1From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 3 July 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have had the honor of receiving your letter of the 28th. Ult with the several papers under the same cover. On a recurrence to mine of the 25 to which it replies you will find that you have erred in supposing me to have said that the Mayor of New York, at the time of the order concerning the Pilots, had neither notice nor knowledge of any intention in the British Commander to proceed...
2From James Madison to Anthony Merry, [10] January 1806 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. the letter in which you have done me the honor to communicate for the information of this Govt that his Britannic Majesty has directed a discontinuance of the Blockade at the entrance of the rivers Elbe & Weser. Considering communications from your Govt. on such occasions, as made with a view to relieve our merchants from the uncertainty they might otherwise be under, whether on...
3From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 22 May 1804 (Madison Papers)
It is remarked in your Letter with which I was yesterday honoured, “that since the general Law of Nations with Respect to the Case in Question (notwithstanding that the Law of the United States by which it is established, in speaking of the Servants of public Ministers, expresses no Exception in Regard to Persons of Colour) is not considered by the American Government as paramount to the local...
4From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 28 March 1805 (Madison Papers)
In Proportion to the Frequency of Outrages committed since the Commencement of the present War by British armed Vessels upon the Vessels of the United States, they have in few Instances only been presented to your Attention. The Representations which have been so repeatedly addressed to your Government with a View to a general Remedy, and the Use we have made of Agents, employed in some of the...
5From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 16 July 1805 (Madison Papers)
¶ To Anthony Merry. Letter not found. 16 July 1805. Described in the index to Notes to Foreign Ministers and Consuls as “relative to the French privateer Les Amies” ( DNA : RG 59, Notes to Foreign Ministers and Consuls, vol. 1). For Les Amies, see Merry to JM , 9 July 1805 (second letter), and nn.
6From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 28 August 1806 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To Anthony Merry. 28 August 1806, Department of State. “You will receive herewith Duplicate Copies of a Protection, proving the Citizenship and describing the person of Robt Smith , which was granted to the said Smith by the Collector of the Customs at Philadelphia on the l9th May 1797. From a late Communication to this office, it appears that this man had been recently impressed into the...
7From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 25 February 1806 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To Anthony Merry. 25 February 1806, Department of State. “You will receive herewith Duplicate Copies of authentic Documents in relation to Oliver Child & Ellery King, two American seamen, impressed by his Britannic Majesty’s Ship of war, the Vengeance, Cruizing off Charleston, S.C, from the Am: Ship Andromache, Jn D Wolf Master, on her passage to Havanna from Bristol in R Island. As they are...
8From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 14 June 1805 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 14 June 1805 . Calendared in the index to the State Department notes to foreign legations as “relative to sundry impressments &c &c” ( DNA : RG 59, Notes to Foreign Ministers and Consuls, vol. 1); described in Merry’s 17 June 1805 reply as referring to the brig Happy Couple .
9From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 11 November 1805 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To Anthony Merry. 11 November 1805, Department of State. “I beg leave to trouble with Duplicate Copies of a Document concerning James Gunnill, who appears to have been lately impressed into the British Ship of War Cambrian, which is supposed to be at this time on the American Coast, or at Halifax, to which is added the Copy of a letter from the said Gunnell to General Mason of George Town;...
10From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 27 January 1806 [letter not found] (Madison Papers)
¶ To Anthony Merry. Letter not found. 27 January 1806. Mentioned in Anthony Merry to JM , 29 Jan. 1806 , as dealing with the impressment of Nathaniel Small and John Hines.
11From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 5 September 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have had the Honor to receive your Letter of the 24th. Ult: representing that the American Ship Eugenia, having been detained by the British Ship of War Leander, was rescued on her Passage to Halifax, whether [ sic ] she had been ordered for Adjudication, out of the Hands of the Captors, and carried to New York, and expressing your Expectation that the necessary Steps will be pursued by the...
12From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 21 December 1803 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 21 December 1803. Mentioned in Merry to Hawkesbury, 31 Dec. 1803 (PRO: Foreign Office, ser. 5, 41:60–61), as a request “to have a Conversation with me at his Office on the following Day.” For Merry’s report on the meeting, see JM to Merry, 24 Dec. 1803, n. 4 and JM to Monroe, 26 Dec. 1803, n. 4 .
13From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 7 January 1806 (Madison Papers)
I have the Honor to acknowledge the Receipt of your Letter of Yesterday’s Date, respecting the Proceedings at St. Mary’s in Relation to the Ship Esther and her Cargo, and to inclose you a Copy of the Orders given to the Collector of the Customs upon the Subject, which you will doubtless look upon as a fresh Proof of the scrupulous Regard of the President for the Neutrality always observed by...
14From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 20 May 1805 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 20 May 1805 . Calendared in the index to the State Department notes to foreign legations as “enclosing an Exequatur” ( DNA : RG 59, Notes to Foreign Ministers and Consuls, vol. 1). On the same day JM sent a similar letter and enclosure, also not found, to Louis-Marie Turreau (ibid.). The exequatur sent to Merry was for Andrew Allen Jr., British consul at Boston for...
15From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 29 January 1806 (Madison Papers)
I have been duly honored with your several letters, two of the 7th. another of the 8th. Instant. In one of those of the 7th. a Claim is advanced in Behalf of British Subjects, under the third and the additional Articles of the Treaty of 1794, to extend their Commerce with the Indians, to the Tribes dwelling within the Territory lately acquired by the United States beyond the Mississippi. As...
