To James Madison from Fontaine Maury, 25 June 1810
From Fontaine Maury
Fredericksburg 25 June 1810
Dear Sir
Having good reasons to believe that unfair, and unfounded, representations have, or will be made to the Executive, with a view to injure the reputation of my Brother James in his Official Character, I take the Liberty to address you on that Subject, and to request you to Suspend any Opinion thereon, untill time can be given for investigation, which I am persuaded will terminate honorably to the accused, and Satisfactorily to yourself. I pray you to excuse the Liberty I have taken, and to be assured that nothing Short of a Conviction of innocence on the one part, and interested views on the other, would have induced me to trouble you on a Subject of this Sort. With Sentiments of high Esteem I have the honor to remain Your Mo Obt st
Fontaine Maury1
RC (DLC); FC (ViU: Maury Family Papers). FC written on the verso of a copy of Richard Forrest to Fontaine Maury, 5 June 1810, which warned that “great efforts are making to injure [James Maury’s] well earned Reputation as a Public Officer, and altho’ our worthy President is not of a Character to abandon a Man on Slight Grounds, yet it May not be amiss for you and your Brother to know of the Efforts that have been made and that are Still making to injure him.”
1. Fontaine Maury (1761–1824) managed the Fredericksburg end of the family importing business until 1801. Thereafter he appears to have been engaged in a variety of business and commission activities. His brother James had been appointed U.S. consul at Liverpool in 1790 (, 12:88 n. 2; , 1:192, 224; Fontaine Maury to JM, 1 June 1802 [DLC]).