To Thomas Jefferson from James Monroe, 6 November 1800
From James Monroe
Richmond Novr. 6. 1800
Dear Sir
Mr. Ervin will present you this, who is already known to you under the honorable testimonial of Saml. Adams. He wishes to visit Mr. Madison on his return to this place, to whom it may be of use for you to give him a line of introduction. The republican ticket has had complete success in this quarter. In Prince George the vote for it was 197. while it was only 9. for the opposit one. In this city it had a majority, and of the 5. or six counties we have heard from, the majority was in the proportion of at least 5. for 1. in each, or rather the most unfavorable one. I send you the letters of Mr. Skipwith and Fenwick wh. support the statment in the paper I gave Mr. R. If they will be of any use retain them; if not inclose them to Mr. Madison to be returned me, by Mr. Ervin. Sincerely I am yr. friend and servant
Jas. Monroe
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 7 Nov. and recorded in SJL as received 6 Nov. Enclosures not found (see below).
Mr. Ervin will present you this: one purpose of George W. Erving’s visit to Virginia was to warn of the consequences should Burr and TJ receive the same number of electoral votes. Erving advocated giving some of Virginia’s votes to a candidate other than Burr, but by the time Erving saw Madison after his visit to Monticello he no longer pressed that view. Madison, and presumably TJ, thought that a tie would be easily resolved by the House of Representatives in TJ’s favor (,190–1; ,17:431, 434–5).
For the testimonial of Samuel Adams, see his letter to TJ of 31 Jan. 1800.
From Fulwar Skipwith and Joseph Fenwick Monroe had received commentaries about the prospects and status of the negotiations between the French government and the American envoys. Fenwick, who sailed from Bordeaux for the United States on the first of September, carried a piece that he had written and published in France as well as a letter from Skipwith to Monroe. Skipwith and Fenwick claimed as sources, in some cases indirectly, Volney, Moreau de St. Méry, Pierre Louis Roederer, and Joseph Bonaparte. As expressed by Madison, Skipwith’s letter, if “thrown into an unexceptionable form,” might “produce reflections suitable to the crisis of our affairs with France.” Soon after Monroe sent the communications to TJ for his and Madison’s appraisal, word arrived in the United States of the convention completing the negotiations with France (,17:434; Fenwick to Monroe, 22 Oct., 8, 22 Nov. 1800, in DLC: Monroe Papers).