11From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 4 March 1798 (Madison Papers)
Your two favors of the 15 & 22 Ult: came to hand by friday’s mail. I can wait without inconvenience for the Sprigs &c. till you return & reestablish your Cutting machine. Mr. Tazewell’s Speech is really an able one in defence of his proposition to associate juries with the Senate in cases of impeachment. His views of the subject are so new to me, that I ought not to decide on them without more...
12From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 12 March 1798 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your favor of Mar: 2. with a continuation of the Gazettes, with an omission however of Feby. 23. I apprized you before of a like omission of Jany. 23. I think the Whigs acted very properly in attending the Birthnight on the principle of appropriating it to the person and not to the office of the late President. It is a pity that the nonattendance of the adamites is not presented...
13From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 2 April 1798 (Madison Papers)
Since my last I am in debt for your two favors of the 15th. & 22, the Gazettes of the 3. 67 & 8 Ulto, with a regular continuation to the 22d—two statements from the Treasury Department, and Payne’s letter to the French people & armies. The President’s message is only a further developement to the public, of the violent passions, & heretical politics, which have been long privately known to...
14From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 15 April 1798 (Madison Papers)
My last answered yours of the 21. since which I recd. on friday last your three favors of the 29 Ult. of Apl. 5 & 6. I have no reason to suspect that any of your letters have miscarried, or been opened by the way. I am less able to say whether mine have all reached you, as I have generally written them in haste, & neglected to keep a note of their dates. I will thank you to mention in your...
15From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 22 April 1798 (Madison Papers)
My last was on the 15th. and acknowledged your preceding letters. I have since recd. that of the 12. under the same cover with the Gazettes; and the instructions & despatches, under a separate cover. The interruptions of company added to the calls of business have not left me time as yet to read over the whole of those papers. A glance at them, with the abstracts given of their contents, fully...
16From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 29 April 1798 (Madison Papers)
My last was on the 22d. Yours recd. by the last mail was of the 19th. instant. The despatches have not yet come sufficiently to the knowledge of the bulk of the people to decide the impression which is to result from them. As far as I can infer from the language of the few who have read the Newspapers, there will be a general agreement as to the improper views of our own Executive party,...
17From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 5 May 1798 (Madison Papers)
I have to thank you for your favor of the 26th Ult: My last was of the 29th. The success of the War party in turning the Despatches to their inflammatory views is a mortifying item agst. the enlightened character of our Citizens. The analysis of the Despatches by Sidney, can not fail to be an effectual antidote, if any appeal to sober reflexion can prevail agst occurrences which are constantly...
18From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 13 May 1798 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your favor of the 3d. instant. My last acknowledged your preceding one. The successful use of the Despatches in kindling a flame among the people, and of the flame in extending taxes armies & prerogative, are solemn lessons which I hope will have their proper effect when the infatuation of the moment is over. The management of foreign relations appears to be the most susceptible...
19From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 20 May 1798 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 3d. was acknowledged in my last. I am now to thank you for that of the 10th. You must ascribe my inaccuracy as to the locks & hinges partly to myself, & partly to my workman. Four of the doors will be thick eno’ for mortise locks which I accordingly prefer, and of the quality which you think best. Three of the doors will be about 1¼ inch thick only. If this thickness be...
20From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 27 May 1798 (Madison Papers)
I have duly recd. yours of the 17th. accompanied by the Direct tax bill which I have not yet been able to run thro’. Every thing I perceive is carried as the war party chuse. They will of course be the more responsible for consequences. The disposition to continue the Session is a proof that the operation of the irritating proceedings here on those of France is expected to furnish fresh fuel...
21From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 3 June 1798 (Madison Papers)
Friday’s mail brought me your favor of May 24. The letter from S. Bourne had previously reached us thro’ a Fredg. paper. It is corroborated I find by several accounts from different sources. These rays in the prospect will if I can judge from the sensations in this quarter, have an effect on the people very different from that which appears in the public counsels. Whilst it was expected that...
22From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 10 June 1798 (Madison Papers)
I have duly recd. your favor of 31 Ult: & am glad to find mine are recd. as regularly as yours. The law for capturing French privateers may certainly be deemed a formal commencement of hostilities, and renders all hope of peace vain, unless a progress in amicable arrangements at Paris not to be expected, should have secured it agst. the designs of our Govermt. If the Bill suspending commerce...
23From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 31 October 1798 (Madison Papers)
I return the draught recd. by the last post, with one or two very small alterations. The interlineated “or an allotted portion thereof,” means to suggest that the whole no. might be so great as to beget objections to the expence which are always formidable in such cases. I have doubted whether the terms “ordinary” & “extraordinary” sufficiently marked the boundary between the power of the...
24From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 11 December 1798 (Madison Papers)
According to your favor by Mr. Richardson, I expect the pleasure of seeing you in the course of the present Week. Be so good as to bring a memorandum from your nailery of the amount of my debt to it. I had hoped that you were possessed of the aid of Mr. Chuning & his young men, but the Bearer Mr. W. Whitten tells me the contrary. Mr. C. left this saturday was two weeks, & promised to ride up...
25From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 29 December 1798 (Madison Papers)
I inclose a draught on Genl. Moylan out of which you will be pleased to pay yourself the price of the Nails £48–11.3. Va. Cy. to let Barnes have as much as will discharge the balance I owe him, & to let what may remain lie till I write you again. The P.’s speech corresponds pretty much with the idea of it which was preconceived. It is the old song with no other variation of the tune than the...
