (being then in France) for a plan of a Capitol, they at the same time desired one of a prison. An architect of Lyons had in 1761...
Notes and Explanations Fig. 1. The Ground plat of the building, which is an octagonal periphery of barracks, two stories high, within a single order, having before them a piazza, or arcade every arch of which corresponds to a lower and upper cell, which recieve their light and air through the arch and their own grated door. The cells are 8 f. wide, 10 f. long and 9. f. high in the clear, as...
Estimate on the scale of 200. cells and 340. f. diam. of area on the scale of 144. cells & 245. f. diam. of Area. Quantity Dollars Quantity Dollars Bricks. Arcade 1120. feet running measure (for an internal area of 340. f. diam.) 386,000. 278,208 106. cross arches, of half a brick thick. 10,600 7,800 108. vaults at mid height of the Piazza, half a brick thick. 38,016 27,360 200. vaults of...
Tho’ you thought you had made such progress in your plan that it could not be altered, yet I send you the one I mentioned, as you may perhaps draw some hints from it for the improvement of yours. The method of building houses 2, 3, or 4 stories high, first adopted in cities [where] ground is scarce, and thence without reason copied in the country where ground abounds, has for these 20. or 30....
Your favor of Mar. 25. came safely to hand with the grains of [corn it covered] for which accept my thanks. A nephew of mine, Mr. S. Carr who married a daughter of the Mr. Carr near Georgetown, setting out this day for that place, I have sent him some of the peas you [desired] which he will inclose under cover to you, and lodge in the care of Mr. John Thompson Mason. This letter goes...
I recieved yours my dear Martha, of Mar. 31. four days ago. The inoculation at Richmond having stopped that post I send this by the way of Fredsbg. I entirely approve of your resolution to have the children inoculated. I had before been so much convinced of the expediency of the measure that I had taken it for granted before your letter informed me of it. I am called to Philadelphia to a...
Yours of Mar. 31. did not come to hand till the 5th. inst. It is a pity it had not been recieved before the election , as it gave much uneasiness and embarrasment to your friends to be unable to give any account of you. It made a serious impression even on the zealous; and I have this day written a circular letter , with the apologies your letter furnished, addressed to every militia captain...
We feel too much interested here in the dispositions you expressed to become our neighbor, not to be attentive to any occasion which may favor it. A Mr. Lewis, my next door neighbor, having determined to remove to Kentuckey this fall offers his lands adjoining me for sale. The tract contains 700. acres, scarcely an acre of it but of first rate quality, tho’ a part of what has been cleared has...
Your favor of Mar. 15. came to hand a few days ago. It has been among the greatest of my regrets that I could scarcely see you while in Philadelphia. A thousand visits of ceremony, and some of sincerity, and all these to be returned filled up every moment of my time added to a little business. Since my return home I have been entirely alone, and much [con]fined by the rheumatism. Just now I...
Mrs. Gilmer directs me to enquire whether you can furnish her with 20,000.  6 penny nails 10,000. 16 penny do.    200. 30. penny do.? In what time they can be got ready? Or, if they be now ready, whether it would suit you to take a draught for the amount on Mr. James Brown of Richmond payable on sight, or to wait for the money until the post from Richmond to Charlottsville gets again in...
Among the multiplicity of things I had to think of on my departure from home I omitted to speak with you on the subject of the cask of beer you were so kind as to put by for me at Hay’s. I will thank you to have it bottled and sent up. At this moment C. Johnston has no money of mine in his hands. Therefore I have given Mr. Hay (whom I met with here) money for the bottles, and immediately on my...
Your favor of the 4th. inst. came to hand yesterday. That of the 4th. of Apr. with the one for Monroe has never been recieved. The first of the 27th. of March did not reach me till Apr. 21. when I was within a few days of setting out for this place, and I put off acknoleging it till I should come here. I entirely commend your dispositions towards Mr. Adams, knowing his worth as intimately, and...
