1To James Madison from John Dawson, 23 January 1794 (Madison Papers)
On yesterday I recievd your letter of the 15. & on the day before wrote to you. The opposition made to the resolutions which you presented to the house can only arise from the two causes which you mention, & from the spirit of that party, which I am persuaded is ever ready to sacrifice the interest of the country, for the advancement of individuals. I trust it will prove abortive. If it does...
2To James Madison from John Dawson, 10 July 1797 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 10 July 1797. Mentioned in JM to Jefferson, 2 Aug. 1797 . Informs JM that James Monroe should be in Virginia within two weeks.
3To James Madison from John Dawson, 2 March 1794 (Madison Papers)
The last evenings stage brought me your letter & a paper of the 21. of the last month. Before it was not doubted here, that M. Fauchet was appointed to succeed Genet—had arrivd with the fleet at Norfolk & immediately proceeded on to Pha. & yet by the paper of the 21. it appears that he has not arrivd, & doubts are started as to this appointment. This affair appears involvd in some obscurity,...
4To James Madison from John Dawson, 6 December 1793 (Madison Papers)
Your session no doubt commencd on the last monday & the communications which you will have it in your power to make to your friends for some time will be very interesting. I feel great anxiety to learn what direction the politiks of the present congress will take & must solicit a renewal of our correspondence. The general assembly will probably adjourn in two days. Those resolutions relative...
5To James Madison from John Dawson, 28 June 1807 (Madison Papers)
The recent outrage near our capes has excited an indignant feeling which extends to every description of persons in this place. Agreably to the inclosd notice the citizens assembled on yesterday, and appointed a committee to prepare an address to the President declaratory of their feelings, of their confidence in the administration, and determination to support our rights &c. By many it is...
6To James Madison from John Dawson, [18 September] 1789 (Madison Papers)
By yesterday’s post of receiv’d your two letters dated on Monday and Wednesday. The legislature of this state have pass’d an act granting to Congress the Jurisdiction of ten miles square on any part they shall please, not [ sic ] have said nothing relative to the Susqh. I lament with you the decisions of the Senate on the subject of amendments. This circumstance added to the combination formd...
7To James Madison from John Dawson, 18 February 1788 (Madison Papers)
It is now several months since I was honord with a letter from you. During the recess of Congress, while your attention was not closely confind to public business, and while the situation of the Union must have furnishd you with daily information which woud have been interesting to you, I flatterd myself you woud not have neglected your friend. The approaching elections are the subject of...
8To James Madison from John Dawson, 7 September 1797 (Madison Papers)
I left Philaa. on the 1st. & arrivd here on the 5. In the morning I shall go to Richmond for a few days to arrange some private matters. The result of the enquiries of the committee has been more favourable than I expected, and will be a bitter pill to the British minister, our Secretary of state & their faction. We have deemd it proper not to make our proceedings public, untill laid before...
9To James Madison from John Dawson, 27 November 1792 (Madison Papers)
I am honord with your favour of the 21st. inst., for which youll be pleased to recieve my thanks. I inclose you a list of the Electors of our state agreeably to the returns to the Executive. The member from the Berkeley district is the only one who will be in favour of the present Vice President, & he is indebted to the bad day for his election as he was opposed by Colo Smith. All the others...
10To James Madison from John Dawson, 1 August 1790 (Madison Papers)
I am favour’d with your letter of the 24 ulto. with a paper inclos’d, for which I beg you’ll accept my thanks. I am sorry that this assumption business is again reviv’d, altho in a less exceptionable shape than it at first appear’d. To my mind it is hideous in any form; & the zeal & perseverance of the eastern members discover how much that part of the continent is interested in its adoption....
11To James Madison from John Dawson, 13 August 1797 (Madison Papers)
By the mail on Thursday I recievd your favour of the Int. On the 12 of the last month we sent a messenger to Tennessee for some persons & papers, & have good reason to conclude that we shall get some material testimony from that quarter. For his return I wait, & shall on it set out for Virginia, if I can escape the fever which is pretty prevalent here, notwithstanding the heavy rains which we...