26From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 12 January 1799 (Madison Papers)
According to a promise in my last, I inclose a copy of the rates at which McGeehee works. I inclose also a few observations on a subject which we have frequently talked of, which are submitted to your entire disposal, in whole or in part, under the sole reserve of the name of the author. In Gordon’s History Vol. IV p. 399–400, is a transaction that may perhaps be properly referred to in the...
27From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 25 January 1799 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your favor of the 3d. inst: but not till the day before yesterday. The same mail brought me two parcels of the Newspapers, one of which was due two mails & the other one mail sooner. The papers due at the time did not come. You see therefore the uncertain footing of the conveyance. I should be more willing to ascribe the delays to the season of the year, if there were not proofs...
28From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 8 February 1799 (Madison Papers)
I did not receive your last favor of the 16th. Ulto. till the Mail after it was due, with the further delay of its coming by the way of Charlottesville. The last Mail brought me not a single Newspaper, tho’ it was before in arrears. That there is foul play with them I have no doubt. When it really happens that the entire mass cannot be conveyed, I suspect that the favorite papers are selected,...
29From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 28 August 1799 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 28 August 1799. Listed in JM’s record of letters written to Jefferson (DLC: Rives Collection, Madison Papers) as well as Jefferson’s Epistolary Record (DLC: Jefferson Papers).
30From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 2 November 1799 (Madison Papers)
The Bearer Mr. Polk is a Portrait Painter & a kinsman of Mr. Peale of Philada. He visits Monticello with a wish to be favored with a few hours of your sitting for his pencil. Having no acquaintance with you he asks the aid of a line towards obtaining one, and this will be presented to you for the purpose. With perfect sincerity I am yours RC ( IGK ). Docketed by Jefferson, “recd Nov. ⟨3⟩.”...
31From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 3 November 1799 (Madison Papers)
Be so good as to let Col. Monroe have the inclosed as early as may be convenient. Have you fixt the time of your setting out for Philada. I wish much for the pleasure of seeing you on your way, but if you do not aim to be there at the beging. of the Session, I shall probably lose the opportunity. As something however may depend on circumstances & arrangements, it will be convenient for me to...
32From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 29 December 1799 (Madison Papers)
My promise to write to you before your leaving Albemarle was defeated by a dysenteric attack which laid me up for about a week, and which left me in a State of debility not yet thoroughly removed. My recovery has been much retarded by the job of preparing a vindication of the Resolutions of last Session agst. the replies of the other States, and the sophistries from other quarters. The...
33From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 4 January 1800 (Madison Papers)
My last covered a copy of the Report on the Resolutions of last year. I now inclose a copy of certain resolutions moved by Mr. Giles, to which he means to add an instruction on the subject of the intercource law which has been so injurious to the price of our Tobo. It is not improbable that the Resolutions when taken up, may undergo some mollifications in the spirit & air of them. The Report...
34From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 9 January 1800 (Madison Papers)
The question on the Report printed, was decided by 60 for & 40 agst. it, the day before yesterday, after a debate [of] five days. Yesterday & today have been spent on Mr. Giles’ propositions, which with some softenings will probably pass, by nearly the same vote. The Senate is in rather a better state than was expected. The debate turned almost wholly on the right of the Legislature to...
35From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 12 January 1800 (Madison Papers)
My last informed you of the result of the debates on the justifying Report of the Select Committee. I am now able to add that of Mr. Giles’s resolutions. The question on the whole was decided in the affirmative by a little upwards of a hundred against less than fifty. The vote was rather stronger on some of the particular resolutions, for example the instruction for disbanding the army. The...
36From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 18 January 1800 (Madison Papers)
Since my last the Senate have agreed to the Report —& the Resolutions , by 15 to 6. To the latter they made an amendt. to the definition of the portion of C. L. in force in the U. S. by inserting the words “by Congress” after the word “adopted,” in order to repel the misconstruction which led the minority to concur in that particular resolution as it passed the H. of. D. The amendt. was agreed...
37From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 14 February 1800 (Madison Papers)
My last to you was from Richd. Your last to me is just recd. covering the Bill for drawing Jurors by lot. The plan proposed by the Bill is a great improvement on the regulation in force here. I can not say, whether it may have the same merit every where. This subject was not wholly forgotten during our late Session. A Bill was even prepared on it, by one of our State Judges. But subjects,...
38From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 15 March 1800 (Madison Papers)
Since my last I have been favored with the following inclosures—The Bill relating to Electors Ramsay’s oration, the Report on ways & means, a motion by Bingham, and the resolution for excluding the Judges from other offices. It is not to be denied that the Constn. might have been properly more full in prescribing the election of P: & V. P. but the remedy is an amendment to the Constn: and not...
39From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 4 April 1800 (Madison Papers)
Your favor by Mr. Trist was duly handed to me, since which I have recd. the report on imports under your cover, & yesterday your favor of the 25 Ult: accompanied with the pamphlet & Mr. Nicholas’s motion on the Electoral Bill, which appears to be so fair & pertinent, that a rejection of it in favor of any other modification proposed, must fix a new brand on the authors. The spirit manifested...
40From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 20 April 1800 (Madison Papers)
Since my last I have been favored with yours by Christr: McPherson. It brought me the first agreeable information of the prospect held out by our Envoys. The posture of Europe, tho’ dreadful to humanity in general, will I trust enforce the disposition of France to come to a proper adjustment with us. And notwithstanding the group of daring experiments presented by our public Councils, I also...