841From Thomas Jefferson to United States Congress, 25 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
In proceeding to carry into execution the act for fortifying our ports and harbours, it is found that the sites most advantageous for their defence, and sometimes the only sites competent to that defence are, in some cases the property of minors incapable of giving a valid consent to their alienation, in others belong to persons who may refuse altogether to alienate, or demand a compensation...
842From Thomas Jefferson to United States Congress, 25 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I transmit to both houses of Congress a report from the Surveyor of the public buildings of the progress made on them during the past season, of their present state, and of that of the funds appropriated to them. these have been much exceeded by the cost of the work done, a fact not known to me till the close of the season. the circumstances from which it arose are stated in the report of the...
843From Thomas Jefferson to Albert Gallatin, 23 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
It is a maxim of our municipal law and I believe of universal law that he who permits the end , permits of course the means without which the end cannot be effected. the law permitting rum, molasses & sugar to be imported from countries which have not packages for them, would be construed in the most rigorous courts to permit them to be carried. they would consider the restriction to ballast &...
844From Thomas Jefferson to Le Vavasseur, 23 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I am sensible of the extraordinary ingenuity & merit of the work which you offer to the acquisition of our government. it would certainly be an ornament to any country. but with such an immense extent of country before us, wanting common improvement to render it productive, the United States have not thought the moment as yet arrived when it would be wise in them to begin to divert their funds...
845From Thomas Jefferson to Levi Lincoln, 23 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter on the subject of mr Lee came safely to hand. you know our principles render federalists in office safe if they do not employ their influence in opposing the government, giving their own vote according to their conscience. if this be so as to those put in office by others, a portion as to those put in by ourselves. We have recieved from your presses a very malevolent & incendiary...
846From Thomas Jefferson to Edmund Bacon, 22 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
The plants of Privet which you have recieved are from mr Gordon and I intend them for a hedge in the garden which not being yet ready, they must be set out in a nursery where you can find a convenient open spot. the waggon must not go to Bedford before mr Chisolm goes. it will not be wanting there till they are proceeding to burn the brick kiln which must not be till mr Chisolm is there...
847From Thomas Jefferson to Anne Cary Randolph, 22 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
My reason for desiring Ellen & your-self to write alternately was not that I did not wish to hear from you both oftener, but that I could not probably find time to answer more than one letter a week. I am sorry our strawberries are unpromising; however I trust they will put out soon. if some sand and stable manure were put on the earth, the waterings would carry both down into the clay &...
848From Thomas Jefferson to United States Congress, 22 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose two messages, the one public, the other confidential, with their respective documents under separate covers. those of the Confidential message consist only of such passages or articles as, being improper for publication, have been stricken out of the papers of the other. it is probable therefore that both may be better understood by being read alternately, taking up each separate...
849From Thomas Jefferson to United States Congress, 22 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
At the opening of the present session I informed the legislature that the measures which had been taken with the government of Great Britain for the settlement of our Neutral and National rights and of the conditions of commercial intercourse with that nation, had resulted in articles of a treaty which could not be acceded to on our part; that instructions had been consequently sent to our...
850From Thomas Jefferson to United States Congress, 22 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
In a separate message of this date I have communicated to Congress so much as may be made public of papers which give a full view of the present state of our relations with the two contending powers of France & England. every one must be sensible that in the details of instructions for negociating a treaty, and in the correspondence & conferences respecting it, matters will occur which...
851From Thomas Jefferson to Peregrine Williamson, 22 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been so much engaged lately that it has not been in my power sooner to write this short letter. The 4. calendar pens arrived safely, and I now inclose you a bank draught for 25. D. for those & what was furnished before. I find them answer perfectly and now indeed use no other kind. always willing to render service to any useful advance in the arts, I have no objection to your using the...
852From Thomas Jefferson to John Agnew, 20 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I see with pleasure, fellow-citizens, in your address of Feb. 15. a sound recurrence to the first principles on which our government is founded, an examination by that test of the rights we possess & the wrongs we have suffered, a just line drawn between a wholsome attention to the conduct of rulers, & a too ready censure of that conduct on every unfounded rumor, between the love of peace, &...
853From Thomas Jefferson to George Bourne, 20 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I have duly recieved your favor of the 14th. inst. and feel a just sensibility at the mark of approbation implied by the proposition it contains. the only desire I have ever felt is that of having given satisfaction to my constituents in the mode of conducting their affairs, and therefore cannot but accept with willingness the testimony of it which your letter offers. I shall certainly rejoice...
854From Thomas Jefferson to William Crawford, 20 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Having recieved thro’ you the Address of the Democratic citizens of the county of Adams in Gettysburg on the 15th. of Feb. last, I ask permission through the same channel to return the answer, & to offer to them & yourself the assurances of my high respect. DLC : Papers of Thomas Jefferson.
855From Thomas Jefferson to Lewis Deblois, 20 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to mr Deblois, and took the liberty two days ago of sending to his care 8. boxes of glass to be forwarded to Gibson & Jefferson at Richmond. besides the obligation he is under so often for troubling mr Deblois with these small concerns, he is certain he must be indebted to him for small expences on them, as wharfage, storage, Etc which he prays him to...
