Thomas Jefferson Papers
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Thomas Jefferson to Nathaniel Macon, 24 September 1811

To Nathaniel Macon

Monticello Sep. 24. 11.

Dear Sir

Mr Mclure, the bearer of this, has been employed in this neighborhood for some time in making spinning machines, and we are anxious to get him removed here. to this he consents, but says candidly that he owes some money, about 500.D. in your neighborhood, his present residence, which he must pay or secure before he comes away. we have therefore, a number of us, subscribed 50.D. apiece to be paid within one month after his establishment here, and it is made payable in the bank of Richmond to facilitate the transfer of it to those to whom he may assign our engagements. he has requested me to write to you, in the belief that from your personal knolege of Colo Monroe, mr Randolph, myself, & perhaps some others who are subscribers, you might strengthen the confidence of those to whom he might wish to assign our engagements, that we will perform what we have promised, by paying our quotas into the bank of Richmond to the order of the assignee on notice of the assignment: and should they be at a loss for the means of giving the notice, I will notify the subscribers for them, on their addressing a letter to me and return them information when the money shall have been deposited in the bank for their order. I have relied on your goodness for the doing this act of kindness for mr Mclure, and for us also, who are anxious to get him here, and I do it with the more pleasure as it furnishes an occasion of renewing to you the assurances of my continued and great esteem & respect.

Th: Jefferson

PoC (MHi); at foot of text: “Mr Macon”; endorsed by TJ.

Nathaniel Macon (1758–1837), planter and political leader, was a native of North Carolina who studied at the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) in the mid-1770s and then served intermittently in the militia during the Revolutionary War. He served in the North Carolina senate in 1781, 1782, and 1784, and he was elected to a seat in the Confederation Congress in 1785 but never attended. Macon represented North Carolina in the United States House of Representatives, 1791–1815, and in the Senate, 1815–28. He was Speaker of the House, 1801–07, and president pro tempore of the Senate, 1826–28. In addition, he received Virginia’s electoral votes for vice president in 1824 and presided over North Carolina’s 1835 constitutional convention. During his long political career, Macon was a consistent states’ rights Republican who opposed the new federal Constitution, Alexander Hamilton’s funding system, the Jay Treaty, the construction of a navy, the Bank of the United States, and high tariffs. However, he also opposed nullification in 1832. Macon favored the Louisiana Purchase, the Embargo, the institution of slavery, the right of states to secede, and, reluctantly, the War of 1812. Initially supportive of TJ’s political efforts, Macon associated himself with the Tertium Quids during the latter years of his administration. He nonetheless maintained a friendly but sporadic correspondence with TJ during the latter’s retirement (ANB description begins John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes, eds., American National Biography, 1999, 24 vols. description ends ; DAB description begins Allen Johnson and Dumas Malone, eds., Dictionary of American Biography, 1928–36, 20 vols. description ends ; William S. Powell, ed., Dictionary of North Carolina Biography [1979–96], 4:185–7; Princetonians description begins James McLachlan and others, eds., Princetonians: A Biographical Dictionary, 1976–90, 5 vols. description ends , 1776–83, pp. 230–6; PTJ description begins Julian P. Boyd, Charles T. Cullen, John Catanzariti, Barbara B. Oberg, and others, eds., The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, 1950– , 31 vols. description ends , 23:410–1; TJ to Macon, 21 Feb., 24 Mar. 1826; Richmond Enquirer, 4, 11 July 1837).

Index Entries

  • Albemarle County, Va.; cloth factory in search
  • Bank of Virginia (Richmond); TJ’s loan from search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; loan from Bank of Virginia search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; subscribes to pay W. McClure’s debts search
  • machines; spinning search
  • Macon, Nathaniel; and W. McClure’s debts search
  • Macon, Nathaniel; identified search
  • Macon, Nathaniel; letters to search
  • manufacturing, household; Albemarle Co. cloth factory search
  • McClure (McLure), William; and Albemarle Co. cloth factory search
  • McClure (McLure), William; debts of search
  • Monroe, James; subscribes to pay W. McClure’s debts search
  • Randolph, Thomas Mann (1768–1828) (TJ’s son-in-law; Martha Jefferson Randolph’s husband); subscribes to pay W. McClure’s debts search
  • Richmond, Va.; Bank of Virginia search
  • subscriptions, non-publication; to pay W. McClure’s debts search