16From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 26 February 1805 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 26 February 1805 . Calendared in the index to the State Department notes to foreign legations as “relative to the Brig Active” ( DNA : RG 59, Notes to Foreign Ministers and Consuls, vol. 1). For the Active, see Anthony Merry to JM, 12 Oct. 1804 , and Claiborne to JM, 26 Nov. 1804 ( PJM-SS, Robert J. Brugger et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison: Secretary of State Series...
17From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 24 December 1803 (Madison Papers)
I have received from the Collector at one of our Ports a copy of an American Ships Register, on which is endorsed as follows: “Every port in the Island of St. Domingo being in a state of blockade by His Britannic Majesty’s Squadron, you are hereby warned off from that Island, and if seen or found within three leagues of the land after the date of this, you will be made a prize off [ sic ]....
18From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 29 September 1806 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To Anthony Merry. 29 September 1806, Department of State. “I do myself the Honor of troubling you with Duplicate Copies of two Depositions, the first of Mary Bell and the other of Thomas Bird, which the friends of Robt Smith, the Impressed seaman in whose behalf I had the Honor of writing to you on the 28th Ult, have just forwarded to this office, in Consequence of a suggestion in your favor...
19From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 11 June 1805 (Madison Papers)
I have the Honor to enclose Copies of the Instructions which the President has caused to be issued to the Marshals and Collectors respectively, who may have Occasion to execute certain Provisions in the Act “for the more effectual Preservation of Peace in the Ports and Harbours of the United States, and in the Waters under their Jurisdiction,” of which Act a Copy is also enclosed. It is...
20From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 30 July 1805 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To Anthony Merry. 30 July 1805, Department of State. “I beg leave to trouble you with Duplicate Copies of a Document concerning Benjamin Moore, who appears to have been impressed into the British frigate Leander, which is supposed to be still somewhere on the American Coast; and to ask the Interposition of your good Offices, to effect the release of this man, whose Citizenship is fully...
21From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 3 June 1806 (Madison Papers)
Having transmitted to the President your Letter of the 22nd. ult, communicating the Resolution of your Government to establish a Blockade of the Rivers, Ems, Weser, Elbe and Trave, I have the Honor now, in Pursuance of his Sentiments, to observe, that as a Blockade essentially implies a Force on the Spot for the Purpose, and as the Notification required in the Case, must be a Warning to...
22From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 6 May 1806 (Madison Papers)
The Misconduct of several British Ships of War, near the Harbour of New York, particularly the Leander, by a Ball from which an American Seaman on board a Coasting Vessel within the Jurisdiction of the United States, lost his Life, having been made the Subject of a Conversation with which you favored me a few Days ago, I take the Liberty of inclosing you a Copy of a Letter to the Mayor of New...
23From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 19 May 1804 (Madison Papers)
Your Letters of the 4th and 11th Inst. were laid before the President on his Arrival at the Seat of Government, and I have now the Honour to assure you, in Pursuance of his Direction, that the Interest which the United States have in common with other Nations, in the Immunities attached to public Ministers, is seconded by his Disposition to maintain them in all their legal Extent. The...
24From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 17 October 1805 (Madison Papers)
I have the Honor to enclose Copies of a Letter from Messrs. Johnston, Pringle and Sherlock of Baltimore, owners of the Schooner Hannah Maria and her Cargo, and of the Deposition of Mr. A. S. Thomas of Baltimore referred to therein, exhibiting the Circumstances of the Detention of that Vessel by the British Ship of War Diana. It must be evident that whatsoever might be the Cause or the Pretext,...
25From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 2 November 1804 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 2 November 1804. Calendared in the index to the State Department notes to foreign legations as “enclosing certain documents relative to Mr. Wallace’s apt. as British Consul at Savannah” (DNA: RG 59, Notes to Foreign Ministers and Consuls, vol. 1).
26From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 16 July 1805 (Madison Papers)
I have had the Honor to receive your Letter of the 9th. Instant respecting the Brigantine Transfer. By Information remaining in the Navy Department it appears, that though a Sale is ordered by an Interlocutory Decree, yet—Time has been given for a Claimant to appear until the next Term, before which Time no Distribution can be made of the Proceeds. It also appears, that before she was...
27From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 1 July 1806 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To Anthony Merry. 1 July 1806, Department of State. “You will receive herewith copies of authentic documents, which prove the Citizenship of Smith Musgrove, an American Seaman, who is stated to be detained on board H. B. M. Ship of War the Cambrian: permit me therefore to ask the favor of you to interpose with the Officer commanding her to procure the discharge of this man.” FC ( DNA : RG...
28From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 23 April 1805 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 23 April 1805 . Calendared in the index to the State Department notes to foreign legations as “relative to further impressments” ( DNA : RG 59, Notes to Foreign Ministers and Consuls, vol. 1), and described in Merry to JM, 25 Apr. 1805 , as respecting the impressment of a seaman from the American sloop Semiramis, and the “Visiting, for the Object of Impressment,” of the...
29From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 25 June 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have had the honor to receive and have laid before the President your letter dated on yesterday, complaining of the steps taken at New York for detaining certain British Ships of War, until 24 hours should have succeeded the departure of certain French Ships; notwithstanding the desire of the British Commander to proceed to Sea, before the time notified by the French Commander for the...
30From James Madison to Anthony Merry, 9 November 1805 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ To Anthony Merry. 9 November 1805, Department of State. “I beg leave to trouble you with Duplicate Copies of two Documents concerning John Harl⟨a⟩; n, who appears to have been impressed into the British Ship of war, Petterell, which is supposed to be at this time on the American Coast, off the Harbor of Charleston, in South Carolina; and to ask the Interposition of your good Offices, to...