201Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 13 April 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Mar. 27. is recieved, and my grandaughter Ellen has undertaken to copy the Syllabus, which will therefore be inclosed. it was originally written to D r Rush . on his death, fearing that the inquisition of the public might get hold of it, I asked the return of it from the family, which they kindly complied with . at the request of another friend , I had given him a copy . he lent...
202Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 4 August 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
I owe you a letter for your favor of June 29. which was recieved in due time, and there being no subject of the day of particular interest I will make this a supplement to mine of Apr. 13. my aim in that was to justify the character of Jesus against the fictions of his pseudo-followers which have exposed him to the inference of being an imp o stor, for if we could believe that he really...
203Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 24 November 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
Your welcome favor of the 12 th came to hand two days ago. I was just returned from Poplar Forest which I have visited four times this year. I have an excellent house there, inferior only to Monticello , am comfortably fixed and attended, have a few good neighbors, and pass my time there in a tranquility and retirement much adapted to my age and indolence. you so kindly ask an explanation of...
204From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 19 October 1822 (Jefferson Papers)
I have waited for a frost to announce to me your return to winter quarters; and altho’ we have as yet had none here, I presume they must have reached you, in their advance towards us, by this time, and that I may now acknolege your letter written on your departure for Canada. altho’ that trip disappointed us of the expected visit to your native state, yet I hold on to the promise, as a thing...
205From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 29 December 1822 (Jefferson Papers)
I have duly recieved your favor of the 17 th with it’s kind enquiries as to the state in which my late accident has placed me. the fracture was of the most favorable character, of the smaller bone of the left fore-arm, without, as is still hoped, deranging those of the wrist. it was promptly and well set by a skilful surgeon, has been constantly doing well, without incurring any accident, and...
206From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 28 March 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
From your letter of prophecies I too have caught the spirit of prophecy: for who can withold looking into futurity, on events which are to change the face of the world, and the condition of man throughout it, without indulging himself in the effusions of the holy spirit of Delphos? I may do it the more safely as, to my vaticinations, I always subjoin the Proviso ‘that nothing unexpected happen...
207From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 8 September 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of July 28. from Avon came to hand on the 10 th of August and I have delayed answering it on the presumption of your continued absence. but the approach of the season of frost in that region has probably, before this time, turned you about to the South. I readily concieve that, by the time of your return to Philadelphia, you will have had travelling enough for the present, and...
208From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 10 April 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Mar. 29. is duly recieved, and I learn from it with great gratification that we are at length to have the happiness of meeting once more. I shall visit Bedford in the months of May & June, and if you do not set out on your journey till July, you will assuredly find me here, and happy to recieve you. there are three stages a week from Richmond to Charlottesville, which will give...
209From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 17 May 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved yesterday your favor of the 10 th instant. as soon as the vote of invitation to M. de la Fayette had passed one house, and was likely to pass the other, I wrote to the President, and to a member or two of Congress, expressing my confidence that they could not mean merely to invite him to come and dine; suggesting the scantiness of his means of meeting expence, and the necessity of a...
210From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 9 November 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieve your letter of the 2 d while La Fayette is with us. our county has recieved him as handsomely as their limited means permitted. among the toasts they drank ‘a gratitude which ends not in words.’ and I think sentiment is taking in other states. the President will also give a hint on which Congress will be led to take up the subject.—M de L’Epinay is safely recieved. Hall’s book is...
211From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 8 January 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
I returned the 1 st vol. of Hall by a mail of a week ago and by this shall return the 2 d we have kept them long; but every member of the family wished to read his book, in which case you know it had a long guantlet to run. It is impossible to read thoroughly such writings as those of Harper and Otis, who take a page to say what requires but a sentence, or rather who give you whole pages of...
212From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 4 April 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
Knowing the interest you take in the progress of our University, I will now undertake to give you some account of it; and it is not till now that any thing definitive could have been communicated. The selection of Professors from Europe has been most judiciously made. they are 5. in number, most of them a little under or over 30. years of age, one only being something over 40. of the highest...
213From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 9 August 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
I am still a debtor for your letter of June 27. my health is some excuse, but not quite a sufficient one, because I have sometimes written to others not having an equal claim on my affections. my present indisposition, altho’ it began with strangury, as I mentioned to you, had become a more serious one of the general class of Dysury. an affection of the bladder and prostate gland has confined...
214From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 14 October 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Octob.—has been duly recieved. the information which I have given you from time to time has kept you truly informed of the state of our University. it behoves me then also to mention to you a serious incident which has just taken place there; and the rather as, of the thousand versions which will be given, not one will be true. my position enables me to say what is so, but with...
215From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 15 November 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
In my letter of Oct. 14. I gave you an account of the riot we had had at the University, and of it’s termination. you will however be anxious to know how it has gone off finally. with the best effects possible. having let it be understood, from the beginning. that we wished to trust very much to the discretion of the Students themselves for their own government, with about four fifths of them...
216From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 3 January 1826 (Jefferson Papers)
I am about to ask a friendly office of you which I hope will give you no other trouble than to change the direction of one of your daily walks. a mr Boyé, a Danish Mathematician was engaged in a survey to make a map of Virginia. I lent him a fine Borda’s Circle of reflection 2. or 3. years ago and my best telescope. he has ceased to have occasion for them a year or two. he is now in Philada...