12To James Madison from John Dawson, 1 February 1800 (Madison Papers)
This will find you on your farm & I hope with restord health. According to practice we have had a bankrupt law before us for many days. The final question on it is pospond untill tuesday week, & the fate of it uncertain —tho I much fear that it will pass—you well know what they can do by time—there was a majority of 20 agt it when introducd. You observe by the papers that there is a small...
13To James Madison from John Dawson, 18 January 1795 (Madison Papers)
We have an account here that France has made peace with Prussia, which seems to gain belief—the enclosd hand bill I receivd from a friend at Norfolk & is taken from a letter to Mr. Pennock of that place. We also hear that the duke of York has met with another severe defeat—that he lost great part of his army, & that the rest savd themselves by flight. At what time do you expect to adjourn?...
14To James Madison from John Dawson, 5 April 1798 (Madison Papers)
I have recievd your favour of the 26th. ultimo, & now enclose you an insurance & a letter for Mrs. Madison, to whom I beg you to present me with much respect. You have seen that on the 19th. of the last month the president sent to us a message, & that in consequence of a request from our house his instructions, & all the despatches from our commissioners were sent to us confidentially —for...
15To James Madison from John Dawson, 18 March 1801 (Madison Papers)
This will be handed to you by Capn. Barney, who believes, and I believe with him, that he has been treated very ill by the post office department. As that will, I expect, soon fall under your superintendence, I recommend him to you, as a person worthy any encouragement which you can afford him. Yrs, RC ( DLC ). Docketed by JM. See Barney to JM, 27 Apr. 1801 . John Dawson (1762–1814) was an old...
16To James Madison from John Dawson, 17 December 1789 (Madison Papers)
I take the liberty of forwarding to you two resolutions which have pass’d both houses, on the subject of the permanent seat of the General Goverment. To the first of these there was considerable opposition from the South side of James river, under an apprehension that it woud not be advantageous to that part of the State; and from some of the Antis who considerd it as a favour to Congress—they...
17To James Madison from John Dawson, 17 August 1800 (Madison Papers)
I[t] behoves us to be on our guard, for you may be assurd, that notwithstanding the known view of this state, our opponents are making every exertion, & are not without hopes to carrying the approaching election against us, either by fair or foul means—on yesterday I was informd by one of the party, that they had a well concerted plan, (which was a secret) which woud give them the vote of this...
18To James Madison from John Dawson, 25 September 1787 (Madison Papers)
On my arrival in this town, on the last evening, I was much disappointed in receiving no letter from you. The proceedings of the Convention have been forwarded by Mr. Randolph to Messrs. Mercer and Monroe, and are at this moment the subject of general conversation in every part of the town, and will soon be in every quarter of the state. Opinions have already been deliver’d, and that work,...
19To James Madison from John Dawson, [27 September] 1789 (Madison Papers)
By yesterday’s post of receivd your favour of Friday. Shou’d Trenton be substituted by the Senate I apprehend that your house will not agree to the amendments, and consequently the bill will be lost, and the question as to the permanent seat left open. This I have expected for some time woud be the fate of the business, and upon the whole I do not know but it is the best course it can take....
20To James Madison from John Dawson, 20 March 1789 (Madison Papers)
When you were in this town I took the liberty of mentioning to you that I expected a bill from Mr. Ambler, which I thought might be forwarded to New York. This bill has not come to hand and my finances being rather low I have taken the liberty of drawing on you in favour of Colo Coles for seven Guineas; a liberty which I hope you will excuse, and may be assurd that I will forward a bill on New...
