31To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 16 September 1821 (Madison Papers)
I have no doubt you have occasionally been led to reflect on the character of the duty imposed by Congress on the importation of books. Some few years ago, when the tariff was before Congress, I engaged some of our members of Congress to endeavor to get the duty repealed, and wrote on the subject to some other acquaintances in Congress, and pressingly to the Secretary of the treasury. The...
32To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 30 September 1821 (Madison Papers)
Mr Brockenbrough has been closely engaged, since our last meeting in settling the cost of the buildings finished at the University, that we might obtain a more correct view of the state of our funds, and see whether a competency will remain for the Library. He has settled for 6. pavilions, 1. hotel, and 35. dormitories and will proceed with the rest; so that I hope, by our next meeting, the...
33To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 30 October 1821 (Madison Papers)
I heard in Bedford that you were attaked with the prevailing fever, and with great joy on my return that you were recovered from it. In the strange state of the health of our country every fever gives alarm. I got home from Bedford on the 27th. and am obliged to return there within 3. or 4. days, having an appointment at the Natural bridge on the 11th. prox. As our proposed petition to...
34To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 25 February 1822 (Madison Papers)
I have no doubt you have recieved, as I have done, a letter from Dr. Morse with a printed pamphlet, proposing to us a place in a self constituted society for the civilisation of the Indians &c. I am anxious to know your thoughts on the subject because they would affect my confidence in my own. I disapprove the proposition altogether. I acknolege the right of voluntary associations for laudable...
35To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 7 April 1822 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of Mar. 29. did not come to hand until the 4th. instant. Only mr. Cabell, Genl. Cocke and myself attended. Messrs. Johnson and Taylor were retained in Richmond on Lithgow’s case, and Genl. Breckenridge hindered by business. It was not material as there was not a single thing requisite to act on. We have to finish the 4. rows and appendages this summer which will be done and then to...
36To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 12 May 1822 (Madison Papers)
I thank you for the communication of mr. Rush’s letter which I now return. Mr. Bentham’s character of Alexander is I believe just and that worse traits might still be added to it equally just. He is now certainly become the watchman of tyranny for Europe, as dear to it’s oppressors as detestable to the oppressed. If however he should engage in war with the Turks, as I expect, his employment...
37To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 22 November 1822 (Madison Papers)
The person who hands you this letter is an interesting subject of curiosity. He was taken prisoner by the Kickapoos when he supposes he must have been about 3. or 4. years of age, knows not whence taken nor who were his parents. He escaped from the Indians at about 19. as he supposes, & about 7. years ago. He has applied himself to education, is a student of Medecine, & has assumed the name of...
38To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 6 January 1823 (Madison Papers)
I send you a mass of reading, and so rapidly does my hand fail me in writing that I can give but very briefly the necessary explanations. You will observe that mr. Cabell, if the loan bill should pass, proposes to come up with mr. Loyall, probably mr. Johnson, and Genl. Cocke to have a special meeting. This is necessary to engage our workmen before they undertake other work for the ensuing...
39To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 16 February 1823 (Madison Papers)
You already know that the legislature has authorised the literary board to lend us another 60.000 D. It is necessary we should act on this immediately so far as to accept the loan, that we may engage our workmen before they enter into other undertakings for the season. But the badness of the roads, the uncertainty of the weather and the personal inconvenience of a journey to the members of our...
40To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 February 1823 (Madison Papers)
I have read mr. Cox’s letters and some of his papers, which I now return you. It is impossible for me to write to him. With two crippled hands I abandon writing but from the most urgent necessities; and above all things I should not meddle in a Presidential election, nor even express a sentiment on the subject of the Candidates. As you propose to write to him, will you be so good as to add a...
41To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 12 March 1823 (Madison Papers)
Having received from all our brethren approbations of the loan, I authorised Mr Brockenbrough to engage the work of the Rotunda and have it commenced immediately. We had only two bricklayers and two carpenters capable of executing it with solidity and correctness, these had not capital sufficient for so great an undertaking, nor would they have risked their little all but for a great advance...
42To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 14 March 1823 (Madison Papers)
The inclosed lre. in Gr. Lat. Fr. and Eng. with it’s accompaniments being intended for your inspection as much as mine, is now forwarded for your perusal. You will be so good as to reinclose them that I may return them to the writer. The answer I propose to give is, what I have given on all similar applications, that until the debt of the University is discharged, and it’s funds liberated, the...
43To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 March 1823 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Dodge, our Consul at Marseilles, wishing to pay his respects to you on his way to Richmd. and apprehending that altho presented to you some half dozen years ago, you may not now recollect him, requests me to give him a line of re-introduction. You will find him a person of very general information and good sense, and particularly familiar with the affairs of Southern Europe. We shall hope...
44To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 30 April 1823 (Madison Papers)
The anxieties expressed in the inclosed letter are pointed to 3. articles. 1. the size of the lecturing rooms. 2. depositories for the Apparatuses. 3. the arrangement of the seats for the Students. 1. If we could have foretold what number of students would come to our University, and what proportion of them would be in attendance on any one Professor at one time, lecturing rooms might have...
45To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 13 June 1823 (Madison Papers)
I communicated to you a former part of a correspondence between Judge Johnson of Charleston and myself, chiefly on the practice of caucusing opinions which is that of the supreme court of the US. but on some other matters also, particularly his history of parties. In a late letter he asks me to give him my idea of the precise principles & views of the Republicans in their oppositions to the...
46To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 30 August 1823 (Madison Papers)
I recieved the inclosed letters from the President with a request that after perusal, I would forward them to you, for perusal by yourself also and to be returned then to him. You have doubtless seen Timothy Pickering’s 4th. of July Observations on the Declaration of Independance. If his principles and prejudices personal and political, gave us no reason to doubt whether he had truly quoted...
47To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 18 October 1823 (Madison Papers)
I return you mr. Coxe’s letter which has cost me much time at two or three different attempts to decypher it. Had I such a correspondent I should certainly admonish him that if he would not so far respect my time as to write to me legibly, I should so far respect it myself as not to waste it in decomposing and recomposing his hieroglyphics. The jarrings between the friends of Hamilton and...
48To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 October 1823 (Madison Papers)
I forward you two most important letters sent to me by the President and add his letter to me by which you will percieve his primâ facie views. This you will be so good as to return to me, and forward the others to him. I have recieved Trumbull’s print of the Decln. of Independance, & turning to his letter am able to inform you more certainly than I could by memory that the print costs 20. D....
49To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 6 November 1823 (Madison Papers)
The belief is so universal that the ensuing legislature will dispose in some way of the University debt, & liberate our funds, as that we ought to save what time we can by provisional preparations. We have all, I believe, agreed that an Agent to Gr. Britain will be necessary to procure Professors; & I have heretofore mentioned to you that mr. Cabell was disposed to undertake the business. But...
50To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 November 1823 (Madison Papers)
I return your letter to the President, and that of mr. Rush to you, with thanks for the communication. The matters which mr. Rush states as under consideration with the British government are very interesting. But that about the navigation of the St. Laurence and the Missisipi, I would rather they would let alone. The navigation of the former, since the N.Y. canal, is of too little interest to...
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...