To James Madison from Thomas Ward and John Condit, 5 June 1815

From Thomas Ward and John Condit

Newark June 5 1815

Sir

Haveing understood that the hone Robert Morris Esqr, Judge of the United States Court for the district of New Jersey, died on friday last, by which event, that office has became Vacant—and also understanding, that his Excely. William S. Penington Esqr our present Governor—is desirous of receiving that appointment—we have been induced to recommend him, as being eminently qualified to be the Successor of Judge Morris, and that in our beleif his appointment would be very acceptable to the Citizens of our State. Gover Penington for a number of years and untill he rcd. his present appointment of Governor, held a seat on the Bench of the Supreme Court of this State the duties of which he discharged, with Honor to himself, and much to the Satisfaction to [sic] the bar, his revolutionary services together, with his attatchment to the Genl. Govt and his acknowledged talents as a Judge would seem to give him a preference on this Occasion.1 With great respect we are Your Obt. Sert

Thomas Ward2
John Condit 3

RC (DNA: RG 59, LAR, 1809–17, filed under “Pennington”).

1. JM nominated Pennington for the judgeship on 8 Jan. 1816, and the Senate confirmed the appointment the next day (Senate Exec. Proceedings description begins Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America (3 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1828). description ends , 3:19–21).

2. An attorney by profession, Thomas Ward (ca. 1759–1842) also served as sheriff and judge of Essex County, New Jersey. He represented the state in Congress, 1813–17 (The Letters and Journals of James Fenimore Cooper, ed. James Franklin Beard, 6 vols. [Cambridge, Mass., 1960–68], 1:39 n. 2).

3. John Condit (1755–1834), a physician and prominent New Jersey Republican, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the Sixth and Seventh Congresses. He served in the U.S. Senate, 1803–17 (PJM description begins William T. Hutchinson et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (1st ser., vols. 1–10, Chicago, 1962–77; vols. 11–17, Charlottesville, Va., 1977–91). description ends 17:461 n. 2).

Index Entries

You Are Looking At

Source Project: Madison Papers
Title: To James Madison from Thomas Ward and John Condit, 5 June 1815
Authors: Ward, Thomas
Condit, John
Recipient: Madison, James
Date: 5 June 1815

Reference

Cite as: “To James Madison from Thomas Ward and John Condit, 5 June 1815,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/03-09-02-0359. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, Presidential Series, vol. 9, 19 February 1815–12 October 1815, ed. Angela Kreider, J. C. A. Stagg, Mary Parke Johnson, and Anne Mandeville Colony. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2018, pp. 374–375.]