21To James Madison from John Dawson, 5 February 1799 (Madison Papers)
By the saturdays mail I recievd your favour —the one due on today is not yet in, altho it is evening, owing I presume to the badness of the roads. Within the last ten days we have had several petitions for the repeal of the alien & sedition laws, & have reason to look for more, & from quarters where least expected. Hartley is in an unpleasant situation, his district having in general petitiond...
22To James Madison from John Dawson, 28 June 1789 (Madison Papers)
You will be pleas’d to accept my thanks for the Journals receivd a few days since by mr. Hopkins, from whom I learnt the different subjects which engage the attention of Congress and the variety of opinions on some of them. You have it in contemplation, I hear, to adjourn in August. Surely you will not do this without recommending those alterations which have been so ardently desird by many of...
23To James Madison from John Dawson, 18 December 1800 (Madison Papers)
The votes of all the states are now assertaind except Kentucky and Tennessee, of which a doubt does not exist—there will be 73 for Jefferson, and the same number for Burr. It then becomes our duty to select—the feds have it in contemplation to support the latter, not from a wish to elect him, but to prevent a choice by withholding a majority of the states , as Vermont will be divided and...
24To James Madison from John Dawson, 23 February 1800 (Madison Papers)
We have passd another law prohibiting the intercourse with France & her dependencies, & fear we shall have a bankrupt system—the bill has gone up to the Senate by the vote of our speaker, where it woud have been rejected on the first reading had not Mr. Pinckney been absent, & Mr. Cocke, who is opposed to it, voted in favour of it—on its third reading in our house an equall division took...
25To James Madison from John Dawson, 2 May 1804 (Madison Papers)
The inclosd was handed to me on yesterday with a request that I woud forward it to you. The election of Governor has been contested in this state with uncommon warmth & exertions. The result will be highly flattering to Mr. Lewis. Yrs, with much esteem RC ( DLC ). The enclosure has not been identified. For Morgan Lewis’s defeat of Aaron Burr in the New York gubernatorial contest of 1804, see...
26To James Madison from John Dawson, [ca. 10 November] 1787 (Madison Papers)
Accept my thanks, my dear Sir, for your two favours of the 21st. and 28th. of the last month, which, with the enclosures, came to hand in due time. On the receipt of a letter from you, some time since, I calld the attention of the Legislature to the Act of the last session, which is the subject of Mr. Vanburkels complaint. That it is a violation , tho not an intended one, appears to be the...
27To James Madison from John Dawson, 14 July 1787 (Madison Papers)
It is now some time since I was honourd with a letter from you. Either your engagements in public business, or the want of something new, I presume has been the cause of it. Nothing has taken place in this state worth communicating. The people in general appear much discontented. To make property receivable in payment of debts appears to be the most favour’d plan at present. The people of this...
28To James Madison from John Dawson, 7 December 1805 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ From John Dawson. 7 December 1805, Washington. “I inclose a letter [not found] from Mr. Poinsett of South Carolina with whom I am well acquainted and believe him to be a young gentleman of much merit —if you think proper to comply with his request you will be pleasd to forward your letter to me.” RC ( DLC ). 1 p. Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779–1851) was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and...
29To James Madison from John Dawson, [22 March] 1789 (Madison Papers)
You will be surpris’d at the receipt of a letter from me dated at Philadelphia on the 22d March. I have been detaind here much Longer than I expected, but shall set out on wednesday. I trust I need not apologize to you for mentioning that, if in the general arraignment, there shoud be any office, worthy my attention, and the duties of which you think me adequate to, you will have my name...
30To James Madison from John Dawson, 2 March 1803 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
2 March 1803. “The Danish claim is referrd to Morris, Tracy and Jackson, and I suspect will be lost if not explaind by you to some of our friends.” RC ( DLC ). 1 p. Dated “Wednesday.” Date here assigned on the basis of internal evidence. On 2 Mar. Gouverneur Morris, Uriah Tracy, and James Jackson were constituted a Senate committee to report on the act allowing restitution to the owners of the...
