To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 24 November 1793
From James Madison
Fredg. Novr. 24. 93
Dear Sir
I have your 3 letters. The last of the 17th. fell into my hands here when I arrived on friday night. Col. Monroe was a day before me. Accept our thanks for your provision in our behalf at Germanton. We set off in 5 Minutes in a machine we have procured here, and which we shall keep on with till it fails us, or we can do better. I hope we shall be with you by sunday evening, or monday morning. Giles and Venable being before us, they will give you the intelligence from Richmond. The inclosed paper contains a scrap which may be of later date. If the Senate rejected as we understand, the vote relating to the procln., the answer of the Govr. jointly to the Committee of the two houses is a curious one. Yrs. affy.
J. M. Jr
RC (DLC); addressed: “Thomas […] Post”; endorsed by TJ as received 2 Dec. 1793 and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure not identified.
The action in question by the Virginia senate is described in James Currie to TJ, 9 Nov. 1793, and note. The difference of opinion within the General Assembly was highlighted again on 15 Nov. 1793 when the House committee notifying Governor Henry Lee of his reelection lauded Lee’s efforts in behalf of the Proclamation of Neutrality while that of the Senate said nothing on the subject. Nonetheless, in his answer Lee thanked the legislature for its “commendation of my prompt and decided support of the President’s Proclamation” and praised the document as well-intentioned, constitutional, and beneficial (Richmond Virginia Gazette, and General Advertiser, 20 Nov. 1793; , Oct.-Dec. 1793, 69b).