16771To James Madison from Nicholas P. Trist, 8 January 1827 (Madison Papers)
My indisposition was of short duration: Dr Dunglison’s prescription dispelling the fever & other unpleasant circumstances with which it was attended, in three or four days. So that on the thursday succeeding, the weather having moderated, I was enabled to go out. The printing, I am sorry to say however, goes on not very rapidly; at least had not done so last week. Mr McKennie told me that he...
16772To James Madison from Anonymous, 7 February 1808 (Madison Papers)
Being a friend of the administration, and of the nomination of the representatives of the people, and impressed with the belief that you are not fully informed of the real character and designs of DeWitt Clinton, causes these lines. A few evenings after the Embargo Act reached New-York, Messrs. DeWitt Clinton, James Fairley, James Arden, James Cheetham, Wm. L. Rose &c &c &c met at the House of...
16773From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 31 July 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
My last letters to you were of the 3d and 25. of May. Yours from Orange of Apr. 22. came to hand on the 10th. inst. My letter to Mr. Jay containing all the public news that is well authenticated, I will not repeat it here, but add some details in the smaller way which you may be glad to know. The disgrace of the Marquis de la fayette which at any other period of their history would have had...
16774To James Madison from Christopher Johnston, Mark Pringle, and John Sherlock, 1 October 1805 (Madison Papers)
We conceive it a Duty we owe ourselves and the Public to lay before you a Statement of the Case of the Schooner Hannah Maria, Peter Sorensen, Master. This Vessel, owned by us, was loaded in this Port in the Month of March last and destined for Porto Bello on the Spanish Main, but conceiving it might facilitate her Admission into a Spanish Port, if she was cleared out for Curraçoa, we cleared...
16775To James Madison from Michael DeGray, 17 July 1825 (Madison Papers)
I hope you will excuse the freedom of strangers addressing a citizen of the first reputation and whose political merit stands high Excepting with the british party in the united states. The intention of writing to you was suggested to us by pure love of country or our attachment to a representative government. Therefore it is our beliefe that you was chosen chief Magistrate of a Federal nation...
16776To James Madison from Thomas Appleton, 23 March 1808 (Madison Papers)
On the 19th of January an embargo was laid on all Vessels i n this port, except the french. About 15 days since the spanish vessels were suffer’d to depart, and in the course of the last week the Neapolitans were free to sail. With respect to ours, notwithstanding my repeated applications and remonstrances to the french authorities, I could obtain no other satisfaction, than that such were...
16777To James Madison from Joel Barlow, 30 December 1811 (Madison Papers)
In my private letter to you of the 19th. I took the liberty to intimate that I might address you by the frigate on the subject of connecting the indemnities due to our citizens with a convention of boundaries of Louisiana. I have had many hints on this subject both from Spanish & French authority. I have always discouraged the idea by a declaration as general & vague as might be, that I am not...
16778To James Madison from Philip Freneau, 3 March 1815 (Madison Papers)
When I mentioned in my few lines to You, dated from my residence in New Jersey on the 22d. of January last, the two Volumes of Poems publishing in this city by Mr. Longworth, I did really think to have had a small box of them at Washington by the middle of february at farthest, with a particular direction of a couple of copies to Yourself bound in an elegant manner. Finding, however, that the...
16779To James Madison from Joseph Jones, 21 January 1788 (Madison Papers)
I beg your pardon for omiting to write to you the last two or three weeks. I have been little in Richmond during that period and of late have been confined by an attack of the Rhumatism, which, though very painfull for two or three days, has now left me. I mean, nothing unforeseen preventing, to visit Richmond next week. Before I came away Col. Goode had sent me a good many slips of the wild...
16780Enclosure: Ruelle to James Madison, 5 November 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
Puis que la Bibliothèque du Congrès , où M. Jefferson avait déposé le Manuscrit d’une Constitution de ma composition, a été détruite, j’ai l’honneur de vous en envoïer six Exemplaires imprimés, en vous priant de vouloir bien en faire mettre trois au même dépot, et d’agréer l’hommage des trois autres. J’ai lû, Monsieur, dans un Message que vous adressâtes au Congrès , le 4. 9 bre 1812, que les...
