Joseph C. Cabell to Thomas Jefferson, 20 February 1821
From Joseph C. Cabell
Richmond 20th Feb: 1821.
Dear Sir,
I return you the enclosed paper calling a meeting of the Visitors of the University, having procured the signatures of Mr Johnson & Genl Taylor, and annexed my own, as requested in your favor of 30 ult. I have also shewn the paper to Governor Randolph, & the course pursued is satisfactory to him & the Executive.
A Bill in favor of the University has been reported by the Committee of Schools & Colleges. It proposes to authorize a loan by the President & Directors of $60,000, to be paid out of the balance due from the Genl Government, or any other part of the uninvested1 principal of the fund. It puts the principal on the footing on which my first proposition to the President & Directors of last spring would have placed the loan then proposed, with a small variation. The Bill was drawn by mr Johnson, on consultation with Genl Breckenridge & myself. Its fate will be decided in a few days. It will be powerfully opposed: but I hope it will get thro’, & if it does, I trust the money will finish the buildings, & if it should not, that the people of Albemarle will make up the deficiency. Garland has at last thrown off the mask, and avowed his hostility to the bill. Like many others, he calls himself a friend to the institution. Our worst enemies are pretended friends.
I have written a very urgent letter to Genl Taylor, begging him to come into the Assembly. He declines the proposition. So does Broadnax of Greensville. I enclose you their letters. I have written again to the latter, enclosing for his perusal, your letter to me on the subject of my continuance, and proposing to him to come for one session. I shewed your letter to Mr Taylor of Chesterfield. He had before declined, but when he saw your letter he promised me to think of it. I shall endeavor to get Chancellor Taylor to use his influence with him. Mr Wm Archer of Powhatan has promised me to offer, and we shall get rid of Miller of that county, who declines. Mr Mallory of Orange has becom[e a] very active friend. I have written to mr Currie of Lancaster inviting him to join us. This is the only effectual way to break down the opposition. Wm & mary, Hampden Sidney, & Washington Colleges, are in my opinion deadly hostile. Mr Venable will oppose our bill: but thinks himself a warm friend. I am almost worn out with anxiety, and wish the matter settled. We have got our James River Bill thro’ the House of Delegates. It is of vast importance, and the whole country will soon be alive from Richmond to the mouth of the Kenhawa.
Joseph C. Cabell
RC (ViU: TJP-PC); two words faint; endorsed by TJ as received 23 Feb. 1821 and so recorded in SJL. Enclosures: (1) Call for Meeting of University of Virginia Board of Visitors, 30 Jan.–13 Feb. 1821. (2) William H. Brodnax to Cabell, Greensville, 12 Feb. 1821, expressing his support for the University of Virginia and regret that the Virginia General Assembly is not providing it additional financial aid; remarking that “I have always been aware of the hostility felt towards the University by the ignorant—the prejudiced—& the hunters of popularity by addressing themselves to the pecuniary feelings of the lower orders in Society—and these classes unfortunately usually include a large majority”; declining to run for the legislature because doing so would harm his legal career, submitting it “to your Judgment whether it would not be the excess of imprudence to leave a practice of between four & five thousand dollars a year which would of course be much impaired, when the prospect of rendering any service whatever would be So very doubtful”; and looking with hope to a future when the University will be “a proud and grand institution—an ornament to the State, and an honor to the country” (RC in ViU: JCC). (3) Robert Taylor to Cabell, Norfolk, 13 Feb. 1821, returning first enclosure above and TJ to Cabell, 30 Jan. 1821; observing that “I am glad that Mr Jefferson has been able to devise this plan of retaining Mr Johnson, whose importance on the board, we all so well know”; but refusing to swerve from his personal rule “never to solicit any publick appointment; nor to accept any, but a military one,” having previously determined “that I should not advance my private happiness, and certainly not promote any publick object by entering into political life” (RC in ViU: JCC).
Burwell Bassett presented “A Bill, Concerning the University of Virginia” to the Virginia House of Delegates on 16 Feb. 1821. The measure provided for a loan of up to $60,000 from the Literary Fund “for the purpose of completing the buildings and making the necessary preparations for putting the said university into operation” ( [1820–21 sess.], 197; copy of printed bill in ViU: JCC).
On 15 Feb. 1821 the Virginia house of delegates passed “An act to amend the act, entitled, ‘an act to amend the act for clearing and improving the navigation of James River, and for uniting the Eastern and Western Waters, by the James and Kanawha Rivers.’” The Senate added its approval on 28 Feb. 1821 ( [1820–21 sess.], 195, 224; [1820–21 sess.], 48–52).
1. Manuscript: “uninvisted.”
Index Entries
- A Bill, Concerning the University of Virginia search
- An act to amend the act, entitled, “an act to amend the act for clearing and improving the navigation of James River, and for uniting the Eastern and Western Waters, by the James and Kanawha Rivers” (1821) search
- Archer, William; as Va. legislator search
- Bassett, Burwell; as Va. legislator search
- Breckinridge (Breckenridge), James; as Va. legislator search
- Brodnax, William Henry search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; and funding for University of Virginia search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; as Va. state senator search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; letters from search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; on Va. General Assembly search
- Currie, Armistead search
- Garland, David Shepherd; as Va. legislator search
- Hampden-Sydney College; and state university for Va. search
- James River; and navigation search
- Johnson, Chapman; as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
- Johnson, Chapman; as Va. state senator search
- Kanawha River search
- Literary Fund; and loans for University of Virginia search
- Mallory, Robert; as Va. legislator search
- Miller, Thomas (of Powhatan Co.); as Va. legislator search
- Randolph, Thomas Mann (1768–1828) (TJ’s son-in-law; Martha Jefferson Randolph’s husband); as governor of Va. search
- schools and colleges; Hampden-Sydney College search
- schools and colleges; Washington College (later Washington and Lee University) search
- Taylor, Creed; and establishment of University of Virginia search
- Taylor, Robert Barraud; as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
- Taylor, Robert Barraud; encouraged to run for Va. legislature search
- Taylor, Samuel (1781–1853); as Va. legislator search
- Venable, Richard N.; as Va. legislator search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; funding for search
- Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; Call for Meeting of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
- Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; members of search
- Virginia, University of; Establishment; and General Assembly search
- Virginia, University of; Establishment; opposition to search
- Virginia; Council of State search
- Virginia; General Assembly search
- Virginia; House of Delegates search
- Virginia; Senate of search
- Virginia; statutes on river navigation search
- Washington College (later Washington and Lee University) search
- William and Mary, College of; and University of Virginia search