1To James Madison from George Nicholas, 22 April 1785 (Madison Papers)
My brother informs me that he conversed with you on the propriety of remonstrating against certain measures of the last session of Assembly and that you seemed to think it would be best that the counties opposed to the measures should be silent. I fear this would be construed into an assent especially to the law for establishing a certain provision for the clergy: for as the Assembly only...
2To James Madison from George Nicholas, 7 July 1785 (Madison Papers)
I expected to have done myself the pleasure of calling on you from the last Orange court but was disappointed in going there. I received the remonstrance and had it copied for I found that any change in it must be for the worse. One hundred and fifty of our most respectable freeholders signed it in a day. I have sent copies to the counties that I mentioned in my last. I am with regard and...
3To James Madison from George Nicholas, 24 July 1785 (Madison Papers)
I am very unhappy to find by your letter which has just now come to hand that two of mine to you have miscarried. I found that no alterations could be made to the remonstrance* without injury and immediately had it copied and sent to the counties I mentioned in a former letter. One of my letters must certainly have reached you before this but for fear of accident shall desire my brother to...
4To James Madison from George Nicholas, 5 April 1788 (Madison Papers)
I consider the present moment as so important to America, that I shall take the liberty of communicating to you my sentiments, as to the conduct that her real freinds ought to pursue. The adoption of the new constitution (on which I conceive her salvation to depend) in this state, depends much on the conduct of the other states; from the list of members returned to the convention, I think a...
5To James Madison from George Nicholas, 9 May 1788 (Madison Papers)
I congratulate you on the decision of the Maryland convention. I am much alarmed by the accounts from Kentucky. Will you commit to paper the reasons that induce you to think that their navigation so far from being endangered, will probably be promoted by the adoption of the new government. Shewing that it is the policy of the different states to insist on it and that from their conduct in...
6To James Madison from George Nicholas, 2 January 1789 (Madison Papers)
It gives me pleasure to find by your letter of the 29th. of Decr. that you have returned home and intend to make your sentiments known to the inhabitants of your district. Justice to yourself and your country both require that this should be done and in an effectual manner. Every art has been used to prejudice the minds of the people against you. They are told, that you tricked this country...
7To James Madison from George Nicholas, [24 January] 1789 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 23d. has been just put into my hands. The accounts you give me of Culpeper are more flattering than I expected. Both Early and Strother will do every thing in their power. The first of them was detected in an absolute falsehood respecting you by Mr. Gordon in Richmond and that Gentn. had certificates with him to prove it when he was taken ill. Delicacy is out of the question...
8To James Madison from George Nicholas, 8 May 1789 (Madison Papers)
It was with great pleasure that I received the accounts of your election; this satisfaction has been made compleat by finding so great a majority of friends to the new Government in the list of members. Do not its enemies acknowledge this to be a sufficient evidence of the disposition and sentiments of the people at large? I am more fully satisfied every day that the opposition proceeded in a...
9To James Madison from George Nicholas, 29 June 1789 (Madison Papers)
Letter and enclosure not found. 29 June 1789. Calendared in the lists probably kept by Peter Force (DLC: Madison Miscellany). The two documents were offered for sale in the Stan. V. Henkels Catalogue No. 694 (1892), which listed items from the McGuire collection of JM’s papers.
10To James Madison from George Nicholas, 2 November 1789 (Madison Papers)
Your favor dated in July came safe to hand, I thank you for the communications contained [in] it. I shall not trouble you with any remarks on any of the subjects as my observations will be of no use but will confine my self to the giving you such information respecting this district as may enable you to form a proper judgment of her situation; and as I shall never write any thing to you the...
11To James Madison from George Nicholas, 3 May 1790 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 27th. of Feby. is now before me. The last act of the Virginia assembly on the subject of a seperation seems to have given general satisfaction. The opposition to that measure still continues but as far as I can hear the bulk of the people are in favor of it. Spain takes great pains to seduce our people to remove to their country. I have myself seen letters from the Governor...
12To James Madison from George Nicholas, 31 December 1790 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 13th. of July would have been acknowledged before this if I had known certainly how to direct to you during the recess of Congress. All the real friends of the Union and the General Government must have been very much hurt by the proceedings of your last session. The Assumption of the State debts was I think unjust and also exceeded your powers; but I do not dislike the...
13To James Madison from George Nicholas, 20 June 1791 (Madison Papers)
I have delayed answering your favor by Mr Brown until this time that I might have an opportunity of informing you of the success of our volunteer expedition against the Indians. On the 23d. of May in the evening Genl. Scott moved from the N. W. side of the Ohio with about eight hundred mounted volunteers. On the first of June in the afternoon he entered the Indian town. He was discovered that...
14To James Madison from George Nicholas, 16 September 1791 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Brown left us so lately that nothing has occurred here worthy your notice since his departure: all that happened before he will communicate. Genl. St. Clair has called for a body of militia to aid him in his grand operations; the men have been ordered out by the County Lieutenant but I very much fear they will not go. The General Government have neglected to pass a militia law, and I very...
15To James Madison from George Nicholas, 1 February 1792 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 24th. of Novr. I have received, but the one which it mentions as having been sent from Orange has miscarried. If Congress have the exclusive right by the constitution of passing military laws; their not having exercised that right cannot give a power to the State legislatures to pass laws on that Subject or give efficacy to their old laws. The adoption of those laws by...
16To James Madison from George Nicholas, 2 May 1792 (Madison Papers)
Your favour by your brother was delivered to me by him in March, the business of the court and the convention have prevented me from thanking you for it sooner. We have formed our government which I believe you will think is not the worst in the union. It’s total disregard of property qualifications in the electors and those to be elected will not meet with your approbation. The most serious...
17To James Madison from George Nicholas, 5 September 1792 (Madison Papers)
I wish truth would permit me to say that our expectations from our new government have been realized. The fact is that there seems to be a foundation laid here for a great degree of unhappiness. This is in part owing to the constitution, in part to the uncommon mixture of extraordinary character which we have amongst us. The constitution is I think defective and bad consequences have already...
18To James Madison from George Nicholas, 15 November 1793 (Madison Papers)
I thank you for your friendly letters dated in March and August last. We have been in a great state of anxiety on account of the French, but our fears begin to subside and give way to our hopes for their success. Their cause is so good and their conduct in the general so great that we are naturally inclined to overlook their imprudencies. It is more than probable that many things which appear...
19To James Madison from George Nicholas, 9 February 1794 (Madison Papers)
I thank you for your friendly and interesting communications of the 15th of Decr. The situation of America has become very critical and interesting. The part which Congress ought to act is consequently difficult and attendend [ sic ] with many dangers. But I apprehend that there is more danger from their not following the dictates of their judgment, than of their not being able to discern the...
20To James Madison from George Nicholas, 29 November 1794 (Madison Papers)
I am indebted to you for your two last agreeable and friendly favors; the acknowledgment of that debt would not have been so long postponed, if [it] had not been from an expectation of collecting some thing worthy your attention. But after waiting some months I find the present moment as barren of important intelligence as any preceeding one. Our campaign has ended, and altho no calamity has...
21To James Madison from George Nicholas, 6 November 1795 (Madison Papers)
Since my last to you I have been favored with one or two of your friendly letters, for which I am much obliged to you. The want of such matter as I suppose would be agreeable to you, is the only cause of my not writing oftener: for it is very much my wish, to receive your part of the correspondence, as often as I can. Our western and local politicks, have all been swallowed up by Jay’s treaty:...