Th: Jefferson presents his friendly compliments to Dr. Barton and his thanks for his note of yesterday . He sets too high value on his esteem not to recieve every mark of it with sensibility. The subject of his piece is worthy of it’s author and he is satisfied the execution also will do justice to the subject. RC ( PHi ); addressed: “Doctr. Barton 86. North 5th. street.” Not recorded in SJL ....
I was informed on my arrival here that Genl. Pinckney’s dispatches had on their first receipt excited in the administration a great deal of passion: that councils were held from day to day, and their ill temper fixed at length in war; that under this impression Congress was called: that the tone of the party in general became high, and so continued till the news of the failure of the bank of...
I inclose you a copy of the President’s speech at the opening of Congress , from which you will see what were the objects in calling us together. When we first met our information from the members from all the parts of the union was that peace was the universal wish. Whether they will now raise their tone to that of the executive and embark in all the measures indicative of war and by taking a...
I was informed on my arrival here that Genl. Pinckney’s dispatches had on their first receipt excited in the administration a great deal of passion: that councils were held from day to day, and their ill temper fixed at length in war; that under this impression Congress was called: that the tone of the party in general became high, and so continued till the news of the failure of the bank of...
I arrived here in good health on the 7th. day after my departure from home, without any intervening accident and am as well as when I left home. I recieved here the inclosed letter from Mr. Pintard our Consul at Madeira who sais it was given him by one of your old convent acquaintances settled there. I suppose the letter will inform you of more particulars. We yesterday recieved the...
I inclose you a copy of the President’s speech. Before that was delivered the dispositions of all the members from every quarter seemed averse from war. But that disposition appears to be changing, and those are taking the hue of the speech who wish the Executive to be the sole power in the government. The Republican interest has lost by the changes in the last election , particularly by those...
I recieved at this place from Mr. Bache the letter of the 20th. Germinal with the seeds of the Bread tree which you were so kind as to send me. I am happy that the casual circumstance respecting Oglethorpe’s affairs has led to this valuable present and I shall take immediate measures to improve the opportunity it gives us of introducing so precious a plant into our Southern states. The...
I have lately recieved from a Mr. Giroud of St. Domingue [a] few seeds of the Bread tree, from plants growing there. [Our inform?]ation that Capt. Cook found that tree bearing fully in [New Zealand] in a colder temperature than that of London, [leaves?] little doubt it may be raised in our Southern states. Having only seven seeds, and desirous of [t]aking all the […] possible for success, I...
I recieved from your Royal highness the letter with which you were pleased to honor me through the channel of Mr. Pinckney then our envoy extraordinary at the court of Spain, in which you expressed your wish to establish a correspondence with some person in the US. of America who might be able to furnish subjects of Natural history from this country in exchange for those of Europe. I have...
The Senate of the United States request you to accept their acknowledgments for the comprehensive and interesting detail you have given, in your speech to both Houses of Congress, on the existing state of the Union. While we regret the necessity of the present meeting of the Legislature, we wish to express our entire approbation of your conduct in convening it on this momentous occasion. The...
I learn through the newspapers your arrival at New York and hasten to welcome you to the bosom of your friends and native country. I feel one anxiety the less for the fate of the rotten bark from which you have escaped, and sincerely congratulate you on that escape. I wish I could have welcomed you to a state of perfect calm: but you will find that the agitations of Europe have reached even...
I this moment recieve your [favor] of the 22d. Nine days before that, to wit, May 13. I had [written to you my last] letter acknoleging the [receipt of yours] of May [4.] […] that that of Apr. 4. with the [one for] Monroe […] hand. My letter was directed to yourself ‘to the care of Mr. Osgood New York.’ from which I hoped it would be stopped there as I did not superscribe the place of your...
