1From John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, 20 February 1801 (Adams Papers)
In order to save you the trouble and expence of purchasing horses & carriages, which will not be necessary, I have to inform you that I shall leave in the stables of the United States seven horses and two carriages with harness the property of the United States. These may not be suitable for you, but they will certainly save you a considerable expence as they belong to the studd of the...
2From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 2 August 1797 (Madison Papers)
At the desire of Mr. Bringhurst I forward him to Monticello; and make use of the opportunity, the first that has offered, to return you the pamphlet you were so kind as to leave with me. I add to it a late Fredg. paper which has got hold of some important articles of later date than were brought by the last post, and which may therefore be new to you as they were to me. I have had nothing from...
3From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 5 August 1797 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 3d. arrived safe yesterday. I will converse with Col. Monroe, as you desire, on the subject of his letter to you, & listen to all his reasons for the opinion he gives. My present conviction is opposed to it. I have viewed the subject pretty much in the light you do. I consider it moreover as a ticklish experiment to say publickly yes or no to the interrogatories of party spirit....
4From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 24 August 1797 (Madison Papers)
The inclosed letter for Mr. B. came to my hands last week; but not till the opportunity by the then mail was lost. I hear nothing of Monroe but thro’ the Newspapers containing his correspondence with Pickering. As that appears to have been closed on the 31st. of last month, I am in hourly expectation of seeing him. I am also without any late information with respect to the progress of the...
5From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 20 October 1797 (Madison Papers)
I recd the inclosed pamphlet from Col. Monroe with a request that it might be returned to you. The publication under all its characters is a curious specimen of the ingenious folly of its author. Next to the error of publishing at all, is that of forgetting that simplicity & candor are the only dress which prudence would put on innocence. Here we see every rhetorical artifice employed to...
6From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 25 October 1797 (Madison Papers)
I am placed under circumstances which make it proper I should inform you that Mr. Knapp of Philada. is a candidate for the office of Treasr. to the Mint, vacated by the death of Dr. Way, and is particularly anxious that you should be possessed of that fact, and of the testimony I may be able to give as to his qualifications & character. During several of the last Winters I spent in Phida. Mr....
7From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 25 December 1797 (Madison Papers)
I have let Col. Monroe know that you was furnished with a draught on a House in Philada. for 250 drs. & finding that it would be convenient to him, have authorised him to draw on you for that sum. I have also given him a draught on Genl. Moylan, of which the inclosed is a letter of advice. I reserve the note of Bailey towards covering the advance made by you, unless it should be otherwise...
8From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 21 January 1798 (Madison Papers)
When your favor of the 3d. instant arrived I was on a journey to the neighbourhood of Richmond, from which I did not return till the 18th. The mail on the day following brought me the packet of Newspapers under your cover. Col. Bell has written me, that the nails ordered as stated in my last to you, are all ready for me. I had not requested them to be prepared in parcells as I shall use them,...
9From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 12 February 1798 (Madison Papers)
The last mail brought neither letters nor papers from Philada. By the preceding one I recd. your favor of Jany. 24. and a bundle of the Gazettes down to the 25th. inclusive, with an omission only of that of the 23d. which it may be proper for you to supply in order to keep your Sett entire. Your account of the probable posture of the negociation at Paris, is less decisively unfavorable than...
10From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, [ca. 18 February] 1798 (Madison Papers)
Since my last I have recd. yours of Feby. 8. with a continuation of the Gazettes down to that date, with the exception only mentioned already, of the gazette of Jany. 23. I am glad to find the public opinion to be taking the turn you describe on the subject of arming. For the public opinion alone can now save us from the rash measures of our hot-heated [ sic ] Executive; it being evident from...
11From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 4 March 1798 (Madison Papers)
Your two favors of the 15 & 22 Ult: came to hand by friday’s mail. I can wait without inconvenience for the Sprigs &c. till you return & reestablish your Cutting machine. Mr. Tazewell’s Speech is really an able one in defence of his proposition to associate juries with the Senate in cases of impeachment. His views of the subject are so new to me, that I ought not to decide on them without more...
12From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 12 March 1798 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your favor of Mar: 2. with a continuation of the Gazettes, with an omission however of Feby. 23. I apprized you before of a like omission of Jany. 23. I think the Whigs acted very properly in attending the Birthnight on the principle of appropriating it to the person and not to the office of the late President. It is a pity that the nonattendance of the adamites is not presented...
13From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 2 April 1798 (Madison Papers)
Since my last I am in debt for your two favors of the 15th. & 22, the Gazettes of the 3. 67 & 8 Ulto, with a regular continuation to the 22d—two statements from the Treasury Department, and Payne’s letter to the French people & armies. The President’s message is only a further developement to the public, of the violent passions, & heretical politics, which have been long privately known to...
14From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 15 April 1798 (Madison Papers)
My last answered yours of the 21. since which I recd. on friday last your three favors of the 29 Ult. of Apl. 5 & 6. I have no reason to suspect that any of your letters have miscarried, or been opened by the way. I am less able to say whether mine have all reached you, as I have generally written them in haste, & neglected to keep a note of their dates. I will thank you to mention in your...
15From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 22 April 1798 (Madison Papers)
My last was on the 15th. and acknowledged your preceding letters. I have since recd. that of the 12. under the same cover with the Gazettes; and the instructions & despatches, under a separate cover. The interruptions of company added to the calls of business have not left me time as yet to read over the whole of those papers. A glance at them, with the abstracts given of their contents, fully...
