41From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 23 April 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Addressed to “The Honble Edmund Pendleton Esqr. Caroline County Virginia.” Docketed by Pendleton, “James Madison Esqr. April 23d. 1782.” We have had here the same reports of the evacuation of Charleston which your letter of the 15. recites, but the wished for confirmation is still wanting. That it will take place in the course of the Campaign cannot I think be...
42From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 25 June 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Docketed by Pendleton, “James Maddison Jr. Esq June 25th. 1782.” The cover is missing. Your favor of the 17th. escaped the accident which befel that of the preceeding week. The loss of the mail is the more regretted as we now understand that a packet from N.Y. to England, which had been intercepted & carried into N. Carolina, made a part of it. No authentic...
43From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 9 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Unsigned letter in JM’s hand. The cover is missing. Docketed, “James Madison Esqr. July 9. 1782.” The betts which your favr. of the 1st. inst: says are still laid on the subject of the naval combat of the 12th. of April, are a proof rather of the fashion of the Country than of uncertainty as to the event. Altho’ no official accts. have been recd. on the part of...
44From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 16 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Unsigned and cover missing. Docketed by Pendleton, “James Madison, jr. Esqr. July 16th. 1782.” Your favor of the 8th. instant escaped the danger of late incident to the post; the robbers having removed to the Northward for the purpose of attacking the Eastern mail which fell into their hands near Trenton last week. It is said to have been the identical party. I am...
45From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 23 July 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Docketed by Pendleton, “James Madison Esqr. July 23d. 1782.” Cover missing. The sterility of my late correspondence will be compensated by the contents of the inclosed paper, which besides other interesting particulars sufficiently confirms the recognition of our Independence by the States General. Among the numerous good consequences of this event to us I wish...
46From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 6 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (Nat W. Pendleton, Wytheville, Va., 1961). Docketed by Edmund Pendleton, “James Madison Esqr. Aug. 6th. 1782.” I shall pay due attention to the request contained in your favor of the 29th. relative to the slave of your nephew. Should I however be so fortunate as to recover him, the price of slaves here leaves no hope that a purchaser will be found on the terms demanded. We have had several...
47From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 20 August 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Cover franked by “J. Madison Jr” and addressed by him to “The honble Edmund Pendleton Esqr. Caroline County Virginia.” Docketed by Pendleton, “James Madison Esqr. Augst. 20. 1782.” At the date of my last I had little doubt that the post of this week would have conveyed you some further lights on the subject of negociations for peace. A continuation of the silence...
48From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 3 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Unsigned letter in JM’s hand. JM franked the letter and addressed it to “The honble Edmund Pendleton Esqr. Caroline County Virginia.” Docketed by Pendleton, “James Madison jr. Esq. Sepr. 3d. 1782.” An unknown hand, seemingly contemporaneous, lightly sketched in ink in the center of the page an unhappy British lion courant being pursued by an Indian, probably...
49From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 24 September 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Docketed by Pendleton, “James Madison Esqr. Oct 1. 1782.” In his letter of 14 October to JM ( q.v. ), Pendleton implied that the present communication and that of 1 October reached him simultaneously, and he probably docketed both as though they had been written on the same day. I am very glad to find that the recovery of Mr. Pendleton’s slave hath at length been...
50From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 1 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Unsigned letter in JM’s hand. Docketed by Pendleton, “James Madison jr. Esqr. Octr. 1. 1782.” We have red. no addition since to my last to the intelligence from Europe: except an anecdote mentioned in a letter from the Marquis de la Fayette, which exemplifies the tergiversation of Mr. Grenville. On his interview with the Ct. de Vergennes he said that the...
51From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, [15 October] 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Undated, but Pendleton’s docket reads, “James Madison jr. Sepr. 12. 1782.” This obviously refers not to the date of the letter but to the date of the dispatch quoted by JM in the letter. In it JM duplicated in a considerable degree his letter of 15 October 1782 to Edmund Randolph ( q.v. ). Extract of a letter from Sr. Guy Carlton to Genl Washington dated Sepr....
52From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 22 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Docketed by Pendleton, “James Madison jr. Octr. 22d. 1782.” The address of your favor of the 14th. instant to me coincides with the order which Mr. Jones & myself had settled. It would have been the more inconvenient too for him to have had his turn this week, as the dregs of his late indisposition are working themselves off to his no small disturbance. His lady...
53From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 29 October 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Unsigned but in JM’s hand. Cover missing. Docketed by Pendleton, “James Madison jr. Octr. 29. 1782.” A continuance of Mr. Jones’s indisposition has procured me the office of answering yours of the 21st. instant. His relapse has been more severe than I was aware, and will keep him a prisoner in his room for some time to come. His disorder is at present rather...
54From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, [5] November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Cover missing. Docketed by Pendleton, “James Madison Esqr. Nov. 4. 1782.” JM misdated the letter. His textual references to “yesterdays mail” (which could not have been that of 3 November, a Sunday), to “Yesterday” as the date of Elias Boudinot’s election to the presidency of Congress ( Notes on Debates, 4 November ), and to “my letter of this date to Mr....
55From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, [28 July] 1783 (Madison Papers)
Printed excerpts (William Cabell Rives, History of the Life and Times of James Madison [3 vols.; Boston, 1859–68], I, 490–91). These excerpts, except for differences in punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations, and one minor instance of phraseology, are identical with the passage on the same topic in the manuscript of JM’s letter to Edmund Randolph on the same date ( q.v. ). If little weight...
