51To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 7 January 1824 (Madison Papers)
I send you two letters of Dr. Cooper for perusal. Altho’ the trustees of that College and the Legislature have supported him most triumphantly against his clerical persecutors, yet it is evident he does not feel himself secure. I think you will see from these letters that he keeps us in his eye. And altho’ I doubt, were he now offered a place here, whether he would think he could accept it...
52To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 9 April 1824 (Madison Papers)
Circular Notwithstanding the reduction which was made in the rents proposed, it appears that that on the salaries will so much enlarge our surplus, that we may very safely engage 8. professors, and still have a surplus this year of 6000. D. and annually after of 5024 D. The opportunity of procuring the anatomical professor is so advantageous, that I propose to make the provisional instruction...
53To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 16 May 1824 (Madison Papers)
You will see by the inclosed letter from mr. Cabell that a project is in agitation respecting Wm. & Mary Coll. which gives him much alarm. I communicate to you the letter as he requests, and with it my answer, as shewing the point in which I view it. I will ask their return when read, that I may be enabled to lodge my answer in Richmd. before his arrival there. On the question of engaging a...
54To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 14 July 1824 (Madison Papers)
I have attentively read your letter to mr. Wheaton on the question whether at the date of the message to Congress, recommending the embargo of 1807 we had knolege of the order of council of Nov. 11. and according to your request I have resorted to my papers, as well as to my memory, for the testimony these might afford, additional to yours. There is no fact in the course of my life which I...
55To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 8 August 1824 (Madison Papers)
I recd yesterday a letter from mr. Gilmer which I now inclose, as also a former one, which had only communicated his arrival at Liverpool. I add also a letter from mr. Rush. So far his trust is going on well. I wish the suggestion of mr. Brougham respecting Ivory may be found groundless. There is no mathematician in Gr. Britain who can rival him but Woodhouse professor of Mathematics at...
56To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 3 September 1824 (Madison Papers)
I am near closing my catalogue, and it is important I should recieve the kindness of your Theological supplement, by the 1st. or 2d. mail, or it’s insertion will be impracticable. Be so good as to expedite it as much as possible. Affectionate salutations. RC ( DLC ).
57To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 September 1824 (Madison Papers)
I have got thro’ my catalogue except the Alphabet and send you the result. The inclosed table shews the number, size, and cost of the whole and it’s parts. 6860. vols will cost 24.076 D. or 3½ D. a vol. on an average of all sizes. If we get our 50. M D and also if 10.000 would do for apparatus, there would remain 16.000. to invest in stock. This would give us 1000 D. a year for ever which...
58To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 6 October 1824 (Madison Papers)
Within 6. hours after we had all dispersed yesterday to our several homes, the inclosed most unwelcome letter came to hand. I have never recieved a greater damper on my hopes and spirits. It is so contrary to the state of things as given us by Ticknor, a state which I cannot but still respect, because he had staid many months at each of those places. Gilmer says there are Professors who...
59To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 11 October 1824 (Madison Papers)
The reciept of the inclosed letter did not give me more pleasure than I feel in communicating it to you. It has dispelled the gloom which that from Edinbg. had produced, and gives me hopes that all will end well. With a good Professor of Modern languages assured, a good one of antt. languages in view, a prime Mathematician engaged, we want really nothing essential but an able Natl....
60To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 October 1824 (Madison Papers)
I wished to have communicated to you my letter to Gilmer before I sent it off. But the danger of it’s not getting there before his departure induced me to dispatch it by mail for the packet from N. York, as soon as written. My rough draught being illegible, I have taken time to make a legible copy, now inclosed for your perusal. I think there is nothing in it which does not accord with the...
61To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 1 November 1824 (Madison Papers)
I recieved yesterday from La Fayette a letter confirming his movements as stated in the Enquirer of Friday last. He says he will be here on Thursday next, and expresses his hope to meet you here. I presume you also have heard from him, but hope, at any rate, this will reach you in time to be with us on Wednesday. If mrs Madison will accompany you it will be the more welcome to us all. There is...
62To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 November 1824 (Madison Papers)
I would have accompanied the General to-day but for two reasons, I have not strength, and I should only have added to your embarrasmts. He leaves you Friday morning to partake of a dinner and ball at Fredsbg. on Saturday. The miss Wrights are detained here by the sickness of one of them. They go hence to the Natural bridge and return to Washington by Staunton, Winchester & Harper’s ferry. No...
63To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 20 November 1824 (Madison Papers)
Gilmer is arrived in N. York sick of a fever which he has had thro’ the whole voyage of 35. days and likely to remain there some time in the hands of the Doctors. He has engaged 5. Professors to wit George Long, Antient languages. George Blaetterman, Modern do. Thos. H. Key, Mathematics. Charles Bonnycastle (son of the Mathematician) Nat. Philos. Robley Dunglison Anatomy &c. This last wishes...
64To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 30 November 1824 (Madison Papers)
I detained the inclosed letters awhile to enable me to write my letter of informn. addnal. to our Report to the Governor, and then in expectation some of the Visitors might call on their way to the legislature and wish to read them. None have called however, and I now inclose them for your perusal. On the reciept of Gilmer’s letter of Sep. 15. from London which came to hand 3. days after those...
65To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 10 December 1824 (Madison Papers)
I send you the sequel of Gilmer’s letters recd. since my last to you. Torrey you will see does not accept. I had before recd. from the Secy. at War the inclosed letter to him from mr. Emmet the father recommending his son Doctr. John Patton Emmet, for Professor of Chemistry. Considering that branch as expected by Doctr. Dunglison I had given an answer that the place was filled. But learning...