217From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 18 January 1826 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 11 th is recieved. those of Nov. 2. and Dec. 14. had been so in due time. I suppose I had not acknoleged them specifically from being perhaps too lazy to recur to them while writing mine of the 3 d I thank you for your information from mr Boyé and shall desire the instruments to remain in their present position until I can find a safe and gentle conveyance and give an order for...
218From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 24 March 1826 (Jefferson Papers)
My grandson Th: J. Randolph the bearer of this letter is too well known to you to need a letter of introduction. he is going Northwdly on the business which was the subject of your kind letter of the 4 th . my unskilful stewardship of Agricultural property, and the interception of attention to it by imperious and higher duties have, in a course of 60 years much involved my capital. in our...
219From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 11 March 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors of Feb. 14. & 26. are now before me, and answering first to the former, I inclose you a copy of the cypher as well as of the cyphered letter therein referred to. I have examined the two statements of our account. the first is perfectly intelligible, & right in principle. I have not attempted to examine the calculations, being on the point of departure for Monticello, & not doubting...
220From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 4 May 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of Apr. 24. came to hand some days since, and I now return you the calculation of interest & paiments therein inclosed. the principles of this are understood & approved, and altho my occupations have not permitted me to investigate the calculations in detail, yet I have no doubt of their correctness. I have therefore inclosed you an acknolegement of the balance due Feb. 12. with a...
221From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 14 June 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of May 15. was recieved in due time. you will now recieve inclosed a draught of the US. bank here on that at Philadelphia for 500. D. if I rightly estimate the calls which will come on me the beginning of July I am afraid they will disable me from making the remittance for that month. an unexpected one from Albemarle has deranged the calculations I had made for that epoch. after...
222From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 18 August 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
In hopes of seeing you before this in Virginia I had [rese]rved the inclosed out of funds in Richmond, where I had supposed it might not be inconvenient for you to recieve it, and where it was more convenient to me, my funds in Washington being otherwise called for. hearing nothing of your being in motion this way, I now inclose it to the care of mr Taylor who I presume will know where you...
223From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 12 December 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 2d. inst. has been duly recieved; but I have not had it in my power to make you the inclosed remittance of 500. Dollars till this day. it can only reach you on the evening of the 14th. which I hope may be in time to answer your purpose. Mr. Eppes happened fortunately to have left here the two books he had purchased from mr Barnes. he has returned to him the Atlas to Reynal’s work,...
224From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 27 January 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 28th. was recieved on the 24th. although mr Skipwith’s error in fact (that the Comptroller’s place was vacant) might supercede the necessity of saying any thing on the subject, yet a desire that he may not refuse what has been offered him, under delusive expectations, induces me to go into explanations with you, in hopes you may find opportunities of rectifying his ideas,...
225From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 7 March 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Feb. 26. has been duly recieved. I think I mentioned in a former letter that experience had shewn me that I could not pay more than 1000. D. a quarter without sensible distress. sometimes & indeed generally, I find it most convenient to pay it in moieties; sometimes the whole sum at once. the latter has been the case for the present quarter. I now accordingly inclose you a...
226From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 9 June 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
I observed to you in a former letter that I had found from experience that I could not pay you more than 1000. D. a quarter without recurring to extraordinary measures which your indulgence had dispensed with. this has been done by remittances of 500. D. two months in the quarter, or of 1000. D. in one month. according to this I should now have sent 1000. D. and have intermitted the next...
227From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 13 June 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
My letter, written the day before yours of the 10th. will in some degree have anticipated your enquiries in that, but to be more particular, I shall leave this about the 21st. of July for Monticello, shall proceed about the 1st. of Aug. to Bedford, & after a few days there return to Monticello for the residue of that and the month of September. here, there & every where I shall be always glad...
228From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 8 July 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you an order of the bank of the US. at this place on that at Philadelphia for five hundred Dollars on the usual account. I shall leave this place about the latter part of the month for Monticello & after a few days rest there proceed to Bedford from which place however I shall be returned to Monticello by the middle of August. this will be before the time by which you expected to...
229From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 30 August 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 23d. was recieved by the last post, and I sincerely regret that we are not likely to have the pleasure of seeing you here: and still more the cause. yet I am inclined to believe that the cause ought to have brought instead of detaining you. the only remedy I believe which can be relied on for relieving an obstinate diarrhea, or weak bowels, is long journies on a hard trotting...
230From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 12 October 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
On my arrival here I found your letter of Sep. 27. with an accumulation of business which has prevented my answering till now. the paper it inclosed I have destroyed as you desired. it’s contents shall now be answered with that frankness which has always existed between us, and an entire confidence that the whole subject will remain confined to ourselves alone. the two facts on which the paper...
231From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 5 January 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
In my note of Oct. 13. I inclosed you a draught of the United States bank here on that at Philadelphia for 1000. Dollars. I have been a little anxious to know that it got safely to hand; altho the safety of that kind of remittance is such as to leave one in little concern but for considerable sums. instead of remitting a similar sum at this time, I am obliged to avail myself of the...