56From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 8 September 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC (Manuscript Division, the New York Public Library: Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations). Docketed by Pendleton, “James Madison jr. Sepr. 8. 1783.” Your favor of the 1st. found me here whither Mr. Jones & myself had been called by some private business for a day or two. I thank you for your remarks on the jurisdiction necessary for Congress within the limits which may be ceded for their...
57From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 30 November 1786 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 19th. inclosing a bill for amending a defective law gave me particular pleasure as it involved a proof of more health than report had allowed you. I anxiously wish that a blessing the smallest degree of which in your hands is always producing good to your Country may in the fullest manner be re-established. You are not wrong in supposing apprehensions in many of danger from...
58From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 9 January 1787 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 9th. Ult. has been so long on hand unanswered that I can not now acknowledged it without observing in apology for the delay that I waited for some measures of which I wished to communicate the event. The district bill of which I formerly made mention, was finally thrown into a very curious situation, and lost by a single voice. I refer you for its history to Col. Pendleton,...
59From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 24 February 1787 (Madison Papers)
If the contents of the Newspapers of this place find their way into the gazettes of Richmond you will have learnt that the expedition of Genl: Lincoln against the insurgents has effectually dispersed the main body of them. It appears however that there are still some detachments which remain to be subdued. & that the Government of Massts. consider very strong precautions as necessary agst....
60From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 22 April 1787 (Madison Papers)
The period since my last has afforded such scanty materials for a letter that I have postponed it, till I have now to thank you for yours of 7th. inst: which came to hand two days ago. I always feel pleasure in hearing from you, but particularly when my concern for your doubtful health is relieved by such an evidence in its favor. At the same time I must repeat my wishes to forego this...
61From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 27 May 1787 (Madison Papers)
I have put off from day to day writing to my friends from this place in hopes of being able to say something of the Convention. Contrary to every previous calculation the bare quorum of seven States was not made up till the day before yesterday. The States composing it are N York, N. Jersey, Pena. Delaware, Virga. N. Carolina & S. Carolina. Individual members are here from Massts. Maryland &...
62From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 20 September 1787 (Madison Papers)
The privilege of franking having ceased with the Convention, I have waited for this opportunity of inclosing you a copy of the proposed Constitution for the U. States. I forbear to make any observations on it; either on the side of its merits or its faults. The best Judges of both will be those who can combine with a knowledge of the collective & permanent interest of America, a freedom from...
63From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 28 October 1787 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. and acknowledge with great pleasure your favor of the 8th. instt. The remarks which you make on the Act of the Convention appear to me to be in general extremely well founded. Your criticism on the clause exempting vessels bound to or from a State from being obliged to enter &c in another is particularly so. This provision was dictated by the jealousy of some particular States,...
64From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 21 February 1788 (Madison Papers)
The receipt of your favor of the 29th Ult: which did not come to hand till a few days ago was rendered particularly agreeable to me by the prospect it gives of a thorough reestablishment of your health. I indulge the reflection and the hope that it denotes a remaining energy in the Constitution, which will long defend it against the gradual waste of time. Your representation of the politics of...
65From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 3 March 1788 (Madison Papers)
The Convention of N. Hampshire have disappointed much the general expectation. Instead of adopting the Constitution they have adjourned without any final decision until June; this expedient being found necessary to prevent a rejection. It seems that a majority of 3 or 4 members would have voted in the negative, but in this majority were a number who had been proselyted by the discussions, but...
66From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 20 October 1788 (Madison Papers)
I acknowledge with much pleasure your favor of the 6th. instant. The “balmy” nature of the resolutions concerning the Mississippi will I hope have the effect you suggest; though the wounds given to some & the pretext given to others by the proceedings which rendered them necessary, will not I fear be radically removed. The light in which the temporary seat of the new Government is viewed &...
67From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 8 April 1789 (Madison Papers)
You will not learn without some surprize that the sixth of this month arrived before a quorum was made up in both branches of the New Legislature, and the first of the month, before a Quorum was attained in either. The first & only joint step taken by the Congress was the examination of the ballots for President & vice president. The votes were found, as was expected, to be unanimously given...
68From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 19 April 1789 (Madison Papers)
My last was committed to Majr. Rogers of your County who embarked some days ago from this place for Virginia. I have been since favored with yours of the 7th. instant; and am much & truly gratified with the proof it contains of your good health. We have not yet either the President or Vice President on the ground. The former is expected in a few days. The latter we are told will certainly come...
69From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 17 May 1789 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 3d. instant was not recd. till two days ago. It is not certain however that the post office is chargeable with the delay, the date of its receipt stamped at Fredg. being the 16th. of the month. The progress of our revenue system continues to be slow. The bill rating the duties is still with the Senate. It is said that many alterations will be proposed, consisting of...
70From James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, 21 June 1789 (Madison Papers)
The last favor for which I am to thank you is of June 9th. For some time past I have been obliged to content myself with inclosing you the Newspapers. In general they give, tho’ frequently erroneous and sometimes perverted, yet on the whole, fuller accounts of what is going forward than could be put into a letter. The papers now covered contain a sketch of a very interesting discussion which...