31To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 29 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned letter, in Randolph’s hand. Besides being so badly water(?)-stained that portions of the brief text have disappeared, the paper is torn unevenly across the lower edge. Although the message ends abruptly, it apparently is complete, because the margin at the bottom is sufficiently wide and free from stain to show additional words if Randolph had written them....
32From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 2 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Docketed, “James Madison. 2d July 1782.” The cover is missing. The italicized words are those that JM wrote in the official cipher. The confidential & circumstancial communications in your favor of the 20th. of June have afforded me much pleasure. Those which relate to the scheme of garbleing the delegatetion were far from surprizing me. In...
33To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 5 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned letter in Randolph’s hand. Addressed to “The honble James Madison jr. of congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “July 5th. 1782.” If before the receipt of your favor of the 25th. Ulto. I could have doubted concerning the policy of the act against British merchandize, the artifices of the enemy and the parricidal villainies of some of the citizens of...
34From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 9 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned letter in JM’s hand. The cover is missing. Docketed by Randolph with his own name only. The italicized words are those written by JM in the official cipher. Late in his life JM or someone by his direction bracketed the first and third paragraphs of this letter, thus designating them for inclusion in the first edition of his papers ( Madison, Papers [Gilpin...
35From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 16 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Docketed by Randolph, “July 16. 1782.” The cover is missing. What may have been a brief complimentary close and signature are too faded to be legible. The italicized words are those written by JM in cipher, except in the one instance mentioned in n. 10. For the passage which he encoded in the Lovell rather than the official cipher, see n. 27. Many years after writing...
36To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 18 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Undocketed and cover missing. In my letter of the last week but one, I anticipated the cause of my failure to write by saturday’s post. The trial of the flag-ship, whose defence I undertook, added to the debt, due from me to my connections by friendship and blood, detained me in Williamsburg until the afternoon of that day. The ship...
37From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 23 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). The letter lacks a complimentary close and signature. Words italicized in the next to last paragraph of the letter were written by JM in the Lovell cipher. The cover is franked by “J. Madison Jr.” and addressed by him to “The honble Edmund Randolph Esqr Richmond.” For a time the cover was used as a wrapper for a number of letters, because it is docketed by Randolph,...
38From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 30 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Docketed by Randolph, “July 30. 1782.” Cover missing. The italicized words are those written by JM in the Lovell cipher. I was not mistaken in my intimation that an attack would be made on the last commission and instructions relative to peace [.] on Wednesday last the motion was made by M—r Lee and seconded by
39From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 5–6 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Docketed by Randolph, “Js. Madison Aug 5–6. 1782 contains Lovell’s cypher.” Words italicized in the first paragraph were written in James Lovell’s cipher, those following “Augst. 6th.” in the official cipher. For the use of these codes, see Papers of Madison William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al ., eds., The Papers of James Madison (5 vols. to date;...
40To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 6 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover missing. Unsigned. Docketed by JM, “Aug. 6. 1782.” I should be ashamed now to acknowledge your three favors of the 9th., 16th. and 23d. Ulto., did I not hold myself excused for having omitted this act of gratitude by the inflexible and severe toils of my profession. On Tuesday the 23d. of July I left home for Wmsburg., where from the morning of the friday...
41From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 9 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover franked by “J. Madison Jr.” and addressed by him to “The honble Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond by Express.” Docketed by Randolph, “1782, Aug. 9.” Extract of a letter from Carlton & Digby to Gen Washington. Augt. 2. “We are acquainted Sir by Authority, that negociations for a general peace have already commenced at Paris & that Mr. Grenville is invested with...
42From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 13 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). JM addressed the cover, “The honble Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” The docket, in Randolph’s hand, reads “J. Madison Jr April 13. 1782.” Except where otherwise noted, words italicized in the letter were written by JM in the official cipher. Subsequent to his recovery of the letter in 1821, JM lined through “April 13” with ink and beneath it wrote “August 13.”...
43To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 16 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). In Randolph’s hand but lacks signature, cover, and docket. The words in italics are those encoded by Randolph in the official cipher. Your favor of the 5th instant remained impenetrable in a great measure, from our misapprehension of the new cypher. I wish that the stimulus, administered in the close of it, had also been among the inscrutable arcana, until I had...