31To James Madison from John Dawson, 30 March 1800 (Madison Papers)
I am favourd with your letter without date, & will attend to your observations relative to the post office—as some new arrangements are to be made, & Wyatt I learn is about to quit it is to be hopd that the evils of which you complain may be cur’d. I hear with much pain that you will not again go into the legislature—accounts from the different parts of the Union are favourable to the crisis...
32To James Madison from John Dawson, 29 November 1808 (Madison Papers)
I received the enclosed letter a few days ago, and learn from the Secretary of the navy that there is not any vessel which will soon sail for N. Orleans. I have advised the writer to take a passage in a private vessel. I will thank you for any farther information, if you have any. With sincere Esteem Your most Ot: DLC : Papers of James Madison.
33To James Madison from John Dawson, 4 July 1790 (Madison Papers)
I am favourd with your letter of the 24th. ulto, & request that you’ll accept my thanks for it, & for your attention to the business with Twining. I fear that my chance for payment from that quarter is a very bad one. Shoud the bill give him any money I must repeat my request to you to secure some for me as realy it is an object of some consequence, & a debt which ought to be paid. I am sorry...
34To James Madison from John Dawson, 18 May 1797 (Madison Papers)
I am sorry to find all your apprehensions verified by the Presidents warlike speech —to it we shall reply in a day or two in a stile rather more pacific, I trust —tho we are very equally divided, & there is reason to fear that Mr. Rutledge, of the committee, will take a course different from what was expected, & to be wishd. We have no late accounts from Monroe, but expect him daily &...
35To James Madison from John Dawson, 7 July 1790 (Madison Papers)
The Gentleman who will hand you this is a Mr. Austin, whom I take the liberty of introducing to your attention. He is interested in the establishment of a shot manufactory in this state, which the legislature has thought proper to encourage, & which promises to be productive of considerable advantage. Hi[s] wish is to get assistance from the general goverment in some or other—& I am confident...
36To James Madison from John Dawson, 12 February 1794 (Madison Papers)
It was with much pleasure I heard by the last evenings stage that the first of your resolutions had pervaild by a majority of five in the house of representatives, & most sincerely do I wish that they may ultimately succeed, fully convincd of this important truth “that the nation which commands our commerce, will have a weight in our public counsels.[”] The thing cannot be otherwise. Some of...
37To James Madison from John Dawson, 12 December 1799 (Madison Papers)
I am favourd with your letter of the 4th. for which I thank you. On yesterday we finishd the business of ceremony with the president & appear at a loss what to take up next —the Senate in their answer take no notice of the mission to France, altho it was modifid according to their wishes, & I am assurd that thirty odd eastern members in our house woud have voted for expunging the clause which...
38To James Madison from John Dawson, 24 March 1794 (Madison Papers)
I am much surprisd at some resolutions which I see in the papers brought forward by Sedwick. It woud appear that the fiscal party have all at once changd their ground. They seem to oppose the interest of that country, which heretofore they have advocated, & to provoke a war. The public mind appears a good deal agitated about war—all appear to which [ sic ] to avoid it if possible—but shoud G....
39To James Madison from John Dawson, 10 December 1797 (Madison Papers)
Since my return to this place I have delayd to write to you from a hope that I shoud have it in my power to communicate something new or interesting. In congress we move on very harmoniously & do very little. The report of the committee on Blounts affair producd some long faces, & shewd that it was not a French plot with Mr. Jefferson at the bottom, as has been industriously circulated in the...
40To James Madison from John Dawson, 6 May 1794 (Madison Papers)
On my return to this place on the last evening I receivd your letter with the enclosure for which I thank you. The rejection of the resolution of your house for prohibiting the commercial intercourse with great Britain, by the senate gives much discontent, as far as I have heard observation on it. The nomination of a envoy exty. at the time it was mad⟨e⟩ appears to me singular, & no doubt had...
