51To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 31 March 1793 (Madison Papers)
Nothing remarkeable this week. What was mentioned in my last respecting Bache’s paper was on misinformation, there having been no proposition there. Yours of the 24th. from Alexandria is received. I inclose you the rough draught of a letter I wrote on a particular subject on which the person to whom it is addressed desired me to make a statement according to my view of it. He told me his...
52To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 5 March 1795 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of Feb. 15 is duly recieved & I now inclose the letter for mr. Christie, which you will be so kind as to deliver to him open or sealed as you think best, & apologize to him for my availing myself of the opportunity of getting the vetch from England which you say is not to be had in Philadelphia. The universal culture of this plant in Europe establishes it’s value in a farm, & I find...
53From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 27 April 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of Mar. 23. came to hand the 7th. of April, and notwithstanding the urgent reasons for answering a part of it immediately, yet as it mentioned that you would leave Philadelphia within a few days, I feared that the answer might pass you on the road. A letter from Philadelphia by the last post having announced to me your leaving that place the day preceding it’s date, I am in hopes...
54From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 14 February 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I received your favor of Jan. 24. the day before yesterday; the President’s of the 21st. was 16 days getting to my hands. I write him by this occasion my acceptance, and shall endeavor to subdue the reluctance I have to that office which has increased so as to oppress me extremely. The President pressed my coming on immediately, and I have only said to him in general that circumstances,...
55To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 28 December 1794 (Madison Papers)
I have kept mr. Joy’s letter a post or two, with an intention of considering attentively the observations it contains: but I have really now so little stomach for any thing of that kind that I have not resolution enough even to endeavor to understand the observations. I therefore return the letter, not to delay your answer to it, and beg you in answering for yourself, to assure him of my...
56From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 13 May 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I send you my ideas of what might be said on the distinction between bonds and simple contracts, if any thing should be said. But my office being to vindicate the opinions of the courts, and none of the courts having made any distinction between these two cases, I ought to tread in their footsteps only: and the rather as Mr. Hammond has not raised any such distinction on his part. It would be...
57From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, [12 January 1792] (Jefferson Papers)
I received the inclosed late last night, and it is not in my power to see Mr. H. this morning. If you can with satisfaction to yourself broach to him what Monroe proposes, well, if not, it must take it’s chance. RC ( DLC : Madison Papers); addressed: “Mr. Madison”; when Madison received the letter back from TJ late in life, he added the following to “Thursday morning”: “Jany. 12. 1792” and...
58To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 28 August 1789 (Madison Papers)
My last to you was of July 29. Since that I have received yours of May 27. June 13. & 30. The tranquillity of the city has not been disturbed since my last. Dissensions between the French & Swiss guards occasioned some private combats in which five or six were killed. These dissensions are made up. The want of bread for some days past has greatly endangered the peace of the city. Some get a...
59From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 21 February 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
I propose to write you a longer letter in answer to your two favors of Jan. 31. and Feb. 7. which came by our last post. But as I may possibly not have time before it’s departure, I inclose you a letter to J. Bringhurst, as the perusal of it will answer that article of your letters. When read, be pleased to seal and send it. I thank you as much for your advance to him as if I had really owed...
60From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 28 July 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Your last was of June 29. acknoledging mine of the 17th. Since that I wrote you June 23. 29. July 1. 7. 14. and 22.—I have only time to mention the death of Roger Sherman. Adieu. PrC ( DLC ); unsigned; conjoined to PrC of other letter to Madison of this date. Tr ( ViU : Edgehill-Randolph Papers); incomplete 19th-century copy; conjoined to Tr of other letter to Madison of this date. Only one of...
61From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 11 November 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
In my report on How’s case, where I state that it should go to the President, it will become a question with the house Whether they shall refer it to the President themselves, or give it back to the Petitioner, and let him so address it, as he ought to have done at first. I think the latter proper, 1. because it is a case belonging purely to the Executive. 2. the Legislature should never shew...
62From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 3 April 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
Our post having ceased to ride ever since the inoculation began in Richmond till now, I received three days ago, and all together your friendly favors of Mar. 2. 9. 12. 14. and Colo. Monroe’s of Mar. 3. and 16. I have been particularly gratified by the receipt of the papers containing your’s and Smith’s discussion of your regulating propositions. These debates had not been seen here but in a...
