Thomas Jefferson Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-01-02-0492

Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 25 October 1809

To James Madison

Eppington Oct. 25. 09

Dear Sir

I recieved at Richmond your favor covering a check on the bank of Norfolk for 743. Doll. 15. cents the balance in full of our accounts. I have learnt from P. Carr that under an idea that Rodney was about to resign, & on a desire expressed by mr R. Smith to him or some other person that Wirt should be sounded, it had been found that he would accept. I do not know whether it was communicated to me in expectation that I should write it to you, or whether it may have communicated to you more directly.

Altho’ I repel all applications generally to recommend candidates for office yet there may be occasions where information of my own knolege of them may be useful & acceptable, & others where particular delicacies of situation may constrain me to say something. of the latter description is the application of John Monroe (cousin of the Colonel) who in expectation that the Governor of Illinois means to resign, has sollicited my saying to you he would accept that office. I had formerly appointed him Atty of the West district of Virginia. he resided at Staunton & there lost the respect of many by some irregularities which his subsequent marriage has probably put an end to. his talents I believe are respectable, without being prominent: but I really believe you know as much of him as I do, having seen him my self once or twice only, & then for short intervals. particular circumstances oblige me to mention him, without feeling a single wish on the subject, other than that it should be given to the fittest subject, which you will do of your own motion. ever affectionately yours

Th: Jefferson

RC (DLC: Madison Papers); at foot of text: “The President of the US.” SC (DLC); endorsed by TJ.

Madison’s favor of 13 Oct. 1809, not found, is recorded in SJL as received in Richmond from Washington on 20 Oct. 1809. Caesar rodney continued to serve as attorney general until his resignation in December 1811 after being passed over for a Supreme Court judgeship (ANB description begins John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes, eds., American National Biography, 1999, 24 vols. description ends ). john monroe had asked that TJ recommend him for the governorship of Indiana. TJ’s conflation of the governorships of the Indiana and illinois territories probably resulted from the newness of Illinois, formed out of the western part of Indiana Territory by a congressional act of 3 Feb. 1809 (U.S. Statutes at Large description begins Richard Peters, ed., The Public Statutes at Large of the United States . . . 1789 to March 3, 1845, 1855–56, 8 vols. description ends , 2:514–6).

Index Entries

  • Bank of Norfolk search
  • Carr, Peter (TJ’s nephew); on Supreme Court judgeship search
  • Eppington (Eppes’s Chesterfield Co. estate); TJ visits search
  • Illinois Territory; appointments in search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; letters of application and recommendation from search
  • Madison, James; letters from accounted for search
  • Madison, James; letters to search
  • Monroe, John; seeks TJ’s recommendation search
  • Norfolk, Bank of search
  • patronage; letters of application and recommendation from TJ search
  • Rodney, Caesar Augustus; rumor of resignation search
  • Smith, Robert; secretary of state search
  • Wirt, William; recommended as attorney general search