16781To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 3 January 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Owing to fading of the ink, considerable portions of the letter are scarcely legible. Cover addressed to “The honble James Madison jr Esqr of congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “Jany. 3d. 1783.” The post of yesterday brought your two favors of the 17th. and 24th of decr. The prospect of softening the states who were at first the most obdurate against the impost...
16782To James Madison from William C. Webb, 22 November 1790 (Madison Papers)
You will be pleasd to excuse me in Troubling with my Long unhappey Chase I have had in North Carolina, Respecting the 44 Cattle the Comersary to General Gates’s Armey bought of Anthony Deering Being mine and Conyers Whites, the said purchacer promist to pay for the said Cattle he bought the 10th. August 1780 within three Weeks, at the price of 400 £ pr. head, which amounts too 17600 £, on the...
16783To James Madison from Lafayette, 15 November 1810 (Madison Papers)
I am Sure You Have Had the Goodness to Answer My Long triplicate the Last of Which Went By the John Adams. Several Subsequent Letters Have Been Sent By me. The last ones I Had from You are dated May the 18h and 19h. It is a Comfort to me to think that You and our friend Mr. Jefferson Have Received Notes Which do in a Measure Account for My pecuniary Situation and alleviate the Blame that one...
16784To James Madison from Louis-Marie Turreau de Garambouville, 7 October 1808 (Madison Papers)
Je Suis obligé de revenir Sur un Sujet qui fut Souvent celui de nos conférences, et que les ennemis & les rivaux de La France et des Etats-Unis ont toujours présenté Sous de faux rapports, dans l’espoir de troubler l’heureuse harmonie qui existe entre nos Gouvernements. Il est reconnu, Monsieur, qu’une exception quelconque aux Décrets qui doivent porter le coup le plus Sensible au Commerce...
16785To James Madison from Tobias Lear, 3 August 1803 (Madison Papers)
On my return from Portsmouth last evening, I had the satisfaction of finding here, your letter of Instructions under date of July 14th, enclosing letters from the President of the United States to the Dey of Algiers, the Bey of Tunis, and Bashaw of Tripoli; together with four new Mediterranean Passports, and two hundred tops of this Passport; also your respected favor of the 27th of July,...
16786To James Madison from Jared Mansfield, 26 March 1810 (Madison Papers)
I received, not long since, a letter from the Secretary at War requiring me to rejoin the Corps of Engineers, in which I have the honor to hold a commission of Lieut. Colonel. In respect to this requisition, I would beg leave to observe, that I have never voluntarily absented myself, for an hour, from that Corps. My acceptance of the office of Surveyor General, proposed to me without any...
16787From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 3 April 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
Our post having ceased to ride ever since the inoculation began in Richmond till now, I received three days ago, and all together your friendly favors of Mar. 2. 9. 12. 14. and Colo. Monroe’s of Mar. 3. and 16. I have been particularly gratified by the receipt of the papers containing your’s and Smith’s discussion of your regulating propositions. These debates had not been seen here but in a...
16788To James Madison from Francis André, 25 March 1794 (Madison Papers)
I Read over with attention, your Speeches in Support of your Resolutions, & those of sundries against them, amongst the Chief’s reasons alledged, for their voting against them, the Strongest, & most unanswerable were— Mr. Smith of (S C) says they would affect materially those States, where manufactures had not made any great progress, & who had the more Bulky Articles of Exportations, that our...
16789To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 13 December 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Docketed by JM, “Decr. 13. 1782.” Unless otherwise noted, words or parts of words italicized in the present copy are encoded in the Randolph cipher. See Randolph to JM, 22 November 1782 , and n. 1. Nothing, I think, need be apprehended from the conveyance of the cypher in an unsealed letter. The curiosity of the postmaster or any...
16790To James Madison from Tench Coxe, [ca. 28 November] 1801 (Madison Papers)
A small addition is proposed to the note by the mail of monday & wednesday from Pha. to Washn. The subject is of deep importance. It does not proceed from the vanity of suppose [ sic ] that any thing can strike here, which will not occur there. Any dangerous views towards this country are most practicable where there is a particular description of people. We are obviously most vulnerable...