63To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 11 November 1791 (Madison Papers)
In my report on How’s case, where I state that it should go to the President, it will become a question with the house Whether they shall refer it to the President themselves, or give it back to the Petitioner, & let him so address it, as he ought to have done at first. I think the latter proper, 1. because it is a case belonging purely to the Executive. 2. The Legislature should never shew...
64From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 16 March 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you my thoughts on a subject extremely difficult, and on which I would thank you for any observations. The exchange of criminals is so difficult between a free and an arbitrary government, that England never would consent to make a convention with any state on the subject. It has accordingly been hitherto the asylum of all fugitives from the oppressions of other governments. The...
65From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 5 February 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
Congress drawing to a close, I must trouble you with a bundle of little commissions We have now had about 4. weeks of winter weather, rather hard for our climate—many little snows which did not lay 24. hours, and one 9. I. deep which remained several days. We have had few thawing days during the time.—It is generally feared here that your collegue F. Walker will be in great danger of losing...
66From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 10 June 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Clinton Jay Suffolk 481. 228. Queen’s cty. 532 288 King’s cty. 244 92 city & county of N.Y. 603 739 Orange 551. 80. Dutchess 751. 945
67From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 3 August 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of July 18. and 22. are received and have relieved my anxieties about mine of June 27. 30. and July 7. Those of July 14. 21. and 28. I hope soon to have acknoleged. We have decided unanimously to require the recall of Genet. He will sink the republican interest if they do not abandon him. Hamilton pressed eagerly an appeal to the people. It’s consequences you will readily seize, but I...
68From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 11 July 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you my No. 6. on the 3d inst. Since that I have received your No. 4. of June 29. The President sets out this afternoon, which being a day sooner than was expected, will enable me to set out a day sooner, to wit on Friday afternoon. This however will produce no other effect than to enable me to rest a day at George town and thereby ensure my being with you as I had mentioned on Saturday...
69To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 18 August 1791 (Madison Papers)
I have just now recieved your favor of the 16th. and tho late at night I scribble a line that it may go by the morning’s post. I inclose you two letters which have been awaiting you here several days. Also a copy of the census which I had made out for you. What is in red ink is conjectural, the rest from the real returns. The return of Virginia is come in this day, seven hundred & forty odd...
70From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 12 September 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
The fever spreads faster. Deaths are now about 30. a day. It is in every square of the city. All flying who can. Most of the offices are shut or shutting. The banks shut up this day. All my clerks have left me but one: so that I cannot go on with business. I shall therefore set out in 3. or 4. days and perhaps see you before you get this. H. had truly the fever, and is on the recovery, and...
71From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 14 July 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you on the 7th. since which yours of the 29th. of June is received acknoledging mine to the 17th. of June. I am anxious to know as early as possible the safe delivery of my letters to you. I am not able to say any thing more about the convening of Congress at an earlier day than the regular one. I have lately suspected some disinclination to it. But the grounds are slight. I must see...
72To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 8 January 1797 (Madison Papers)
Yours of Dec. 25. is safely recieved. I much fear the issue of the present dispositions of France & Spain. Whether it be in war or in the suppression of our commerce it will be very distressing and our commerce seems to be already sufficiently distressed through the wrongs of the belligerent nations and our own follies. It was impossible the bank & paper-manie should not produce great &...
73From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 3 August 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
You will percieve by the inclosed that Hamilton has taken up his pen in support of the treaty. [Return it to me.] He spoke on it’s behalf in the meeting at New York , and his party carried a decision in favor of it by a small majority. But the Livingstonians appealed to stones and clubs and beat him and his party off the ground. This from a gentleman just from Philadelphia. Adieu. P.S....
74From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 3 July 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last of June 29. I have received your Nos. 2. and 3. of June 24. and 25.—The following particulars occur. Vining has declined offering at the next election. It is said we are to have in his room a Mr. Roach, formerly of the army, an anti-cincinnatus, and good agricultural man.—Smith of S.C. declines also. He has bought a fine house in Charleston for 5000. £ and had determined not even...
75To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 13 May 1792 (Madison Papers)
I send you my ideas of what might be said on the distinction between bonds & simple contracts, if any thing should be said. But my office being to vindicate the opinions of the courts, and none of the courts having made any distinction between these two cases, I ought to tread in their footsteps only: and the rather as mr. Hammond has not raised any such distinction on his part. It would be...
