To James Madison from John Dawson, 27 November 1792
From John Dawson
Rich: Nov: 27. 1792
Dear Sir!
I am honord with your favour of the 21st. inst.,1 for which youll be pleased to recieve my thanks.
I inclose you a list of the Electors of our state agreeably to the returns to the Executive. The member from the Berkeley district is the only one who will be in favour of the present Vice President, & he is indebted to the bad day for his election as he was opposed by Colo Smith.2 All the others may be counted for Gov: Clinton. On yesterday I recievd a letter from Halifax, N. C. by which I learn that that state will una voce, vote for Mr. C, & that part of S. C. & Georgia generally will be in his favour. Shoud this be the case, & he shoud get 8 or ten votes in the Eastern states I think he will be elected, altho I am sorry to hear that the ticket of Phia. has succeeded,3 for judging by the late election of representatives I had concluded that he woud divide that state at least. It will be a great point to get them to vote against Mr. A—— if not in favour of Mr. C.
The general assembly of this state has passed a law establishing a Bank at Alexandria. It is to consist of 750 shares at £75 each. It was warmly opposed in the H of R.4 and I was astonishd to find some who had always reprobated the national Bank, and the principle of banking, advocate this. It may be considerd as the child of a party whose interests are so promoted by it. An[d] surely it will be a dutiful one, for never was one more anxiously supported. I am, with much esteem yr friend & Sert
J Dawson
RC (DLC). Enclosure not found.
1. Letter not found.
2. John Smith (1750–1836) of Frederick County opposed Moses Hunter in the 1792 election for presidential elector in his district. Smith fought in Lord Dunmore’s War and served in the Revolution as a commissary of prisoners and a recruiting officer. He served as a delegate, 1777–79 and 1786–87, county lieutenant, 1784 and 1793, state senator, 1791–94, and Republican U.S. representative, 1801–15 (, p. 1716; , 1st ser., IV [1895–96], 95–99; , p. 429).
3. The Pennsylvania election law of 1792 provided for election of presidential electors on a general ticket (Cunningham, The Jeffersonian Republicans, p. 38).
4. Dawson erred, since the debate was in the House of Delegates. The act was passed on 23 Nov. A month later, the General Assembly passed an act establishing another bank at Richmond (, XIII, 592, 599).