From Thomas Jefferson to John Strode, 14 June 1797
To John Strode
Philadelphia June 14. 97.
Dear Sir
I have to acknolege the receipt of your favor of May 7. together with the survey of the road from Georgetown to Stevensburgh. As I believe there will be no difficulty in getting the road established from it’s entry into Culpeper till it gets into the established and direct road in Prince Edward, I propose to confer at Georgetown with some members of the Bridge company and get them to undertake to have the road opened to the Culpeper line.
We are in hopes of rising about Saturday the 24th. The immense events which are daily taking place in Europe render it impossible for Congress to know to what state of things to adapt their proceedings. I am in hopes therefore they will conclude it best to do almost nothing for the present, but await the event of their negociation with France, and hope the establishment of peace in Europe will give us leisure and opportunity to devise some means of preserving neutrality in all wars, yet of maintaining a due respect to our honour and our interests. It cannot be denied that these have been grossly trampled on by both the belligerent powers in the present war. I am with great esteem Dear Sir Your most obedt. servt
Th: Jefferson
PrC (DLC); at foot of text: “Mr. John Strode.”
John Strode had, during the American Revolution, managed an arms factory near Fredericksburg. After the war he continued in iron founding and arms manufacture, and also owned several mills. When traveling in the 1790s and after, TJ would often stop over at Strode’s Culpeper County residence, Fleetwood. Strode served in the Virginia House of Delegates, 1810–12 (, ii, 834, 1229; Madison, Papers, XII, 248n; Raleigh Travers Green, Genealogical and Historical Notes on Culpeper County, Virginia [Culpeper, Va., 1900], pt. 2, 137; , 356–7).
Strode’s favor of May 7. is recorded in SJL as received on 14 May 1797 but has not been found. Also recorded in SJL but missing are twenty letters exchanged by TJ and Strode between 19 Sep. 1797 and 8 Oct. 1800.
On 17 June 1797, Gallatin laid a resolution on the table calling for the adjournment of Congress on Saturday, 24 June. Five days later the date was amended to the 28th and passed by the House by a 51 to 47 vote. On 27 June the Senate voted against the House’s proposed date. Congress did not adjourn until 10 July but TJ left Philadelphia the morning of the 6th, arriving at Monticello five days later. Upon his departure, William Bradford of Rhode Island was elected president pro tempore of the Senate (Annals, VII, 333, 358–9; , iii, 42–3, 56; , ii, 378, 386; , ii, 965–6).