101To James Madison from Elias Langham, 11 April 1789 (Madison Papers)
I took the liberty some days ago to address a letter to you, relative to an Appointmt. that I wish to Solicit under the Federal Government. I then Observed that I shoud forward the best recommendations that I coud procure, for that Purpose. I now inclose such recommendations as I have procured & beg leave to request your Attention thereto. As I am unacquainted with the nature of making such...
102From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1 July 1784 (Jefferson Papers)
After visiting the principal towns through Connecticut, Rhode-island, this state and N. Hampshire in order to acquire what knowlege I could of their commerce and other circumstances I am returned to this place and shall sail the day after tomorrow in the Ceres bound for London: but my purpose is to get on shore in some boat on the coast of France and proceed directly to Paris. My servant being...
103To James Madison from John Francis Mercer, 12 November 1784 (Madison Papers)
Altho’ I should have blush’d to have met you, after having so long delay’d repaying the money you kindly advanc’d me, yet the sincere pleasure I felt in the expectation of again taking you by the hand effaced every other impression & my dissapointment was real when I learn’d that you had return’d to the South without my meeting you. After you left me in Congress—I was subjected to the...
104To James Madison from Samuel A. Otis, 4 February 1789 (Madison Papers)
The notice you have been pleased to honor me with I hope will apologize for this freedom upon a subject quite personal. I had the fairest prospect when I parted from you of an election for one of the Districts of Massachusetts, but as my life has been clouded with dissappointment I failed here also in my expectations. I however contemplated the object rather as a precarious means of...
105To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 27 July 1788 (Madison Papers)
I have just risen from a violent bilious attack, which has vexed me for nearly a fortnight past. But as I am a victim at present to weakness only, I am indulged in the liberty of acknowledging the receipt of your favor of the 16th. instant. We hear nothing of the constitution on this side of the river. On the other indeed the discontents are said to be loud; but it does not appear that any of...
106To James Madison from John Leland, [ca. 15 February] 1789 (Madison Papers)
I congratulate you in your Appointment, as a Representative to Congress ; and if my Undertaking in the Cause conduced Nothing else towards it, it certainly gave Mr. Madison one Vote. I expect that Congress will be very busy for some years, in filling a continental Blank with a Code of general Laws; and I think it will be very Judicious to send those Laws very liberally into the States, that...
107To James Madison from George Muter, 23 September 1786 (Madison Papers)
There will be so many members of convention absent, principally from being engaged in the present expeditions against the Indians, that I am doubtfull there will not a sufficient number meet to chuse a president & proceed to business. It is probable therefore, that the question respecting a separation will not be determined at the ensuing meeting of Convention, & perhaps not before next...
108To James Madison from William Nelson, Jr., 7 May 1787 (Madison Papers)
In consequence of your polite promise to take charge of any letters that I might wish to send to my friend Mr. Short, I take the liberty of troubling you with the inclosed, and beg the favor of you, to have it put into the mail at New York, which goes by the French-packet. Mr. Wythe and Mr. Blair sailed from York this morning for the head of Elk. May not a favorable effect be hoped from the...
109To James Madison from Caleb Wallace, 30 September 1786 (Madison Papers)
I embrace the Opportunity by a Neighbour bound for Richmond, where I expect this will meet you, to thank you for your Favour of the 15 of March and for the printed Memorial and Remonst[r]ance accompanying it, in which the Opinions I have long since espoused are well arranged and supported. The unanimity of Sentiments that prevailed here a year ago in favour of a Seperation has since been...
110To James Madison from James Madison, Sr., 9 July 1787 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 9 July 1787. Mentioned in JM to James Madison, Sr., 28 July 1787 . Concerned activities of slaves, weather conditions, and poor crops.
111To James Madison from Rufus King, 16 January 1788 (Madison Papers)
We may have 360 members in our Convention, not more than 330 have yet taken their Seats. Immediately after the settlement of Elections the Convention resolved that they would consider and freely deliberate on each paragraph without taking a [question on any of them individually,] & that on the question whether they wd. ratify, each [member] shd. be at liberty [to disc]uss the plan at large....
112To James Madison from Richard Bland Lee, 12 December 1788 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 1st. Instant arrived here yesterday. The intended publication was not struck off—it being unnecessary to have it done till near the close of the Session—and we being anxious, if possible to have yr. approbation to the insertion of certain extracts from your letter to Mr: Turberville. The inclosed which was taken from the proof sheet and is the only printed copy in existence,...
113To James Madison from George Lee Turberville, 14 December 1788 (Madison Papers)
Yes we had almost supposed from your silence that you had assented to the publication of a part of your favor to me—the type was set—but only one single copy was struck—that copy Mr. R. B. Lee informs me has been transmitted to you. My fortunate stars steel’d me agt. importunities when my conscience almost condemn’d my obstinacy. A Copy of the publication is transmitted to you—in which the...
114To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 3 May 1788 (Madison Papers)
Mine of Feb. 6. acknoleged the receipt of yours of Dec. 9. and 20. Since that, those of Feb. 19. & 20. are come to hand. The present will be delivered you by mr. Warville, whom you will find truly estimable, & a great enthusiast for liberty. His writings will have shewn you this. For public news I must refer you to my letter to mr. Jay. Those I wrote to him from Amsterdam will have informed...
115To James Madison from Edward Carrington, 23 September 1787 (Madison Papers)
The Gentlemen who have arrived from the Convention inform us that you are on the way to join us—least, however, you may, under a supposition that the State of the delegation is such as to admit of your absence, indulge yourself in leisurely movements, after the fatiguing time you have had, I take this precaution to apprise you that the same schism which unfortunately happened in our State in...