856From Thomas Jefferson to James Dinsmore, 20 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
On the 18th. I sent from here to Alexandria to be forwarded by the first vessel to Richmond 8. boxes of glass, containing 200. panes 12. I. square, 300. do. 12 by 18. and 50 do. 14. by 18. by which you will percieve I have considerably enlarged the quantity called for, in order to have a supply for breakage. be so good as to tell mr Bacon of this shipment, & that on it’s arrival at Milton, the...
857From Thomas Jefferson to P.A. Guestier, 20 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 14th. is recieved, and I have to return you my thanks for the trouble you have been so good as to take in procuring the seeds requested by mr Reibelt. I remember that he was so kind as to undertake through his friends to procure for me some Maize of Italy, of the kind called Quarentine, valuable for it’s early coming to table, & I presume what you have recieved is of that...
858From Thomas Jefferson to George Jefferson, 20 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s of the 16th. is recieved. I sent from hence two days ago 8. boxes of window glass to Alexandria, to be forwarded to Richmond by the first vessel passing, which I will pray you to send up by the first Milton boats to mr Higginbotham. Accept my affectionate salutations. MHi : Coolidge Collection.
859From Thomas Jefferson to Wilson Cary Nicholas, 20 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 18th. is duly recieved. be assured that I value no act of friendship so highly as the communicating facts to me which I am not in the way of knowing otherwise, and could not therefore otherwise guard against. I have had too many proofs of your friendship not to be sensible of the kindness of these communications, and to recieve them with peculiar obligation. the reciept of mr...
860From Thomas Jefferson to Caspar Wistar, 20 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 12th. is recieved. Congress I think will rise in about three weeks, say about the 11th. of April and I shall leave this 5. or 6 days after on a visit of some length to Monticello. this illy accords with your journey to the Westward in May. but can you not separate your excursion to this place from the Western journey? between Philadelphia & this place is but two days, & the roads...
861From Thomas Jefferson to Caesar Augustus Rodney, 18 March 1808 (Madison Papers)
Th: Jefferson asks the favor of the heads of departments and Atty Genl to meet to-day at 12. oclock on a consultation. Catalog--Paul C. Richards Autographs.
862From Thomas Jefferson to Caesar Augustus Rodney, 18 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson asks the favor of the heads of departments and Atty. Genl. to meet to-day at 12. aclock on a consultation. Privately owned.
863From Thomas Jefferson to United States Senate, 18 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I nominate George Hodges of Massachusets to be Surveyor for the port of Salem. Robert Wickliff of Kentucky to be Attorney for the United States in the district of Kentucky. Hugh Lawson White of Tennissee to be Attorney for the United States in the district of East Tennissee. Return Jonathan Meigs, now agent for the US. with the Cherokees to be Commissioner to attend a negotiation & treaty...
864From Thomas Jefferson to United States Congress, 18 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
The scale on which the military academy at West point was originally established is become too limited to furnish the number of well instructed subjects in the different branches of artillery and engineering, which the public service calls for. the want of such characters is already sensibly felt, and will be increased with the enlargement of our plans of military preparation. the Chief...
865From Thomas Jefferson to William Duane, 17 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed case of Thos. Norris I first observed in the Aurora, and consider it a duty to have it enquired into,& on obtaining credible testimony, to make it the subject of representations to the British government. as I imagine he must have applied to you with his papers, could you find means to invite him to send me his own affidavit in due form, with as many others as he can procure to...
866From Thomas Jefferson to Albert Gallatin, 17 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I think it will be impossible to form general rules for carrying into execution the 7th. section of the law of Mar. 12. without a fuller view of the number and nature of the cases which are to come under it. I have waited in expectation the applications would multiply so as to give one a general view, but have recieved but about half a dozen. but indeed nothing short of a knolege of all the...
867From Thomas Jefferson to United States Congress, 17 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I have heretofore communicated to Congress the decrees of the government of France of November 21. 1806. and of Spain of Feb. 19. 1807. with the orders of the British government of January & November 1807. I now transmit a decree of the emperor of France of Dec. 17. 1807. and a Similar decree of the 3d. of January last of his Catholic majesty: with the letter of our Charge des affaires at...
868From Thomas Jefferson to George Jefferson, 15 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a bill of lading for 12. packages sent from here on the 12th. instant by the sloop Miranda, Tooker. as the first 7. of the packages contain groceries I must pray you to entrust them to the most faithful of the boatmen returning to Milton. I expect Congress will rise the first or second week of April, and that soon after that I shall be able to make a short trip to Monticello. I...
869From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Henry Latrobe, 15 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his compliments to mr Latrobe and returns his report in which he will find some notes. they respect to a misplacing of the expences of the roads on the North & South sides of the President’s lot to the debet of the fund of 15000. D. for the Pr’s house & lot, instead of charging it to the fund of 3000. D. for avenues and roads. 2. a special statement of the account of the...
870From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 15 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
You will see in the public papers an account of proceedings of the legislature at Lancaster, which you will not understand without explanation. the members in Caucus have named electors of President & V. President without saying whom they are to vote for. the fact is this. the Democrats had more at heart the election of Snyder for Governor than any thing else. the Feds named Ross. the Quids...