61To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 13 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
I recieved yesterday the inclosed letter & papers from Governor Mercer, requesting my approbation of the relinquishment of a part of their claim to bank stock in England in order to obtain the residue. This it seems is required by an act of the legislature of Maryland, but with what view, or to what end I am unapprised, never having seen the act. It cannot certainly be with a view to raise any...
62To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 16 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 13th. came to hand yesterday. I now return Paine’s Duane’s Lear’s, Simpson’s & Toulman’s letters, and the two protests on impressment by a British and a French armed vessel. I am glad of the latter, as it will serve as a set-off against French complaints on the British trespasses on us. But the former is an afflicting subject. With every disposition to render them all...
63To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 18 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
I inclose you two letters from Rob. R. Livingston. That of the 2d. of June is just intelligible enough in the uncyphered parts to create anxieties which perhaps the cypher may remove. I communicate them for your information, & shall be glad to recieve them decyphered. I infer that the less we say about constitutional difficulties respecting Louisiana the better, and that what is necessary for...
64To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
Your two favors of the 18th. & 20th. were recieved on the 21st. The letters of Livingston & Monroe are sent to mr. Gallatin as you proposed. That of Simpson to mr. Smith for the purpose of execution. All of them will be returned. Thornton’s, Clarke’s, Charles Pinckney’s, Graham’s, Appleton’s, Davis’s, Mitchell’s, Newton’s, & Derieux’ letters are now inclosed. With respect to the impressment of...
65To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 29 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
By the last post I recieved & forwarded your letter to Duane, in which there was nothing but what was safe and proper. Duane is honest, & well intentioned, but over zealous. These qualities harmonise with him a great portion of the republican body. He deserves therefore all the just & favorable attentions which can properly be shewn him. By the same post I recieve from the collector of Norfolk...
66To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 14 September 1803 (Madison Papers)
I now return you the several papers recieved by the last post, except those solliciting office, which as usual, are put into my bundle of like papers. I think it possible that Spain, recollecting our former eagerness for the island of N. Orleans, may imagine she can, by a free delivery of that, redeem the residue of Louisiana: and that she may withold the peaceable cession of it. In that case...
67To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 9 November 1803 (Madison Papers)
I inclose you Clarke’s memoranda. The following articles seem proper for Executive attention. An instrument vesting in the Collector of Natchez the powers of the Administrator, Treasurer & Contador. Instructions to Claiborne to suppress useless offices to remove any existing officers. to appoint others. It would be well these could go by next post. Would it not be well to send in what...
68To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 9 April 1804 (Madison Papers)
I wrote yesterday to Genl. Dearborne on the subject of intruders on the public lands in Louisiana, inclosing a note to each of the heads of department asking them to give me their opinions thereon separately. I did this by way of beginning the practice of separate consultation, which a host of considerations satisfy me is a very salutary & useful one to be resorted to occasionally. The...
69To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 9 April 1804 (Madison Papers)
Will you be so good as to consult with the other members of the administration on the allowance to be made to Govr. Claiborne? There are several elements of consideration to be attended to, towit, as to his character 1. as Governor of Missisipi. 2. Commissioner for the receipt of Louisiana. 3. as Governor of Louisiana: as to the funds from which his compensation is to be taken, to wit 1. the...
70To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 13 April 1804 (Madison Papers)
I recieved by last post mr. Gallatin’s observations on Dr. Stevens’s case. His outworks are stronger than his main citadel: that is to say, on the 1st. and great question which involves important principle, he yields a good deal, and presents no views of the residue which are new and difficult. But on his 2d. & 3d questions relative to evidence he is truly strong, and his preliminary...
71To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 April 1804 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 9th. was recieved on the 13th. and can only be answered by tomorrow’s post, the ordinary course requiring 9. or 10. days from writing a letter to the reciept of it’s answer. I return you the exequatur unsigned, but have signed a blank paper to submit to your consideration the port which shall be inserted in it. The one filled up with Natchez admits that a consulship for...
72To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 17 April 1804 (Madison Papers)
I recieved yesterday your letter of the 12th. and now return the letters it covered. I recieved also thro’ mr Gallatin, Govr. Claiborne’s information to you that he had chartered a state bank at N. Orleans. As the act of Congress for a bank there, & the Charter of the Bank of the US. renders Claiborne’s charter a nullity, he should revoke it on that ground, as given before information was...
73To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 23 April 1804 (Madison Papers)
I return by this mail the letters &c recieved with yours of the 15th. I think with you that a cordial answer should be given to mr. Merry on the orders he communicated, altho’ they were merely the correction of an injusti⟨ce.⟩ Would to god that nation would so far be just in her conduct; as that we might with honor give her that friendship it is so much our interest to ⟨bear⟩ her. She is now a...
74To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 27 April 1804 (Madison Papers)
Your’s of the 19th. is recieved and the papers accompanying it are returned. I am sorry that Russell declines the Consulship of Tunis, for, as declining it, we must consider the acquiescence under our wishes on the grounds & for the short time he has expressed. Whom shall we send? It will be a pity to lose the opportunity of his passage in the frigates; & yet I fear we shall. With respect to...
75Memorandum from Thomas Jefferson, 29 May 1804 (Madison Papers)
Tomson J. Skinner of Massachusets to be Commissioner of loans for Massachus⟨etts.⟩ William Few of New York to be Commissioner of loans for New York Daniel Humphreys of New Hampshire to be Atty. for the US. in the district of New Ha⟨mpshire.⟩ Thomas Rutter of Maryland to be Marshal for the district of Maryland. Joshua Prentiss of Massachusets to be Surveyor of the of Marblehead and Inspector of...