44From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 20 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover missing but contents make clear that the addressee was Randolph. Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison jr. Aug. 20. 1782.” In the first two paragraphs the italicized words are those encoded by JM in the official cipher; in the third paragraph, the Lovell cipher. On JM’s roster of letters written to Randolph ( JM to Randolph, 13 August...
45To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 24 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Undocketed. Cover missing. I fear much from the insidious views of the enemy in the overtures of peace, communicated in your favors of the 12th and 13th. instant: both of which came to hand on the same day. Most people here flatter themselves with the hope of an immediate peace. To me it does not seem to be hastened an iota by the...
46From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 27 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. The cover is franked “J Madison Jr.” and addressed by him to “The honble Edmund Randolph Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison jr. Aug: 27, 1782.” Unless otherwise noted, the italicized words are those encoded by JM in the official cipher. Your favor of the 16th. came duly to hand yesterday. The hints which it gives with regard to...
47To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 30 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Cover addressed by him to “The honble James Madison jr. esq of congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “Aug: 30. 1782.” I am rejoiced to hear from Mr. F. Webb, that a succour, altho’ it is moderate, is to be forwarded by Mr. Ambler by the present mail. He can best tell you, how the prospect is of future puncituality towards the...
48From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 3 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). In JM’s hand. Cover missing. Letter is unsigned. Docketed by Randolph, “Sepr. 3. 1782.” He evidently showed the letter to the Reverend James Madison, who wrote above the docket, “Septr. 22. 1782 JMadison,” possibly the date when the clergyman received the letter. Apparently upon recovering the letter, Randolph crossed out the “22” and wrote “3” above it. The...
49To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 7 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Lacks complimentary close and signature, but the text, in Randolph’s hand, seems to be complete. The cover was addressed by him to “The honble. James Madison jr. esq of congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “Sepr. 7. 1782.” I waited upon Mr. Ambler to shew him your letter by yesterday’s post, but he was too much indisposed to have communication with any person. Mr....
50From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 10 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Addressed to “E. Randolph Esqr.” Cover missing. Docketed by Randolph, “James Madison. Septr. 10. 1782.” Except where otherwise noted, the italicized words were written by JM in the official cipher. The loss of the French 74 in Boston Harbour presented an occasion which was embraced by Congress, of making a small requital to their Ally for...
51From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 11 September, 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). On the cover JM wrote, “J. Madison Jr Sepr. 11. 1782” and “The Honbl Edmund Randolph Esqr. Virginia Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “James Madison Sepr. 11. 1782.” Randolph used one flap of the cover to make notes about the evidence presented at the trial of “the Man who is charged with the Murder of Capt. Knott.” See McIlwaine, Official Letters H. R. McIlwaine,...
52From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 11 September, 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Addressed by JM to “Edmund Randolph Esqr Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “JMadison Sept: 11. 1782.” Accompanying this manuscript in the Library of Congress is a copy of the letter, apparently made by a clerk, with a few corrections and comments in the hand of William C. Rives, author of the first major biography of JM. The Gentleman by whom I wrote this morning...
53From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, [16]–17 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned letter in JM’s hand. Cover missing but letter docketed by Randolph, “17 Sept. 82.” The date line originally read “Philada. Sepr. 1782.” Many years later JM inserted “[17]” between the month and the year. In view of his “Sepr. 17.” at the beginning of the seventh paragraph, this insert almost certainly should have been [16]. The italicized words are those...
54To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 20 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Cover missing. I communicated to the governor that there were letters from Carleton, addressed to him, in the post office of Philadelphia. I find from his conversation yesterday, that he has given the delegation a full account of them. I have this day remitted to Colo. Bland 60£. He has 100£ more assigned him upon the sale of some...
55From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 24 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned letter in JM’s hand. Cover missing. Randolph docketed the letter, “Sepr. 24. 1782.” Although the text is on folio 12 in LC : Madison Papers, III, the quotations enclosed with the letter are on folio 24a in Volume II. Number 24b of that volume comprises two other folios on which, for his own files, JM drafted and largely encoded the fourth paragraph of the...