76From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 21 July 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you on the 14th. since which I have no letter from you. It appears that two considerable engagements took place between France and the combined armies on the 1st. and 8th. of May. In the former the French have had rather the worst of it, as may be concluded by their loss of cannon and loss of ground. In the latter they have had rather the best: as is proved by their remaining on the...
77To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 6 March 1796 (Madison Papers)
I wrote you Feb. 21. since which I have recd. yours of the same day. Indeed mine of that date related only to a single article in yours of Jan. 31. & Feb. 7. I do not at all wonder at the condition in which the finances of the US. are found. Ham’s object from the beginning was to throw them into forms which should be utterly undecypherable. I ever said he did not understand their condition...
78To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 7 April 1793 (Madison Papers)
We may now I believe give full credit to the accounts that war is declared between France & England. The latter having ordered Chauvelin to retire within eight days, the former seemed to consider it as too unquestionable an evidence of an intention to go to war, to let the advantage slip of her own readiness, & the unreadiness of England. Hence I presume the first declaration from France. A...
79To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 18 August 1793 (Madison Papers)
My last was of the 11th. since which yours of the 5th. & 11th. are received. I am mortified at your not having your cypher. I now send the key of the numbers in mine of the 3d. This with my letter of the 11th. by post & another of the same date by Davy Randolph who will be at Monticello the last week of this month will put you in possession of the state of things to that date. The paper I now...
80To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 17 April 1796 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 4th. came to hand the day before yesterday. I have turned to the Conventional history, and inclose you an exact copy of what is there on the subject you mentioned. I have also turned to my own papers, & send you some things extracted from them which shew that the recollection of the P. has not been accurate when he supposed his own opinion to have been uniformly that declared in...
81From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 21 July 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors of July 10. and 13. have been duly recieved and I now return the pamphlet inclosed in the latter, with thanks for the perusal. The author has the appearance of knowing better what has past in England than in America. As to the latter to be sure he has been ignorant enough. I am sincerely sorry that Freneau has declined coming here. Tho’ the printing business be sufficiently full...
82To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 28 June 1791 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 23d. has been duly recieved. The parcel from the taylor will probably come safely by the stage. With respect to the edition of Hamilton More’s book I took pains to satisfy myself of the best edition when I was in a better situation than I now am, to do it with success. The result was that the 6th. edn. was the last published under the examination of the author, & that the...
83To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 6 July 1791 (Madison Papers)
I have duly recieved your favours of June 27. & July 1. The last came only this morning. I now return Colo. Smith’s map with my acknolegements for the pamphlet & sight of the map. I inclose you a 60. Dollar bill, & beg the favor of you to remit 30. Dollars with the inclosed letter to Prince, also, as I see Maple sugar, grained , advertised for sale at New York in boxes of 400 lb. each, if they...
84From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 18 June 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
My last to you was of May 11. Yours of Mar. 29. came to hand ten days ago: and about two days ago I received a cover of your hand writing, under which was a N. York paper of May 4. and a letter from Mr. Page to Mazzei. There being no letter from you makes me hope there is one on the way which will inform me of my Congé. I have never received Mr. Jay’s answer to my public letter of Nov. 19....
85To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 2 November 1793 (Madison Papers)
I overtook the President at Baltimore, & we arrived here yesterday, myself fleeced of seventy odd dollars to get from Fredericksburg here, the stages running no further than Baltimore. I mention this to put yourself & Monroe on your guard. The fever in Phila. has so much abated as to have almost disappeared. The inhabitants are about returning. It has been determined that the President shall...
86From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 17 December 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 5th. came to hand last night. The first wish of my heart was that you should have been proposed for the administration of the government. On your declining it I wish any body rather than myself: and there is nothing I so anxiously hope as that my name may come out either second or third. These would be indifferent to me; as the last would leave me at home the whole year, and...
87To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, [ca. 30 March] 1790 (Madison Papers)
I forgot to take your final opinion last night as to the mode of conveying official communications from the states through the channel of the President to the two federal houses . Whether it will be best to do it 1. by message from the presidt. through mr. Lear? 2. by do. through Th: J. appearing personally? 3 by do. through do. by way of letter? Be so good as to say what you think. I must be...
88To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 11 August 1793 (Madison Papers)
I write a second letter to-day, because going by a private conveyance I can venture in it a paper which never could have been hazarded by the post. Timely information of it’s contents (which must be sacredly kept to yourself unless you have an opportunity of communicating them to Monroe) may enable you to shape your plan for the state of things which is actually to take place. It would be the...