41To James Madison from John Dawson, 4 June 1797 (Madison Papers)
I am favourd with your letter, & will, as far as lays in my power , forward the wishes of my friends in Orange altho I learn that after due deliberation it has been resolvd in the Executive council, not to appoint any person of our politicks to any office, least they shoud unhinge, or impede the movements of the government, & that Bedinger has been objected to on that score solely—in...
42To James Madison from John Dawson, 15 April 1787 (Madison Papers)
I am honourd with your letter of the 1 Int. and must request you to receive this, not as a piece of cold formality, nor simply as a return for yours but as a testimony of a much dearer principle; a principle of honest friendship—our acquaintance I esteem too high ever to forget it—I wish it continued. I wish it cultivated. I flatter myself the desire may be mutual and with pleasure did I...
43To James Madison from John Dawson, 8 August 1802 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
8 August 1802, Fredericksburg. “At the request of some of the lawyers and merchants at this place I state to you that they recieve great inconvenience for the want of some commissioners of bankruptcy, and to mention John Minor, Hugh Mercer, Benjamin Day, Stephen Winchester, and Thomas Goodwin as proper persons, shoud it be determind to appoint. I expect to leave this today & will thank you to...
44To James Madison from John Dawson, 24 November 1798 (Madison Papers)
I am thus far on my way to Philadelphia, from whence I shall write to you as soon as I have any thing worthy communicating—in the mean time I will thank you for your sentiments about the situation of M. Lyon, and what steps we ought to take as it regards the constitution, and policy. I have some reason to think that another attempt will be made to expel him. Accept my best wishes! RC ( DLC )....
45To James Madison from John Dawson, 29 January 1801 (Madison Papers)
I thank you for your favour of the 3d: Int. and wish you had continu’d your communications on the subjects therein treated on—I cannot say with certainty what will be the result on the 11th. of the next month, however I think nine states will be found decided for Mr. J. and that the others will give way—you shall be informd at the earliest moment, and I wish you to collect as many gentlemen as...
46To James Madison from John Dawson, 20 January 1794 (Madison Papers)
On my return to this place on saturday evening I haves [ sic ] favourd with your letter of the 31. of the last month, with its enclosure, for which I thank you. By the en[c]losd paper you will find that the situation of the republic of France is very flattering. I was in Suffolk when the sloop arrivd, & think that the accounts which she brings may be depended on—but presume you will by this...
47To James Madison from John Dawson, 12 January 1796 (Madison Papers)
I am favourd with your letter of the 30th. of the last month. I have nothing to give you in return. There are at this place two British agents purchasing openly horses to take to the W. Indies. They get some & want many. Is this right? I hope to see you in the beginning of the next month. Make to Mrs. Madison & recieve yourself my best wishes! Yr. RC ( DLC ). Docketed by JM. Letter not found....
48To James Madison from John Dawson, 25 February 1794 (Madison Papers)
I am favourd with your letter. It may have been politic to pos[t]pone the resolutions offerd by you, but realy I cannot at this distance see through it. On the last evening a meeting of a number of Citizens was to have been held in this place to declare to their representative their opinions of his vote. What the[y] did I know not but presume it will be immediately forwarded to him, & will no...
49To James Madison from John Dawson, 30 September 1788 (Madison Papers)
A spraind wrist, which is by no means well, has prevented my answering your two letters receivd in due time. The attention of every person in this place has been taken up by one Willet and Lindley, men who were some days since apprehended, and committed to goal on suspicion of counterfeiting continental final settlement certificates. On Friday last they were try’d by the court of this...
50To James Madison from John Dawson, [9 September] 1789 (Madison Papers)
On my arrival at this place I found as I expected the attention of every person fix’d on the subject which I left before you. Different are the opinions of different persons. Some, who are interested are much pleased with the Susqh. Others reprobate the conduct of their representatives. While some consider the fixing on the Susqh. as a thing which can never take place—and the vote only a...