56To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 27 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned letter in Randolph’s hand. Cover addressed by him, “The honble James Madison jr. esqr of congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “Sepr. 27. 1782.” Your favor by a private hand, and mentioned in that of the 17th. instant, is still journeying. My business, which urges so closely from the approach of the general court, has prevented me from going to Richmond...
57From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 30 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Docketed by Randolph, “J Madison, September 30. 1782.” On the cover, of which only a fragment is extant, is “andolph Esqr. Richmond.” The letter from the Govr. to the Delegation recd. yesterday along with yours of the 20th. inst: expresses some agitation at the supposed effects of the letters to him from Genl Carlton. Whatever curiosity...
58To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 5 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Cover missing. Undocketed. Mr. Ambler will inform you of the state of your finances and will forward by this post an equal draught with that, remitted a week or two ago. We have been and still are deeply engaged in the business of the general court. This term seems pregnant with decisions, connected with politics. On a solemn hearing,...
59From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 8 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Docketed by Randolph, “J Madison Octob: 8, 1782.” Letter unsigned and cover missing. Probably many years afterward, when the letter was returned to JM, he added to the docket, “contains Lovell’s cypher. E Randolph Esqr.” Late in his life JM or someone at his direction bracketed the text to indicate that all but the final sentence of the postscript should be included...
60From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 15 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover missing. Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison jr. Oct: 15. 1782.” Probably many years later, after this letter was returned to him, JM wrote below Randolph’s docket, “contains Lovell’s cypher.” Words or parts of words which JM encoded in that or the official cipher have been italicized in the present copy. The third paragraph of the...
61To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 18 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Cover addressed by Randolph to “The honble James Madison jr. esq. of congress. Philadelphia.” Erroneously docketed by JM, “Aug: 18th. 1782.” On the cover he wrote, “Huddy Camp Front: N.Y Brit: fleet. Mr. Jones. Finance Contr: Money Mattrs. Cessions.” These jottings were to remind him of subjects to mention in his reply of 29 October (...
62From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 22 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Addressed by him to “The honble Edmd Randolph.” Cover missing. Docketed by Randolph, “J Madison. jr. Octob: 22. 1782.” Unless otherwise noted, the italicized passages are those encoded by JM in the official cipher. As JM stated in the first paragraph of this letter, his quotation from the commission of Alleyne Fitzherbert is only a...
63To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 26 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Cover addressed by him to “The honble James Madison jr. esq of congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “26. 1782.” Your favor by the last post was duly received, and enabled me to counteract a rumor, which Carleton’s letter had excited, of a thorough disposition and fixed resolution in Great Britain to close the war by the expected...
64From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 29 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). At the bottom of the first page of this two-page letter, JM wrote “E. Randolph Esqr.” The cover is missing. Words and parts of words encoded by JM in the official cipher have been italicized. Late in his life JM or someone at his bidding placed a bracket at the beginning of the second paragraph and another bracket at the close of the sixth paragraph to designate the...
65To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 2 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Cover addressed by a clerk to “the Honble. James Madison of Congress Philadelphia .” Docketed by JM, “Novr. 2. 1782.” The great constitutional question, which was mentioned in my last letter, as having been adjourned from the general court to the court of appeals, received a second solemn hearing on thursday. The Judges, impressed...
66From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 5 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison Nov: 5. 1782.” Except when otherwise noted, the italicized words are those written by JM in the official cipher. My last informed you that a proposition had been made in Congress for accepting the territorial Cession of N. York. The paper inclosed contains the proceedings which ensued. The acceptance of...
67To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 8 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Addressed by him to “The honble. James Madison jr. esq of congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “Novr 8. 1782.” The house of delegates was within two members to day of a sufficient number to proceed to business. Among the reformations, suggested in my last letter but one, the foremost will probably be some attack on those debtors to...
68From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 10 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Docketed by Randolph, “James Madison Novr. 10. 1782.” Only a portion of the cover is extant. On it, in JM’s hand, appears “The honble Edmun Fav’d. by Col: Bassett.” For “Col: Bassett,” see JM to Randolph, 12 November 1782, n. 1 . I put under this cover the Newspaper of saturday last, and a poetical production of N. England which has much applause bestowed on it. We...