89To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 6 September 1789 (Madison Papers)
I sit down to write to you without knowing by what occasion I shall send my letter. I do it because a subject comes into my head which I would wish to develope a little more than is practicable in the hurry of the moment of making up general dispatches. The question Whether one generation of men has a right to bind another, seems never to have been started either on this or our side of the...
90To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, [ca. 18 May] 1792 (Madison Papers)
I have just received a Northern hare , and have got from the market a common one. It may be worth your while to come half an hour before we go to E. R’s to examine their difference, as they must be skinned soon. RC ( DLC ). Conjectural date assigned on the basis of circumstances described in n. 1 and of JM’s departure from Philadelphia circa Sunday, 20 May 1792. Jefferson later presented a...
91To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 4 June 1792 (Madison Papers)
I wrote you the 1st. inst. which I will call No. 1. and number my letters in future that you may know when any are missing. Mr. Hammond has given me an answer in writing, saying that he must send my letter to his court & wait their instructions. On this I desired a personal interview that we might consider the matter together in a familiar way. He came accordingly yesterday and took a solo...
92From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, [ca. 10 December 1792] (Jefferson Papers)
I dine at home and alone to day and Saturday of the present week.—I inclose some loose thoughts on the bankrupt bill. RC ( DLC : Madison Papers); undated (see note to enclosure for assignment of conjectural date); addressed: “Mr. Madison”; with unrelated notations in Madison’s hand on address cover. Not recorded in SJL . Enclosure: Thoughts on the Bankruptcy Bill, [ca. 10 Dec. 1792] .
93To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 10 July 1791 (Madison Papers)
Your indisposition at the date of your last, and hearing nothing from you since, make me fear it has continued. The object of the present is merely to know how you do, & from another hand, if you are not well enough. We have little new but what you will see in the public papers. You see there the swarm of anti-publicolas. The disavowal by a Printer only does not appear to satisfy. We have no...
94From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 29 July 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you on the 22d. Since that I have received yours of the 23d. of May. The president’s title as proposed by the senate was the most superlatively ridiculous thing I ever heard of . It is a proof the more of the justice of the character given by Doctr. Franklin of my friend: ‘Always an honest man , often a great one, but sometimes absolutely mad.’ . I wish he could have been here during...
95From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 30 October 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
In the moment of the departure of the post it occurs to me that you can, by the return of it, note to me the amount of Mazzei’s claim against Dohrman, for the information of the Van Staphorsts. I will put off my answer to them for that purpose.—The day you left me I had a violent attack of the Rheumatism which has confined me ever since. Within these few days I have crept out a little on...
96To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 27 April 1795 (Madison Papers)
Your letter of Mar. 23. came to hand the 7th. of April, and notwithstanding the urgent reasons for answering a part of it immediately, yet as it mentioned that you would leave Philadelphia within a few days, I feared that the answer might pass you on the road. A letter from Philadelphia by the last post having announced to me your leaving that place the day preceding it’s date, I am in hopes...
97From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 15 February 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
We are here in a state of great quiet, having no public news to agitate us. I have never seen a Philadelphia paper since I left that place, nor learnt any thing of later date except some successes of the French the account of which seemed to have come by our vessel from Havre. It was said yesterday at our court that Genet was to be recalled: however nobody could tell how the information came....
98From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 20 September 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Your servant now returns with many thanks for the aid of him and your horses. I was disappointed of meeting my family here: however I am told they will arrive today. I wished to have seen Mr. Randolph, before the departure of your servant to know if he had found a horse for me; because if he has not I should determine to accept the offer of yours. I drove him about eight miles in the Phaeton,...
99From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 6 March 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you Feb. 21. since which I have received yours of the same day. Indeed mine of that date related only to a single article in yours of Jan. 31. and Feb. 7. I do not at all wonder at the condition in which the finances of the US. are found. Ham’s object from the beginning was to throw them into forms which should be utterly undecypherable. I ever said he did not understand their...
100From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1 September 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
My last was of the 25th. Since that I have received yours of the 20th. and Colo. M’s of the 21st. Nothing further has passed with Mr. Genet, but one of his Consuls has committed a pretty serious deed at Boston, by going with an armed force taken from a French frigate in the harbour, and rescuing a vessel out of the hands of the marshal who had arrested her by process from a court of justice....