From James Madison to Richard Henry Lee, 11 March 1824
To Richard Henry Lee
Montpr: Mar 11 1824
J.M. presents his respects to Mr. Lee & returns the letters sent for his inspection. They contain nothing which wd. seem to require his dissent to their publi⟨cati⟩on if deemed worthy of a place in the correspondence selected for that purpose. If there be any doubtful passage, it is the allusion to a culpable love of power in the General Assembly;1 which may touch the personal feelings of surviving or the political sympathies of the succeeding Members of the Body.
Draft (DLC).
1. JM probably referred here to a passage in a letter he wrote to Richard Henry Lee (25 Dec. 1784, , 8:201), in which he noted the possible opposition of the Virginia legislature to a convention for revising the Articles of Confederation. “Virginia seems I think to have excellent dispositions towards the Confederacy,” he wrote, “but her assent or dissent to such a proposition wd. probably depend on the chance of its having no opponent capable of rousing the prejudices & jealousies of the Assembly agst. innovations, particularly such as will derogate from their own power & importance.” The letter was published in Richard Henry Lee, Memoir of the Life of Richard Henry Lee (2 vols.; Philadelphia, 1825; 21184), 2:220–21.