232From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 7 February 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I now inclose you a draught of the bank of the US. of this place on that of Philadelphia for five hundred dollars. I am extremely uneasy at the unfortunate fate of my envois of seeds to Madame de Tessé. I fear she will think me a very inattentive friend. fall was twelvemonth, I prepared, as you know, a box of seeds, well assorted, well packed, sound & fresh, and sent it by a ship from...
233From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 6 April 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I now inclose you a draught of the US. bank here on that of Philadelphia for 500. D. and early in the ensuing month shall make a similar remittance. I had before observed that in the months of April & May, when my tobacco of the last year would be coming to market, the balance remaining due to you would be within the reach of that, after taking from it 1000. D. particularly engaged, and I had...
234From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 19 May 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I returned to this place three days ago, which being later than I had expected, has retarded my sending the inclosed order of the bank of the US. here on that at Philadelphia for 500. D. my crop of tobo. falls considerably short of it’s usual amount, so that altho’ I have not lost hope entirely that it may enable me to pay the whole of my balance the next month, yet I doubt it. in any event I...
235From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 12 June 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Jefferson not having compleated the sale of my tobacco, I am enabled to send you on 750. D. only which I now do in a bill of the bank of the US. here on that at Philadelphia. it will therefore be another month before the balance can be liquidated. I am in hopes that that will be in time for your departure; but should it not, you may direct the disposal of it with the same certainty as if...
236From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 14 June 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 11th. was recieved last night. in the mean time mine of the 12th. had crossed it on the road, and I hope conveyed safely to your hands the order for 750. D. by the statement inclosed in yours the balance of the 22d. of May was 1537.D78 to which adding 6.15 for interest to the 15th. (by which day the order will be in your hands) and deducting the 750. D. amount of the order,...
237From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 15 November 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s of the 6th. has been duly recieved. on the subject of your location for the winter, it is impossible, in my view of it, to doubt on the preference which should be given to this place. under any circumstances it could not be but satisfactory to you to acquire an intimate knolege of our political machine, not merely of it’s organisation, but the individuals & characters composing it,...
238From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 31 January 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 27th. was recieved last night. those of Nov. 25. & Dec. 29. had been recieved in due time. the pressure of business had prevented my acknoleging them. I shall be happy to see you here, and repeat my hope of your taking your daily soup with us when not otherwise engaged. I have just recieved information that Russia has interdicted to her subjects all intercourse with England,...
239From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 5 May 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Apr. 28. came safe to hand with the watch chain and seal, which are entirely to my mind, and I now inclose you an order of the bank of the US. of this place on that at Philadelphia for 20. D. the amount of the two articles. I am now in all the hurry & bustle of preparation for departure this evening if I can be ready, or tomorrow morning at farthest, and having not a word of news...
240From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 6 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
What I now write you must be as secret as the grave. there is at length an unanimity of opinion as to a mission to Petersbg. but some difference as to the time, whether now or not till the meeting of the Senate. but the latter opinion will I think give way to the importance of the mission being so secret that it shall be suspected by no mortal until it is arrived in Petersburg. I write you...
241From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 13 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved last night yours of the 10th. the idea of your going so early as by the vessel which sails on Sunday has been given up. consequently it will not be till the next which will go in 6. weeks, unless an earlier passage were to occur by some other vessel, which as it might excite less notice would be more desirable. we have ceased to annex Secretaries of legation to our foreign missions,...
242From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 20 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I have put off writing to you to the last moment, and must therefore be short as I am just setting out for Monticello. yours of the 15th. is recieved. we fix your departure by the next vessel we send which will be in about 6. weeks. it will not be necessary for you to visit this place as mr Madison leaves it on Saturday. we highly approve the idea of calling your secretary our messenger & your...
243From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 2 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
On the reciept of your letter of July 23. I wrote to mr Madison expressing my ideas on the several points it presented, and recieved his in return which I now inclose you as containing our joint opinions on them. that which respects the direct voyage will, I am afraid, not be so agreeable to yourself, yet I believe it is indispensible. secrecy is essential, that obstacles may not be prepared...
244From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 19 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letters of the 7th. & 10th. were recieved on the 15th., communicated to mr Madison & recieved back from him yesterday. we relinquish the idea of a direct passage to St. Petersburg, and adopt that of a general communication to the government of France through which you will pass. mr Madison will be here within a few days in order that we may arrange and finally expedite whatever is...
245From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 29 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 7th. & 10th. inst. were acknoleged in mine of the 19th. Mr. Madison is now with me and is preparing instructions for you. we now very much wish we had asked you to take a trip here. it is impossible to give on paper so intimate an expression of our views as in conversation, and more difficult in this case than in others because in addition to the general objects of cultivating...
246From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 6 September 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I avail myself of the last moment allowed by the departure of the post to acknolege the reciept of your letters of the 27th. & 31st. ult. and to say, in answer to the last, that any one of the three persons you there propose, would be approved as to their politics, for in appointments to office the government refuses to know any difference between descriptions of republicans, all of whom are...