31From James Madison to George Washington, 21 July 1788 (Madison Papers)
I have deferred writing since my arrival here in the hourly hope of being enabled to communicate the final news from Poughkepsie. By a letter from Hamilton dated the day before yesterday I find that it is equally uncertain when the business will be closed, and what will be its definitive form. The inclosed gazettes state the form which the depending proposition bears. It is not a little...
32From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 22 April 1787 (Madison Papers)
I have the pleasure of your’s of the 11 inst. acknowledging mine of the 2d. In some of your letters I observe you do not say whether any have been recd. from me or not. I have not omitted to write in a single instance since our correspondence commenced. The time approaches so nearly now when I shall have an opportunity of asking verbal communications on confidential points that I forbear to...
33From James Madison to Tench Coxe, 3 January 1788 (Madison Papers)
I have been favored with yours of the 28 Ult: and thank you for the paper which it inclosed. Your arguments appear to me to place the subject to which they relate in its true light, and must be satisfactory to the writer himself whom they oppose, if he can suspend for a moment his preconceived opinions. But whether they should have any effect or not on him, they will unquestionably be of...
34Term of the Senate, [26 June] 1787 (Madison Papers)
Read moved that the term be nine years. Mr. Madison. In order to judge of the form to be given to this institution, it will be proper to take a view of the ends to be served by it. These were first to protect the people agst. their rulers: secondly to protect the people agst. the transient impressions into which they themselves might be led. A people deliberating in a temperate moment, and...
35Notes on Debates, 25 April 1787 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Madison observing to Congs. that he found a settled disinclination in some of the delegations to concur in any conciliatory expedient for defending the Missippi agst. the operation of the vote of seven States , and that it was hence become necessary to attack directly the validity of that measure to the end that the adversaries to it, and particularly the instructed delegations, might at...
36Powers of the President, [18 June] 1788 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Madison , adverting to Mr. Mason’s objection to the president’s power of pardoning, said, it would be extremely improper to vest it in the house of representatives, and not much less so to place it in the senate; because numerous bodies were actuated more or less by passion, and might in the moment of vengeance forget humanity. It was an established practice in Massachusetts for the...
37[To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 19 August 1787] (Jefferson Papers)
[ Philadelphia, 19 Aug. 1787 . Recorded in SJL as received 13 Dec. 1787, “(recommendation of Tenche Cox).” Not found.]
38From James Madison to George Washington, 2 December 1788 (Madison Papers)
The information conveyed in your favor of the 17th. ulto. lays me under great obligations. It was by no means my wish to have imposed the task of so full and particular a view of the subject. The general result in your own mind was all that I had in contemplation. One of the papers herewith enclosed will shew you the state of the election for the Senate in Massts. It was understood here that...
39From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 8 December 1788 (Madison Papers)
This will be handed to you by Mr. Governeur Morris who will embark in a few days for Havre, from whence he will proceed immediately to Paris. He is already well known to you by character; and as far as there may be a defect of personal acquaintance I beg leave to supply it by this introduction. My two last were of Ocr. 8. & 17th. They furnished a State of our affairs as they then stood. I...
40Notes on Debates, 29 March 1787 (Madison Papers)
The Committee appd. to confer with the Treasy. Board on the great business of a final settlemt. of the accts. of the U. States, reported that they be discharged; and the Board instructed to report an ordinance. Mr. King in explanation sd. that it was the sense of the Commtee and of the Treasy. board both, that Commissrs. shd. be appointed with full & final powers to decide on the claims of the...
41From James Madison to Jacquelin Ambler, 4 October 1788 (Madison Papers)
Please to pay to the Honble. Edward Carrington or order two hundred and fifty dollars and charge the same against me as Delegate to Congress for the State of Virginia, computing from Ocr. 1st. 1788. RC ( Vi ). Docketed by John Pendleton (state auditor).
42From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 6 September 1787 (Madison Papers)
My last was intended for the Augst. Packet and put into the hands of Commodore Paul Jones. Some disappointments prevented his going, and as he did not know but its contents might be unfit for the ordinary conveyance, he retained it. The precaution was unnecessary. For the same reason the delay has been of little consequence. The rule of secresy in the Convention rendered that as it will this...
MS ( NA : PCC , No. 23, fol. 161). Undated and unsigned but in JM’s hand. That the district which may be ceded to & accepted by Congress for their permanent residence, ought to be entirely exempted from the authority of the State ceding the same; and the organization & administration of the powers of Govt. within the sd. district concerted between Congress & the inhabitants thereof. For...
44From James Madison to Samuel House, 29 May 1784 (Madison Papers)
I have just recd. your favor of the 18 inst: inclosing one from my amiable friend Mrs. Trist. I feel pathetically for her in case she should have proceeded down the river before the news of Mr. Trist’s death got to Fort Pitt. The situation in which she will find herself at the end of her voyage bereft of the object of her pursuit, and surrounded wholly by strangers whose very language will be...
45To George Washington from James Madison, 2 July 1784 (Washington Papers)
The sanction given by your favor of the 12th inst. to my desire of remunerating the genius which produced Common Sense, led to a trial for the purpose. The gift first proposed was a moiety of the tract on the Eastern Shore, known by the name of “the Secretary’s land.” The easy reception it found induced the friends of the measure to add the other moity to the proposition, which would have...