16From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 29 April 1798 (Madison Papers)
My last was on the 22d. Yours recd. by the last mail was of the 19th. instant. The despatches have not yet come sufficiently to the knowledge of the bulk of the people to decide the impression which is to result from them. As far as I can infer from the language of the few who have read the Newspapers, there will be a general agreement as to the improper views of our own Executive party,...
17From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 5 May 1798 (Madison Papers)
I have to thank you for your favor of the 26th Ult: My last was of the 29th. The success of the War party in turning the Despatches to their inflammatory views is a mortifying item agst. the enlightened character of our Citizens. The analysis of the Despatches by Sidney, can not fail to be an effectual antidote, if any appeal to sober reflexion can prevail agst occurrences which are constantly...
18From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 13 May 1798 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your favor of the 3d. instant. My last acknowledged your preceding one. The successful use of the Despatches in kindling a flame among the people, and of the flame in extending taxes armies & prerogative, are solemn lessons which I hope will have their proper effect when the infatuation of the moment is over. The management of foreign relations appears to be the most susceptible...
19From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 20 May 1798 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 3d. was acknowledged in my last. I am now to thank you for that of the 10th. You must ascribe my inaccuracy as to the locks & hinges partly to myself, & partly to my workman. Four of the doors will be thick eno’ for mortise locks which I accordingly prefer, and of the quality which you think best. Three of the doors will be about 1¼ inch thick only. If this thickness be...
20From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 27 May 1798 (Madison Papers)
I have duly recd. yours of the 17th. accompanied by the Direct tax bill which I have not yet been able to run thro’. Every thing I perceive is carried as the war party chuse. They will of course be the more responsible for consequences. The disposition to continue the Session is a proof that the operation of the irritating proceedings here on those of France is expected to furnish fresh fuel...
21From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 3 June 1798 (Madison Papers)
Friday’s mail brought me your favor of May 24. The letter from S. Bourne had previously reached us thro’ a Fredg. paper. It is corroborated I find by several accounts from different sources. These rays in the prospect will if I can judge from the sensations in this quarter, have an effect on the people very different from that which appears in the public counsels. Whilst it was expected that...
22From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 10 June 1798 (Madison Papers)
I have duly recd. your favor of 31 Ult: & am glad to find mine are recd. as regularly as yours. The law for capturing French privateers may certainly be deemed a formal commencement of hostilities, and renders all hope of peace vain, unless a progress in amicable arrangements at Paris not to be expected, should have secured it agst. the designs of our Govermt. If the Bill suspending commerce...
23From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 31 October 1798 (Madison Papers)
I return the draught recd. by the last post, with one or two very small alterations. The interlineated “or an allotted portion thereof,” means to suggest that the whole no. might be so great as to beget objections to the expence which are always formidable in such cases. I have doubted whether the terms “ordinary” & “extraordinary” sufficiently marked the boundary between the power of the...
24From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 11 December 1798 (Madison Papers)
According to your favor by Mr. Richardson, I expect the pleasure of seeing you in the course of the present Week. Be so good as to bring a memorandum from your nailery of the amount of my debt to it. I had hoped that you were possessed of the aid of Mr. Chuning & his young men, but the Bearer Mr. W. Whitten tells me the contrary. Mr. C. left this saturday was two weeks, & promised to ride up...
25From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 29 December 1798 (Madison Papers)
I inclose a draught on Genl. Moylan out of which you will be pleased to pay yourself the price of the Nails £48–11.3. Va. Cy. to let Barnes have as much as will discharge the balance I owe him, & to let what may remain lie till I write you again. The P.’s speech corresponds pretty much with the idea of it which was preconceived. It is the old song with no other variation of the tune than the...
26From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 12 January 1799 (Madison Papers)
According to a promise in my last, I inclose a copy of the rates at which McGeehee works. I inclose also a few observations on a subject which we have frequently talked of, which are submitted to your entire disposal, in whole or in part, under the sole reserve of the name of the author. In Gordon’s History Vol. IV p. 399–400, is a transaction that may perhaps be properly referred to in the...
27From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 25 January 1799 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your favor of the 3d. inst: but not till the day before yesterday. The same mail brought me two parcels of the Newspapers, one of which was due two mails & the other one mail sooner. The papers due at the time did not come. You see therefore the uncertain footing of the conveyance. I should be more willing to ascribe the delays to the season of the year, if there were not proofs...
28From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 8 February 1799 (Madison Papers)
I did not receive your last favor of the 16th. Ulto. till the Mail after it was due, with the further delay of its coming by the way of Charlottesville. The last Mail brought me not a single Newspaper, tho’ it was before in arrears. That there is foul play with them I have no doubt. When it really happens that the entire mass cannot be conveyed, I suspect that the favorite papers are selected,...
29From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 28 August 1799 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 28 August 1799. Listed in JM’s record of letters written to Jefferson (DLC: Rives Collection, Madison Papers) as well as Jefferson’s Epistolary Record (DLC: Jefferson Papers).
30From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 2 November 1799 (Madison Papers)
The Bearer Mr. Polk is a Portrait Painter & a kinsman of Mr. Peale of Philada. He visits Monticello with a wish to be favored with a few hours of your sitting for his pencil. Having no acquaintance with you he asks the aid of a line towards obtaining one, and this will be presented to you for the purpose. With perfect sincerity I am yours RC ( IGK ). Docketed by Jefferson, “recd Nov. ⟨3⟩.”...