James Madison Papers
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To James Madison from Horatio Gates Spafford, 23 January 1817

From Horatio Gates Spafford

Albany, 1 Mo. 23, 1817.

Respected Friend

Had I not a great personal interest in seeing the Laws of the United States, relating to the granting of Patents, & the protection of the rights of Inventors, So Modified as to embrace a better security of these rights, I should not have devoted So much time & attention to this Subject: nor should I now presume to Solicit thy attention to it.

The Essay of “Franklin,” published in Nos. 8 & 9 of the Magazine I Sent thee, a few days Since,1 is the Paper Mentioned in a former Letter,2 & embraces the ideas that I had the honor to Suggest in my conversations with thee when at Washington. I wish, now, to Solicit thy attention to the Views of this Subject, exhibited in that Paper; or rather, I wish that may engage thy attention So far, as to evince the anxiety that I feel, & the pains that I have taken to call the attention of the proper persons to the Subjects embraced in it. I have not the vanity to suppose that any views of Mine, could Suggest any thing new to thy Mind, concerning this matter.

I am confident that if a Patent System were formed according to the principles I have proposed, it would Soon be in my power to put an invention of my own into operation that would save many Millions of dollars in America, & Soon enrich me to the extent of my desires. Such are the reasons, added to those stated in my Essay, for the great anxiety that I feel, & Such is the apology that I have to urge for this freedom. With great regard, & very sincere respect, thy friend,

Horatio G. Spafford.

RC (DLC). Docketed by JM.

1Spafford’s “Franklin” essay, dated 10 Dec. 1815 and entitled “observations on the propriety of establishing A National School of Science and the Mechanic Arts, and on new modelling the Patent System of the United States,” appeared in the January and February 1816 issues of the American Magazine: A Monthly Miscellany, 1:289–97, 313–26.

2Spafford referred to his 25 Dec. 1815 letter to JM (PJM-PS description begins Robert A. Rutland et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison: Presidential Series (10 vols. to date; Charlottesville, Va., 1984–). description ends 10:117–19).

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