46From James Madison to George Washington, 24 August 1788 (Madison Papers)
I was yesterday favored with yours of the 17th. 18th. under the same cover with the papers from Mr. Pleasants. The Circular letter from this State is certainly a matter of as much regret, as the unanimity with which it passed is matter of surprize. I find it is every where, and particularly in Virginia, laid hold of as the signal for united exertions in pursuit of early amendments. In...
47From James Madison to John Pendleton, 2 August 1787 (Madison Papers)
Inclosed is the account on which my claim is founded for another quarters advance; for which I have drawn a bill on the Treasurer in favor of Messrs. Wests Merchts. of this City. I was so unlucky as to make out & dispose of the bill before I adverted to the surplus of £14. advanced for the last quarter by mistake of your Clerk. I could not therefore correct the error at this time. In my next...
48To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 3 October 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
In pursuance of the plan intimated in my last I came to this City about three weeks ago, from which I continued my trip to New York. I returned last night and in a day or two shall start for Virginia. Col. Monroe had left Philada. a few days before I reached it, on his way to a treaty to be held with the Indians about the end of this month on the Wabash. If a visit to the Eastern States had...
49From James Madison to James Madison, Sr., 20 June 1788 (Madison Papers)
No question has been yet taken by which the strength of parties can be determined. The calculations on different sides do not accord; each making them under the bias of their particular wishes. I think however the friends of the Constitution are most confident of superiority; and am inclined myself to think they have at this time the advantage of 3 or 4 or possibly more in point of number. The...
50Proportional Representation in the Legislature, [30 May] 1787 (Madison Papers)
The second resolution of the Virginia Plan was under consideration. JM’s suggestion that the words “or to the number of free inhabitants” be struck out to avoid diversionary debates had led to a number of motions. JM finally moved “in order to get over the difficulties, the following resolution—‘that the equality of suffrage established by the articles of Confederation ought not to prevail in...
51To Alexander Hamilton from James Madison, 13 June 1788 (Hamilton Papers)
[ Richmond, June 13, 1788. On June 25, 1788, Hamilton wrote to Madison: “I am very sorry to find by your letter of the 13th that your prospects are so critical.” Letter not found. ]
52From James Madison to George Lee Turberville, 2 November 1788 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 20th. Ult: not having got into my hands in time to be acknowledged by the last mail, I have now the additional pleasure of acknowledging along with it your favor of the 24. which I recd. yesterday. You wish to know my sentiments on the project of another general Convention as suggested by New York. I shall give them to you with great frankness, though I am aware they may not...
53From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 24 February 1787 (Madison Papers)
If the contents of the Newspapers of this place find their way into the gazettes of Richmond you will have learnt that the expedition of Genl: Lincoln against the insurgents has effectually dispersed the main body of them. It appears however that there are still some detachments which remain to be subdued. & that the Government of Massts. consider very strong precautions as necessary agst....
54From James Madison to Tench Coxe, 26 October 1787 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your favor of the 21st. instant, and have disposed of the papers under the same cover according to direction. Col. Hamilton had returned to the City which gave me the opportunity of immediately putting into his hands such of them as were destined for him. I have no doubt that he will make the best use of them. I have recd. no answer yet from my correspondent to whom I forwarded...
55From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 20 August 1784 (Madison Papers)
The decision to introduce the Mississippi question in the context of JM’s experience is necessarily an arbitrary one because an open western waterway was among his concerns from the early days in Congress until the matter was settled by the Louisiana Purchase. The main point is that JM never looked upon the problem as a Virginia riddle. As a Virginia legislator he hoped to see citizens in the...
56From James Madison to James Madison, Sr., 24 December 1785 (Madison Papers)
My last informed you of the miscarriage of the Assize scheme. It has been followed with an attempt to reform the County Courts, which will probably end in the appointment of four months in which the Courts shall be confined to Docket business & compelled to dispatch it. A Bill is depending for the payment of British debts, nearly on the model of that which fell thro’ last year. It is extremely...
57From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 15 September 1784 (Madison Papers)
In pursuance of my intentions as explained in my last dated in Philada. I came to this City on saturday last. The information I have here recd. convinces me that I can not accomplish the whole route I had planned within the time to which I am limited, nor go from this to Boston in the mode which I had reckoned upon. I shall therefore decline this part of my plan, at least for the present, &...
58The Federalist Number 56, [16 February] 1788 (Madison Papers)
The second charge against the house of representatives is, that it will be too small to possess a due knowledge of the interests of its constituents. As this objection evidently proceeds from a comparison of the proposed number of representatives, with the great extent of the United States, the number of their inhabitants, and the diversity of their interests, without taking into view at the...
59From James Madison to Ambrose Madison, 8 September 1786 (Madison Papers)
I came to this place a day or two ago, where I found two Commsrs only. A few more have since come in, but the prospect of a sufficient no. to make the Meeting respectable is not flattering. I was sorry to find in Philada. that the unpunctuality of some of the purchasers of the Tobo. had put it out of the power of Mr. H. to supply me with all the money become due under the contracts. This...
60Notes on Debates, 23 April 1787 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Jay’s Report stating objections agst. the motion of Mr. Madison for sending Mr. Jefferson to Madrid was taken into consideration. Mr. Madison observed that Mr. Jay had not taken up the proposition in the point of view in which it had been penned; and explained what that was; to wit, that it was expedient to retract the step taken for ceding the Mississpi, and to do it in a manner as...