116To James Madison from William Grayson, 14 November 1785 (Madison Papers)
On inquiring at the Office for F. A. I find it is uncustomary to give copies unless by special direction of Congress, a circumstance I did not advert to, when I was writing to you last. I shall therefore give you the best information in my power from memory. Mr. A. says that a Commee. of merchts. from Glasgow waited on him in London & told him their business was to lay the affair of the debts...
117To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 3 September 1788 (Madison Papers)
I am much obliged to you for your favor of the 25th. ulto. Being in Wmsburg., when I received it, I imparted it to our friend, the president, who espouses with warmth an early convention. I sincerely wish, that the valuable parts of the constitution may suffer no ill from the temper, with which such a body will probably assemble. But is there no danger, that, if the respect, which the large...
118To James Madison from Elias Langham, 15 March 1789 (Madison Papers)
I am induced to think that a Commissary of Military Stores will be one of the first Appointments that Congress will make under the new Government, I therefore take the Liberty of writing to you on the Subject, & inclosing some Other letters to your care, you being the representative of the district in which I live. I leave open the letters for your examination, which after readg. be pleased to...
119To James Madison from Tench Coxe, 18 March 1789 (Madison Papers)
I have this afternoon obtained from a friend of Col. Geo. Morgan a copy of his handbill which was put into the hands of confidential people in N. Jersey & Pennsylvania for the purpose of procuring followers. I know your solicitude about the western Country, and have therefore enclosed you a copy, which after you have done with it be pleased to give to Mr. Jay when you have an opty. I am this...
120To James Madison from William Duer, 23 June 1788 (Madison Papers)
As it is probable you may not hear by this Post from our Mutual Frend Colo. Hamilton, I take the Liberty of giving you a Short Sketch of our political Prospects, in this Quarter, on the great Question of the Constitution. My Information is from Colo. Laurence, who left Pokepsie on Saturday. A Considerable Majority of the Convention are undoubtedly Anti-federal; or in other Words, wish for...
121To James Madison from Edmund Pendleton, 12 August 1787 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 12 August 1787, Edmundsbury. The list probably kept by Peter Force (DLC: Madison Miscellany) notes that Pendleton wrote a one-page letter to JM from Edmundsbury on this day. The summary reads: “Expectations about the Convention. Secresy beneficial. Threatened riots in opposition to the payment of debts and taxes. Money scarce.”
122To James Madison from Rufus King, 3 February 1788 (Madison Papers)
I inclose a newspaper of yesterday containing the propositions communicated by Mr. Hancock to the Convention, on Thursday last. Mr. Adams who contrary to his own Sentiments has been hitherto silent in convention, has given his public & explicit approbation of Mr. Hancock’s propositions. We flatter ourselves that the weight of these two characters will insure our success, but the Event is not...
123To James Madison from James Monroe, 26 July 1785 (Madison Papers)
Since my last a report proposing a change in the first paragraph of the 9th. of the articles of confideration hath been taken up & acted on two days in a committee of the whole. It proposes to invest Congress with power to regulate trade externally & internally. Those in favor of it were of opinion that the exercise of this power in the hands of each State, wod. be less advantageous to its...
124To James Madison from James Monroe, 31 May 1786 (Madison Papers)
Since my last a letter has been recd. from Mr. Jay to the following effect “that difficulties had taken place in his negotiation with Gardoqui & requesting that a Committee be appointed with power to direct & controul the sd. negotiation .” It was immediately perciev’d that the object was to relieve him from the instruction respecting Missisipi & to get a committee to cover the measure. That...
125From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 20 December 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
My last to you was of Oct. 8 by the Count de Moustier. Yours of July 18. Sep. 6. and Oct. 24. have been successively received, yesterday, the day before and three or four days before that. I have only had time to read the letters, the printed papers communicated with them, however interesting, being obliged to lie over till I finish my dispatches for the packet, which dispatches must go from...
126To James Madison from Richard Henry Lee, 11 August 1785 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of July the 7th was long coming to hand as I find my letter of the 20th May was in getting to you. This joined to the uncertainty of letters ever arriving safe is a very discouraging circumstance to full & free correspondence. I have the honor of according most perfectly and entirely with your ideas for regulating our severance from Kentucky. It is unquestionably just that this...
127To James Madison from George Lee Turberville, 10 November 1788 (Madison Papers)
I have forborne my pen for some posts—flattering myself that it wou’d have been the harbinger of good news. But alas! I am about to detail to you some occurrences which I assure you have operated upon my feelings as sensibly—and in a manner more distressing—than I trust they will upon your own. The triumph of Antifœderalism is compleat. The resolution & preamble which I enclosed to you have...
128To James Madison from George Lee Turberville, 16 November 1788 (Madison Papers)
Yrs. of the 6th. has just reach’d me—wou’d to heaven that that of November 2d. had arrived four days sooner. Mr. Henry on yr. being nominated for the senate publicly declared in the house that you were not to be trusted with amendments since you had declared, that not a letter of the Constitution cou’d be spared—in Convention. This was denied by many & a very respectable testimonial of...
129To James Madison from Archibald Stuart, 2 November 1787 (Madison Papers)
Inclosed are the Resolutions of Virginia on the subject of the fœderal Government. It is generally considered necessary that you should be of the convention, not only that the Constitution may be adopted but with as much unanimity as possible. For gods sake do not disappoint the Anxious expectations of yr friends & let me add of yr Country. The Govr. on his return here was coolly received,...
130To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 8 March 1788 (Madison Papers)
The bearer of this letter is mr. Francis Adrian Van der Kemp one of the late victims of patriotism in Holland. Having determined to remove himself & his family to America, his friend the Baron de Capellen, another of those expatriated worthies, has asked of me to give letters of introduction to Mr. Van der Kemp, recommending him for his extraordinary zeal in the cause of liberty, his talents,...