76To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 June 1804 (Madison Papers)
Can mr. King’s report in his dispatch No. 57. Dec. 10. 97. be seen? The question is whether it was worth £50. sterl. Every person who undertakes to expend money for secret service, must take on themselves the risk of being approved or not by the government, on view of the nature of the service, which can only be judged by a knolege of what it was. This kind of expenditure is susceptible of...
77To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 June 1804 (Madison Papers)
The inclosed case respecting the construction of a treaty merits good consideration. Can broad words in a treaty be controuled by narrower in a law? And is it certain the law here intended to controul? Reason & probability is against it. RC ( DLC ). Jefferson probably enclosed Gallatin’s letter to him of 23 June 1804 ( DLC : Jefferson Papers; 5 pp.), which discussed “a right claimed by Spanish...
78To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 5 July 1804 (Madison Papers)
The case of St. Julien ought certainly to be put on trial. The local judge must decide 1. whether crimes committed against the nation of Louisiana under it’s former organisation, can be punished under it’s present one? and 2. whether St. Julien is guilty? The 1st. question will be forced on them by other cases, & may therefore as well be met at once. But we should leave the party at liberty...
79To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 5 July 1804 (Madison Papers)
We did not collect the sense of our brethren the other day by regular questions, but as far as I could understand from what was said it appeared to be 1. that an acknolegement of our right to the Perdido is a sine quo non, and no price to be given for it. 2. no absolute & perpetual relinquishment of right is to be made of the country East of the Rio bravo del Norte, even in exchange for...
80To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 6 July 1804 (Madison Papers)
In conversation with mr. Gallatin yesterday as to what might be deemed the result of our Tuesday’s conferences, he seemed to have understood the former opinion as not changed, to wit that for the Floridas East of Perdido might be given not only the 2. millions of dollars and a margin to remain unsettled, but an absolute relinquishment from the North river to the bay of St. Bernard and Colorado...
81To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 14 July 1804 (Madison Papers)
The inclosed reclamations of Girod & Chote against the claims of Bapstropp to a monopoly of the Indian commerce supposed to be under the protection of the 3d article of the Louisiana convention, as well as some other claims to abusive grants, will probably force us to meet that question. The article has been worded with remarkeable caution on the part of our negociators. It is that the...
82To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 27 July 1804 (Madison Papers)
I inclose you Story’s oration that you may be enabled to take his measure. Be so good as to return it. I retain the letter of E. Livingston urging the validity of Baron Bastrop’s monopoly of the Indian commerce for 10. years, because I presume it may be proper to lay it before Congress. The postmaster at Washington ⟨wr⟩ites me that during our recess the post will come 3. times a week, the 3d....
83To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 3 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
I inclose you the S. Carolina ratification of the amendment to the constitution, & presume it possible that in a week more you may recieve that of Tennisee, after which I suppose no time should be lost in publishing officially the final ratification. Prevost accepts the office of judge of the Orleans territory, & Dickerson that of Attorney. But as J. T. M. declines the place of A. G. US. can...
84To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 7 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
Your’s of the 4th. came to hand last night & I now return you the letters of Livingston, Bourne, Lee, Lynch, Villandry & mr. King. Stewart’s is retained for communication with the P. M. Genl. I send also for your perusal the letter of a mr. Farquhar of Malta. Mr. Livingston’s letters (two short ones excepted) being all press-copies & very bad ones, I can make nothing distinct of them. When...
85To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
Your letter dated the 7th. should probably have been of the 14th. as I received it only by that day’s post. I return you Monroe’s letter, which is of an awful complexion; and I do not wonder the communication it contains made some impression on him. To a person placed in Europe, surrounded by the immense resources of the nations there, and the greater wickedness of their courts, even the...
86To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 16 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have this day written to mr. Wagner to send me the commissions for the Orleans territory with blanks for names & dates. The following is the arrangement, which I sketch for your consideration. Governor. Claiborne Secretary. James Brown. written to. Judges of Superr court. Pinkney Kirby. written to Prevost. accepts District judge. Hall. written to Attorney. Dickerson. If Pinkney should...
87To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 18 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 13th. 14th. and 16th. were recieved in the evening of the 16th. I now return you the papers which accompanied them, to wit, the letters of Armstrong, Merry, Monroe, Claiborne, Sevier, Rhea, Clinton, Jones, Vail, Airth Skipwith, the Paris Commissioners, Livingston, Gavino, Wickelhousen, Swan, and Bp. Madison. A more disgusting correspondence between men of sense, than that of...
88To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 19 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
In a conversation with mr. Granger not long before we left Washington he mentioned that he was about to establish a post line from Natchez to New Orleans, and must place an office at Baton rouge. I told him that that should have good previous consideration in the present jealous state of the Spanish officers; that perhaps they might even stop our mail carrier. I heard no more of it till last...
89To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 23 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 18th. & 21st. are recieved, and I now return the papers of Davis, Cathalan, Mansfield, Fitzsimmons, Claiborne, Pichon, Rufini, Wiggenton, Wilson, Lamson, Ridgway, Irving, Barney, & Joy. The situation of the indemnification for the Tunisian property taken by Morris has escaped my present recollection. I take for granted we have been guilty of no unnecessary delay; as were we to go...
90To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 6 September 1804 (Madison Papers)
Should we not write to the Governors of S. Carolina & Georgia to furnish us without delay with authentic statements of the illegalities said to have been committed in their harbours by one or more French privateers? As the proceedings of the British vessels at N. York must be laid before Congress to found measures of coercion, peaceable & of force, by giving in the facts relative to the French...