1To James Madison from William Lambert, 2 November 1789 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Reuben Burnley, having been for some time past, a Clerk in the Commissioners Office for stating the Accounts of Virginia against the United States, is desirous of continuing at the seat of the general Government after the business in which he is at present engaged, is completed, and to be employed in the Office of the Secretary of State, should Mr. Jefferson accept the appointment. As that...
2To Thomas Jefferson from William Lambert, 17 April 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Philadelphia, 17 Apr. 1792 . John Roney, a former lieutenant in the Virginia line of the Continental Army, and Michael Ford, who was trained in a merchant’s counting house and writes a very good hand, both clerks to the Commissioner of Loans for Virginia who were formerly in the office of the Commissioner of Accounts for that state, regard their employment as precarious and wish to obtain...
3To Thomas Jefferson from William Lambert, 8 June 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
The many instances of politeness and indulgence I received from you, during my continuance in your office, demand my sincere acknowledgments. There are some of them, in particular, which conferred the highest obligations, and will ever be remembered with sentiments of gratitude and respect. I have reason to suppose, that the arrangements which will probably be made in the office of the Clerk...
4To Thomas Jefferson from William Lambert, 23 May 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor to enclose a letter to me from Mr. Beckley , which, as it fully explains the motive of my coming to this place, will probably have more weight than any thing I could say for myself, should a vacancy happen in any of the Executive departments which I might be thought competent to fill without interfering with the pretensions of others who may have a better claim than myself....
5To Thomas Jefferson from William Lambert, 15 December 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor to transmit to you some calculations I have lately made for determining the longitude and latitude of a place near the President’s house in this city, and have endeavored not only to render the work as accurate as I could from the elements assumed, but also to make it so plain that any person acquainted with the principles of astronomy cannot fail to understand it.—If you...
6To Thomas Jefferson from William Lambert, 26 December 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honor to receive this morning, with the high respect it deserves, your very friendly and polite communication of the 22d. instant. Since I submitted to you the result of my calculations, I have ascertained with a degree of precision which may be confidently relied on, the latitude of the place of observation, which I find to be 38:° 53.′ 30.9″, or in whole numbers 38.° 53.′ 31″, from...
7To Thomas Jefferson from William Lambert, 14 January 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
I beg leave again to submit to your inspection, some calculations for ascertaining the latitude and longitude of the Capitol in this place, according to methods which have been suggested by yourself . It is my intention to have a number of copies printed at my own expense, by Mr: Samuel H. Smith; but I shall not commit myself so far, until I obtain the opinion of a competent judge of the...
8To Thomas Jefferson from William Lambert, 31 July 1805 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed copies of calculations relative to the latitude and longitude of the Capitol in this city, are offered to your acceptance. If the liberty I have taken of dedicating the work to you, without asking your permission, be considered presumptuous or improper, I beg that the high estimation in which your talents and character are justly held, may be received as my apology. This edition...
9To James Madison from William Lambert, 23 December 1805 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ From William Lambert. 23 December 1805, Washington. “Being now out of the service of the House of Representatives, and desirous of being employed in such a manner as that I may be useful to the public, allow me, Sir, to enquire whether I may be considered as an applicant for a station in your department, that I may be deemed competent to fill with propriety, whenever a vacancy occurs,...
10To Thomas Jefferson from William Lambert, 21 March 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Having constructed a table on the same principles with the inclosed, to every quarter of an hour between 0 and 12 hours, for bishop Madison, of Virginia, I request your permission to present this to you, extended to a less interval, and accompanied with a rule to reduce even that interval to one minute of time:—the odd seconds may be found by simple proportion. If it is favorably received by...
11To Thomas Jefferson from William Lambert, 27 March 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
I should be wanting in the respect due to your Character, if I did not reply to your polite note of the 25th. instant; and in doing so, permit me to express the genuine dictates of my heart, unalloyed with the base mixture of sycophancy or adulation. The hint you have given of “ returning to studies after which you are panting ”, is well understood, and allow me to add, regarded with sincere...
12To James Madison from William Lambert, 2 April 1806 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ From William Lambert. 2 April 1806, Washington. “I inclose a copy of a circular letter, addressed without distinction of party, to all the members of both Houses of Congress, and also to the President of the United States. I find myself compelled, from the treatment I have received, to take a step of this kind, and the respect I have for your person and character, induces me to make the...
13To Thomas Jefferson from William Lambert, 2 April 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Some days since, I had the honor to transmit to you a table for computing the Moon’s longitude, latitude, &c. at any intermediate time between 0 and 12 hours, which may be called Table I; and I now beg leave to request your acceptance of the inclosed table for ascertaining the Moon’s hourly motion or velocity, as Table II, connected with, and essential in practice, to the former. I have never...
14To Thomas Jefferson from William Lambert, 20 June 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Having, with the assistance of some respectable inhabitants of this city, made some observations relating to the Solar Eclipse of the 16th. instant, I have the honor to transmit the result found by computation from the data we have been able to obtain, as follows:— Latitude of the place of observation on the Church hill, in view of the Capitol, (assumed) 37°.38’.30"N. Longitude from Greenwich,...