66To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 26 December 1824 (Madison Papers)
I inclose you a long letter from mr. Cabell and a long answer from myself, not much worth reading, but that it is well you should know every thing. No letter from Gilmer since my last, but he is believed to be now in Richmond. Long and Blaettermann are here located in their pavilions as drawn by lot. The former is a fine young man and well qualified. The latter rather a rough looking German,...
67To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 23 January 1825 (Madison Papers)
I inclose you a letter from mr. Cabell and a copy of the bill I prepared and sent him as he requested. I send you also a letter from mr. Gilmer, by which he seems determd. not to undertake our professorship. What are we to do? I abhor the idea of a mere Gothic lawyer who has no idea beyond his Coke Littleton, who could not associate in conversation with his Colleagues, nor utter a single...
68To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 1 February 1825 (Madison Papers)
I concur with you in the favorable opinion of mr. Barber; and altho’ I should prefer Preston, as rather of a more academical cast, yet I could readily give a first vote to Barber. His reputn. in Congress would be of service. In most public seminaries a text-book is prescribed to the several schools as the Norma docendi in them; and this is frequently done by the Trustees. I should not propose...
69To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 12 February 1825 (Madison Papers)
I concur with entire satisfaction in your amendment of my resolution, and am peculiarly pleased with your insertion of Genl Wash’ns addresses, which had not occurred to me or I should have referred to them also. I send you another letter of mr. Cabell’s which I think you will read with pleasure. Affectionate salutations. RC ( DLC : Rives Collection, Madison Papers); draft ( DLC : Jefferson...
70To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 February 1825 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Cabell’s last letter to me, of Feb. 11. says that if the Professors do not arrive before the assembly rises, they (the Visitors there) shall disperse and a regular call will be necessary; but if they arrive, he and mr. Loyall will come up, from that place, by way of New Canton, and probably in Friday’s stage. Should the former be the case, I should propose, if you approve of it, that as...
71To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 22 February 1825 (Madison Papers)
Our Colleagues on the legislature have called a meeting of the Visitors for the 4th. of March. I presume they have notified you of it by mail, but lest they should not have done so I have thot it safe to inform you. Our newly arrived Professors will come up in the stage of the day after tomorrow. Mr. Cabell writes me that they were much pleased with them in Richmd. We are much so with the two...
72To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 10 March 1825 (Madison Papers)
Considering Chr. Tucker’s acceptance as absolutely desperate, the reasons he assigned being of an immovable character, and the hopeless state in which we should be if Barber also declined I took advge. of his being at our court to ask him to call on me. He did so. I entered with him on the subject of his undertaking our chair of Law. He stiffly maintained at first the preference of his present...
73To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 22 March 1825 (Madison Papers)
George Tucker accepts, as you know, and will be in place early in April. Emmet accepts and will be here about the same time. Henry St. George Tucker declines, expressly on the grounds of the local attachments of his family, with abundance of thanks Etc. to the Visitors; Barbour throws a greedy grapple at both places. I inclose you his letter and my answer. I have still some hope that when he...
74To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 29 March 1825 (Madison Papers)
Not knowing whether you may have obtained mr. Barber’s acceptance in the visit you proposed, I have thought of a proposition which it has been suggested to me would reconcile him to our offer. If therefore he has not accepted that of joining us at the end of his first circuit, and you would approve of giving him a year on his assurance that he will then accept, be so good as to forward him the...
75To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 April 1825 (Madison Papers)
I have received a proposition from Mr. Perry the owner of the lands which separate the two tracts of the University which I think of so much importance to that institution as to communicate to the visiters by letter in their separate situations. The University tract of 100 acres is ¾ of a mile distant from that of the Observatory of 153 acres. The water which supplies the cisterns of the...
76To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 13 May 1825 (Madison Papers)
Every offer of our Law chair has been declined, and a late renewal of pressure on Mr. Gilmer has proved him inflexibly decided against undertaking it. What are we to do? The clamor is high for some appointment, we are informed too of many students who do not come because that school is not opened, and some now with us think of leaving us for the same reason. You may remember that among those...
77To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 4 August 1825 (Madison Papers)
Circular Chancellor Tucker, Mr Barbour, Judge Carr, as you know had declined accepting the law chair of the University, and yesterday I received a letter from Judge Dade finally declining also; Mr Gilmer, our first choice had declined on account of his health, very much deranged by his voyage to Europe. That is now in a great degree reestablished, and he is willing to accept. What shall we do?...
78To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 10 September 1825 (Madison Papers)
Circular The state of my health renders it perfectly certain that I shall not be able to attend the next meeting of visitors (Oct. 3) at the University. Yet I think there is no one but myself to whom the matters to be acted on are sufficiently known for communication to them. This adds a reason the more for inducing the members to meet at Monticello the day before, which has been heretofore...
79To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 18 October 1825 (Madison Papers)
Every thing is going on smoothly at the University. The Students are attending their schools more assiduously, and looking to their Professors with more respect. The authority of the latter is visibly strengthened, as is the confidence of those who visit the place, and the effect, on the whole, has been visibly salutary. The Professors are all lecturing, the two Cantabs however somewhat in the...
80To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 December 1825 (Madison Papers)
I have for some time considered the question of Internal improvemt as desparate. The torrent of general opinion sets so strongly in favor of it as to be irresistable. And I suppose that even the opposition in Congress will hereafter be merely formal, unless something can be done which may give a gleam of encoragement to our friends, or alarm their opponents in their fancied security. I learn...