Thomas Jefferson Papers
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From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 10 September 1802

To James Madison

Monticello Sep. 10. 1802.

Dear Sir

Yours by yesterday’s post is recieved. the letter to Higginson & others is entirely approved, and is sealed & forwarded to mr Brent. the Consulate at Nantes must be disposed of according to our former arrangement. I do not know whether the mr Lynch recommended is the one who was living at Nantes when I was in France, or his son. of that one there is something not favourable resting in my mind, altho’ I cannot recollect the particulars. but Patterson’s claims are certainly superior.—I recd. from mr Brent extracts from the letters of Chancr. Livingston & Sumpter concerning the resignation of the latter. I presume he does not wait for a formal permission. but suppose it had better be sent. I inclose you a commission of bankruptcy for your signature. it is to correct an error of having given a former one to a person of the same surname, for which this is now substituted. mr Brent reminds me of a parcel of blanks he sent for signature. I remember signing them, & sending them either to yourself or him.

We shall be very happy to see yourself, family, & Dr. & mrs Thornton here. the Govr. is up at present; goes down on Thursday (16th.) and returns on Tuesday (21st.) when you get to the forks of the road at Will Becks’s, the other side of Milton, a turn of the road forces you to the river at Milton, & when there it is better to cross there & come round along the public road on this side the river, my private one being hardly wide enough & safe for a carriage, altho’ my waggons & carts do pass it. this adds a couple of miles to the length of the journey. with my best respects to the ladies accept assurances of my constant & affectionate friendship.

Th: Jefferson

P.S. I notify1 the offices at Washington that the post which leaves that place on the 24th. inst. is the last by which any thing should be forwarded to me here.

RC (DLC: Madison Papers); at foot of text: “The Secretary of State.” PrC (DLC). Enclosure: Commission for Joseph Story, not found (see Daniel Brent to TJ, 7 Sep.).

YOURS BY YESTERDAY’S POST: Madison to TJ, [on or before 9 Sep. 1802].

For appeals to TJ to appoint Simon LYNCH to the position at Nantes, see Vol. 37:526–7, 538, 539.

Daniel Brent had sent TJ EXTRACTS of two letters addressed to Madison, one from Robert R. Livingston on 12 May and one from Thomas Sumter, Jr., on 18 May. As Brent explained to Madison on 7 Sep.: “I fear that you will be a good deal puzzled in the reading of the press Copies of Mr Livingstons letters, from their faintness. I forward an extract to the President from that part of one of them which relates to Mr Sumpter, and an entire Copy of Mr Sumpter’s own letter, herewith sent to you” (Madison, Papers, Sec. of State Ser. description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, J. C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, Chicago and Charlottesville, 1962–, 33 vols. Sec. of State Ser., 1986–, 9 vols.; Pres. Ser., 1984–, 6 vols.; Ret. Ser., 2009–, 1 vol. description ends , 3:555, 556n; TJ to Madison, 6 Aug.; Madison to TJ, 11 Aug., Enclosure No. 4).

MR BRENT REMINDS ME: see TJ to Brent, 10 Sep.

THE GOVR.: James Monroe.

WILL BECKS’S: William Beck appeared in TJ’s financial records for providing a variety of goods and services beginning in 1768 (MB description begins James A. Bear, Jr., and Lucia C. Stanton, eds., Jefferson’s Memorandum Books: Accounts, with Legal Records and Miscellany, 1767–1826, Princeton, 1997, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Second Series description ends , 1:30n, 70, 145, 150–1, 201, 292, 293, 378, 515, 532; 2:1005, 1049, 1050).

1TJ first wrote “I have notified” before altering the passage to read as above.

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