I wrote to your sister the last week, since which I have been very slowly getting the better of my rheumatism, though very slowly indeed; being only able to walk a little stronger. I see by the newspapers that Mr. and Mrs. Church and their family are arrived at New York. I have not heard from them, and therefore am unable to say anything about your friend Kitty, or whether she be still Miss...
[I have] your receipts for the [monies] […] cre[dited] […] to bring with me a memorandum of the […] destined for Dr. Jackson , and he had recieved no letter […]. But he conjectured the sum you wished paid to be 77.14.D. Should that added to 7.67 D. to Bache vary from what I recieved, it can enter into account between us, as I have not with me the book in which I noted what I recieved. We have...
Nothing new has occurred this week, except that prices get duller. Embargo is also now beginning to be talked of, and I begin to fear I shall not get the price for my tobacco which I have held it at. Ten dollars may perhaps be yet had, tho’ I have been afraid to ask the fact lest it should be thought a symptom of my falling. No judging yet when Congress will rise as the Representatives have...
I recieved from you, before you left England, a letter inclosing one from the Prince of Parma . As I learnt soon after that you were shortly to return to America, I concluded to join my acknolegements of it with my congratulations on your arrival; and both have been delayed by a blameable spirit of procrastination for ever suggesting to our indolence that we need not do to-day what may be done...
I am to return you my thanks for the copy of the memoire you have been so good as to send me. It contains just and interesting observations on the importance of a navigation through the isthmus of Darien . The late Mr. Carmichael had hoped he could procure for us the copy of a survey of that isthmus said to exist in the archives of the Spanish government. But I imagine it is too carefully...
I thank you for the pamphlet of Erskine inclosed in your favor of the 9th. inst. and still more for the evidence which your letter afforded me of the health of your mind and I hope of body also. Erskine has been reprinted here and has done good. It has refreshed the memory of those who had been willing to forget how the war between France and England has been produced; and who ape-ing St....
Tho strongly impressed myself against the possibility of forming a self moving machine, yet I do not place among impossibilities the invention of a machine whose moving power may be constantly renewed by some of the natural agents every where present, as air, gravity &c. If your son has invented any thing effectual in this way he will need no other patronage than the importance and value of...
In my Notes on the state of Virginia I have given a translation of the celebrated speech of Logan to Ld. Dunmore with a statement of facts necessary to make it better understood. A Mr. Luther Martin of Maryland has lately come forward, denies the facts and also the authenticity of the speech. As far as my memory serves me we received the speech as a translation of yours, and tho’ I do not...
I wrote you on the 18th. of May. The address of the Senate was soon after that. The first draught was responsive to the speech & higher toned. Mr. Henry arrived the day it was reported. The addressers had not as yet their strength around them. They listened therefore to his objections, recommitted the paper added him & Tazewell to the committee, and it was reported with considerable...
I wrote you on the 18th. of May. The address of the Senate was soon after that. The first draught was responsive to the speech and higher toned. Mr. Henry arrived the day it was reported. The addressers had not as yet their strength around them. They listened therefore to his objections, recommitted the paper added him and Tazewell to the committee, and it was reported with considerable...
Your’s of May 24. is recieved, and I have directed the springs to be made according to your desire. Your other commissions shall also be executed with pleasure, and shall go with some things of mine in the course of this month. Your tobacco is not yet arrived. Mr. Johnston’s express directions to ensure has induced us to do it: otherwise, considering the safety of the season I should have...
It is as much as six years ago that I proposed to our Philosophical society to add the respect of your name to the list of their members, which was done at the first [ensuing] election. The diploma was to have been delivered to me to be transmitted you: but having soon after had occasion to be long absent from this place I desired it to be forwarded, as soon as made out, by the Secretaries. A...
I am favored with yours of May 19. and thank you for your intentions as to the corn and the large white clover, which if forwarded to Mr. Archibald Stuart at Staunton will find daily means of conveyance from thence to me. That indeed is the nearest post road between you and myself by 60. or 70. miles, the one by George town being very circuitous. The representatives have at length got through...