To Thomas Jefferson from Stanley Griswold, 26 November 1804
From Stanley Griswold
Walpole, N.H. 26. Nov. 1804.
Sir,
I have the pleasure to inform you, that by letters received last evening from members of the legislature of this state, now in session at Concord, it appears, that the votes for Electors of President and V. president have been canvassed, and that the ticket supported by republicans has succeeded by a majority of 702 votes over the opposite ticket. The result was as follows,
| Republican | 9088 | |
| Federal | 8386 | |
| Scattering | 128 | |
The gentlemen elected are Mess. John Goddard, Levi Bartlett, Jonathan Steele, Robert Alcock, Timothy Walker, George Aldrich, Wm. Tarlton.
Give me leave most cordially to congratulate you on this auspicious event, so promising to the harmony and quiet of the Union.
The amendment to the U.S. constitution, proposed by the legislature of Massachusetts, was under consideration at the date of my letters (Saturday last,) and will unquestionably be rejected.
I am with sentiments of great respect, Your obedt. Servant,
Stanley Griswold.
RC (DLC); at head of text: “Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States”; endorsed by TJ as received 3 Dec. and so recorded in SJL.
On 20 June, in an effort to dilute southern influence in Congress and national elections, the Massachusetts legislature passed a resolution calling for an amendment to the U.S. constitution to apportion representation among the states “according to the numbers of their Free Inhabitants, respectively.” The resolution also asked the governor of Massachusetts “to inform the Chief Magistrates of the several states, of the doings of the Legislature of this Commonwealth, and request them to adopt the same measures.” Known as the Ely amendment for its sponsor, state legislator William Ely, the proposal found little support outside of Massachusetts. Timothy Pickering introduced the resolution in the U.S. Senate on 7 Dec., where it was ordered to lie for consideration (Resolves of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts … Begun and Held at Boston, in the County of Suffolk, on Wednesday, the Thirtieth Day of May, Anno Domini—MDCCCIV [Boston, 1804], 28-9; Padraig Riley, Slavery and the Democratic Conscience: Political Life in Jeffersonian America [Philadelphia, 2016], 37; , 3:422; Levi Lincoln to TJ, 14 Oct.).
The previous day, 25 Nov., Griswold wrote to Dearborn, sending him the results of the New Hampshire election and reiterating his desire for a federal appointment. He suggested an office arising either from the contemplated division of Indiana Territory or from the execution of the claims convention with Spain (DNA: RG 59, LAR; endorsed by TJ: “Griswold Stanley for office in Detroit govmt”).