16791To James Madison from Philip Mazzei, 18 June 1779 (Madison Papers)
With a disturbed mind I am now going to write to you on topics not very agreable. Mr. Penet told me, that although the Capn. was a scotchman, all the crew were Americans. Perhaps it was so at that time, but at present we have no more than 2. Americans on board, one of which is the cabbin-boy. We have an Italian & a Spaniard (who came on board on my account) & a frenchman; all the rest are...
16792To James Madison from Samuel Carswell, 29 August 1812 (Madison Papers)
On my return from Bath, my health was so much improved, that I was induced to accept the Office of Comm. Genl. to which I was appointed, thro your favor & friendship. But the sanguine hopes which I then indulged, that it would be reestablished, being dissipated by a return of my complaint, with its former violence, I was constrained to recall the determination I had made & communicated to the...
16793To James Madison from Joseph Jones, 24 November 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Jones’s dating of this letter is so indistinct that it could be either the “24th” or “25th.” References in his text to specific actions taken by the legislature on particular days make certain that he was writing on the 24th, even though JM acknowledged the letter as of 25 November. I have yours of the 14th: and from my soul wish I could inform you we proceed with...
16794To James Madison from Levi Wheaton, 6 November 1812 (Madison Papers)
The office of District Judge for the District of Rhode Island having been lately vacated by the death of David L. Barnes Esqr., you have ere this perhaps been solicited in behalf of a Successor. Who or what the number of Candidates for the vacant office may be I cannot pretend to say. I have perceived however that Mr David Howell has long been waiting with impatience for the Mantle of the...
16795To James Madison from Tench Coxe, 20 June 1806 (Madison Papers)
The subject on which I have lately expressed my sentiments to you is so important in itself and so influential in its consequences, that I am led to continue some attention to it. In Poulson’s Amern. daily advertiser of this city of the 17th. inst. there is a proclamation of the Russian Adml. Henry Bailey, in which confiscation is held up as the consequence of infractions of the general...
16796To James Madison from Walter Jones, 10 January 1794 (Madison Papers)
I am again tempted to intice you to a Correspondence, which you have so kindly Supported without a prospect of an equivalent return. I once thought that my presence where you are, would have Saved us both this Pains. However a majority of Voters, not of the Electors of the District, preferred the Services of their Sitting Member, with whom you are probably not unacquainted. As the sound...
16797To James Madison from Thomas Cooper, 16 November 1814 (Madison Papers)
Your nephew is much better, but far from well: an obstinate feverish tendency still oppresses him: he is better here however than in Philadelphia, because with equally good advice, and more at ease. You were so good as to procure for me some books in France which I fancy are still at L’Orient. My Emporium is suspended, owing to the difficulties of the times, but I keep in view its...
16798To James Madison from George W. Erving, 28 July 1806 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
§ From George W. Erving. 28 July 1806, Madrid. No. 10. “Tho I do not generally receive private information without some distrust, yet when I have it thro channels which I cannot suspect of any sinister view in giving it, & it appears to be of any importance, or to have any bearing upon our affairs; I deem it my duty to communicate it. What I have said respecting the war with Portugal in the...
16799To James Madison from Levi Lincoln, 9 May 1804 (Madison Papers)
I had the honor of receiving yours, inclosing Mr Merry’s as his Britanic majesty’s minister to the United States. Its contents lead to a consideration of the immunities of public ministers, in relation to exemptions and protections, of their dwellings their domestics, servants, and labourers , in some new views of those subjects, and beyond any cases, which from my means of information, I can...
16800To James Madison from Christopher Gore and William Pinkney, 15 July 1803 (Madison Papers)
We have the Honor to transmit herewith enclosed an alphabetical List of 467 Awards made in 300 Cases by the Board of Commissioners under the Seventh Article of the British Treaty, amounting in the whole to the Sum of £1,083,990.3.8 Sterling. This List comprehends all the Awards against the British Government executed since our re-assembling in February 1802. and will be found to exhibit so...