To James Madison from Horatio Gates Spafford, 8 April 1824

From Horatio Gates Spafford

Troy, N.Y., 4 Mo. 8, 1824.

Respected Friend,

As I once spoke or wrote to thee concerning a Gazetteer & Geography of the State of Virginia,1 I am anxious to have thee see my Gaz. & Geog. of New York,2 just published. It is a 3 dollar volume, octavo, 620 pages, & I wait thy instructions how to send it. When thou hast examined it, I should very much like to know thy opinion of it, particularly as to the freedom I have used in speaking of many matters besides mere Topography. My object has been a manly frankness, such as I think becomes a Republican, aiming only at truth.

I am soon to engage in a History of our Canals, for which I have collected the materials. Very respectfully, thy friend,

Horatio Gates Spafford.

RC (DLC). Docketed by JM.

1. See Spafford to JM, 15 Mar. and 11 June 1822, PJM-RS description begins David B. Mattern et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison: Retirement Series (3 vols. to date; Charlottesville, Va., 2009–). description ends , 2:496, 533–34.

2. For Spafford’s gazetteer, see Spafford to JM, 15 Mar. 1822, ibid., 496 n. 1.

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Source Project: Madison Papers
Title: To James Madison from Horatio Gates Spafford, 8 April 1824
Author: Spafford, Horatio Gates
Recipient: Madison, James
Date: 8 April 1824

Reference

Cite as: “To James Madison from Horatio Gates Spafford, 8 April 1824,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/04-03-02-0281. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, Retirement Series, vol. 3, 1 March 1823 – 24 February 1826, ed. David B. Mattern, J. C. A. Stagg, Mary Parke Johnson, and Katherine E. Harbury. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2016, p. 259.]

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