15To James Madison from William Lambert, 7 January 1809 (Madison Papers)
As it is now ascertained beyond a doubt, that you have been elected President of the United States for the term commencing the fourth of March next, permit me, among others, to congratulate you on the event. From present appearances, your progress will be attended with difficulties and crowded with thorns, which your wisdom and firmness must remove for the benefit of your country. I need pay...
16To Thomas Jefferson from William Lambert, 7 January 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
Among the numerous visitors who assembled at the President’s house to congratulate you on the commencement of a new year,— to eat your cake, and drink your wine, I did not make my appearance,—not because I had less veneration for your talents and character than any one of the company; but that I had good reason to suppose, a few of them, imitating the fashion of European courts, ventured to...
17William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 14 March 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
As you are now retired from the important and dignified station of Chief magistrate of the United States of America , the duties of which you have fulfilled with the deserved approbation of all well disposed and discerning citizens, permit me to congratulate you on the magninimity you have evinced, in thus voluntarily relinquishing the highest and most responsible office in the power of the...
18William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 13 June 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I received yesterday your friendly letter of the 28 th ult o in answer to a communication of mine, dated the 14 th of March ;—and with great pleasure accept the apology you have been pleased to make for a delay in its’ acknowledgment;—for as well as I now recollect its’ contents, (having kept no copy) it might have remained in the hands of one of our self important would-be great men , an age,...
19William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 23 July 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
In my last communication to you, I stated my intention of entering into astronomical calculations for the purpose of fixing a first meridian for the United States at the permanent seat of their government. It is, perhaps, to be regretted, that a dependence on Great Britain , for a spot of ground from which American navigators and geographers have been hitherto in the habit of estimating their...
20William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 4 September 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
Some time since, I addressed a letter to you on the subject of a first meridian for the United States at the permanent seat of their government, to be effected by ascertaining the longitude of the Capitol in this city from Greenwich observatory, in England , being the spot from which many, if not the whole of our mariners are in the habit of reckoning their departure. It is proper that the...
21William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 17 September 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I have received your esteemed favor of the 10 th inst t in answer to former letters of mine, and am much gratified by the approbation you have shewn of my undertaking to ascertain the difference of longitude of the Capitol in this city from Greenwich Observatory , with due precision, for on that circumstance will depend the establishment of a first meridian of our own, and also, the adapting...
22William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 19 September 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose a table which has been constructed with great care to every 3 minutes of intermediate time between 0 and 12 hours, for computing the Moon’s motion for 12 hours in longitude, latitude, &c. from which the true place may be easily obtained: it was intended to be as fair , as it is accurate , but some parts of it have been stained by accident, before it was finished. The second series...
23Enclosure: William Lambert’s Table for Computing the Moon’s Motion, with Examples [ca. 19 September 1809] (Jefferson Papers)
Table for computing the Moon’s motion for 12 hours at any intermediate time. h. m. ( x .) 1 st diff. ( y .) 1 st diff. (z.) 1 st diff. 0.
24William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 25 September 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
The last paragraph of your letter of the 10 th instant , respecting the conduct of a certain European nation to us, as well as to others with whom it has any commercial intercourse, plainly evinces Your strong, unbiassed attachment to the true interests of the country which gave you birth. It is much to be regretted, that too many natives of this favored land are pusillanimous and unprincipled...
25To James Madison from William Lambert, 5 December 1809 (Madison Papers)
As the inclosed letter to bishop Madison, contains the principles of an useful method, not generally practised, to promote the geography of the United States, permit me to request that you will be pleased to read it with some attention, before you transmit it to him under your frank. I take this opportunity of acknowledging with gratitude and respect, the favors I have already received from...
26William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 5 December 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I acknowledge with sincere gratitude and respect, the receipt of your obliging note , inclosing a vote of thanks from the American Philosophical Society for a table of the Moon’s motion, transmitted to you, some time since, as their President. Truly sensible of the instances of friendship with which you have been pleased to favor me, I shall endeavor to reciprocate, so far as I may have it in...
27William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 8 December 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor to transmit herewith, two astronomical tables; one for computing the Moon’s longitude, latitude, Etc. for every hour, and the other to find the Moon’s hourly velocity at any intermediate time between 0 and 12 hours, by which the motion for a given number of minutes and seconds between the hours, may be accurately obtained. The table which I formerly presented to you, was...
28To James Madison from William Lambert, 19 February 1810 (Madison Papers)
I have the honor to inclose for your perusal, the last letter I have received from bishop Madison, by which you will perceive the strong interest that truly valuable man takes in the object and completion of my undertaking to fix a first meridian for the U. S. Other communications having a similar tendency, are now before the Select Committee of Congress to whom my papers have been referred....
29William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 19 April 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose two copies of the report of a select commit tee of Congress , and of several papers relating to the establishment of a first meridian for the United States , one for your own use, the other for the American philosophical Society at Philadelphia , of which you a re President. Several errors and omissions have been corrected with the pen, which may be avoided, should another edition be...
30William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 19 May 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you some time ago , and transmitted a printed copy of the report of a select committee of Congress on my papers relating to the establishment of a first meridian for the United States , intended for your own use. The late period of the Session at which this report was made, was the cause (perhaps the only one) of postponing a decision until the next meeting of the national...