69From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 12 November 1782 (first) (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Addressed to “The honble Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Franked, “J Madison Jr.” Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison Nov: 12. 1782.” On the cover, in Randolph’s hand, are also two parallel columns of small numbers. The left column is headed “Betsy” (Mrs. Edmund Randolph) and the other, “E. R.” Probably they were opponents in a household game for which Randolph kept...
70From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 12 November 1782 (second) (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover addressed to “The honble Edmd. Randolph favd. by Dr. Tucker who will deliver it himself if he can—if not by the hand of Col: Monroe.” This cover was docketed by Randolph, “Novr. 12. 1782 J Madison.” On the fragment of a second cover there appears, certainly not in Tucker’s and seemingly not in Monroe’s hand, “[Ho]nble Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Resolved...
71From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 14 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover missing. Docketed by Randolph, “James Madison Novr. 14. 1782.” Below this date JM added, probably many years later, “to E. Randolph.” By a line dropped for the post, tho’ perhaps too late to get into the mail, and by another by Dr. Tucker who soon followed, I informed you of the reappointment of Mr. Jefferson, that the act passed unanimously & without even an...
72To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, [16] November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. JM’s erroneous docket of “Novr. 10. 1782” may signify that he added it some years later, after the date line had become illegible. The contents of the letter permit no doubt that 16 November was the date when it was written. JM acknowledged it as of that date in his own letter of 26 November to Randolph ( q.v. ). The assembly have at...
73From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 19 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover franked by “J Madison Jr.” and addressed by him to “The honble Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “James Madison Novr. 19 1782.” I find by your favor of the 8th. that your occupation with the Courts has continued to be a bar to the completion of the Cypher. It is very little missed however on my part as yet, the...
74To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 22 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Docketed by JM, “Nov. 22. 1782.” The inclosed cypher, tho’ not nicely executed or arm[e]d with every possible combination, is, I trust, sufficiently involved to serve, as a secure seal to our correspondences. I send it by the post, as the transactions of this week require no cover. Immediately on the receipt of your information that the appointment was renewed, I...
75From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 26 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison Novr. 26. 1782.” Except where otherwise noted, the italicized words are those enciphered by JM in the official code. The Governor in his letter to the Delegates of the 8th. of the prest. month, after observing that the great scarcity of cash in Virga. will put it out of her power to comply with the demands...
76To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 29 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Cover addressed to “The Ho[n?]ble James Madison.” Docketed by JM, “Novr. 29th. 1782. Secy. F. A. Mr. J. Jay.” For a probable explanation of these notations following the date, see Notes on Debates, 28 November ; JM to Randolph, 2 December 1782 . The italicized words are those written in the Randolph code. I yesterday saw Mr....
77From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 2 December 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover addressed to: “The honble Edmund Randolph Esqr. Richmond Favd. by Mr. Nathan.” See n. 10, below. Docketed by Randolph, “J. Madison jr. Philad: Decr. 2. 1782.” The italicized words are those which JM encoded in the official cipher. The Secy. of F. Affairs communicated to me a few days ago his determination speedily to resign his office He asked me in the course...
78From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 3 December 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover missing. Docketed by Randolph, “[J]. Madison jr. Decr. 3. 1782.” Except where noted, words or parts of words italicized are those encoded by JM in the official cipher. Applications from the States of N. Hamshire & Massachusetts concerning the old paper of which they hold a surplus have called the attention of Congress once more to...
79From James Madison to Edmund Randolph, 10 December 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). In JM’s hand but lacks complimentary close and signature. Cover franked by “J. Madison Jr” and addressed by him to “The Honble Edmund Randolph Esqr Richmond.” Docketed by Randolph, “The Honble J. Madison Decr. 10. 1782.” Words italicized are those written by JM in the official cipher. The Assembly of Penna. have with much difficulty been prevailed on to desist from a...
80To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 13 December 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Docketed by JM, “Decr. 13. 1782.” Unless otherwise noted, words or parts of words italicized in the present copy are encoded in the Randolph cipher. See Randolph to JM, 22 November 1782 , and n. 1. Nothing, I think, need be apprehended from the conveyance of the cypher in an unsealed letter. The curiosity of the postmaster or any...