51To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 30 August 1802 (Madison Papers)
Your two favors of the 25th. & blank were recieved yesterday; and all the papers forwarded me are returned by this post. I must pray you to direct an extract from so much of mr. Clarke’s letter as relates to the dissatisfaction of the Chickasaw chief with the Spanish governor, to be taken & sent to Genl. Dearborn to whom I have written on the subject. Mr. Clarke’s letter cuts out a...
52From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 17 April 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 4th. came to hand the day before yesterday. I have turned to the Conventional history, and inclose you an exact copy of what is there on the subject you mentioned. I have also turned to my own papers, and send you some things extracted from them which shew that the recollection of the P. has not been accurate when he supposed his own opinion to have been uniformly that declared in...
53To 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...
54From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 31 January 1783 (Jefferson Papers)
A gentleman returning from this place to Philadelphia gives me an opportunity of sending you a line. We reached Newport the evening of the day on which we left you. There we were misled by an assurance that the lower ferry could not be crossed. We therefore directed our course for the Bald friar’s: and thence to another ferry 6 miles above. Between these two we lost two days, in the most...
55To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 14 April 1807 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Rodney not being at Washington I send you the inclosed because it requires to be acted on immediately. I remember it was concluded that witnesses who should be brought from great distances, and carried from one scene of trial to another must have a reasonable allowance made for their expences & the money advanced. I expect it will be thought proper that the witnesses proving White’s...
56Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 31 October 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
This will be handed you by Mons r de Neufville a person of distinction from France who came over to this country with his family some years ago, & is established as an Agricultural citizen near New Brunswick in Jersey . he brought recommendations from some friends of mine which established his merit, as well as his right to any service I could render him. since his settlement in Jersey I have...
57From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 5 February 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
I think the District atty of N.Y. should be immediately instructed to investigate the expedition of the Leander, & of every person concerned in it; and to learn how it has happened that the officers of the government at that place should have paid no attention & given no information of it while going on. on the report of the Atty to us we may decide what shall be done. DNA : RG...
58Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 17 May 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
As the measures which were adopted at the last meeting of our visitors were of a very leading character I have thought it proper to inform our absent colleagues of them; and have delayed the communication only until I could add what has been done under the resolutions of the board . as this latter information has not been received by you, I inclose you my letter to General Taylor for perusal...
59From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 6 November 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
A merchant neighbor of mine, sets out to-day for Philadelphia for his fall goods, and will return with them by water himself. This furnishes me a favorable opportunity of gleaning and getting the books I left in Philadelphia. But I must ask your friendly aid. Judge Wilson has Mably sur l’histoire de la France 4. v. 12mo. and Houard ’s Britton , Fleta, Glanville &c. 4. v. 4to. which he promised...
60To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 19 August 1808 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 17th. came to hand yesterday. I wrote to Mr. Gallatin that the principle to govern our indulgencies of vessels to foreign ministers, was that it was fair to let them send home all their subjects caught here by the embargo & having no other means of getting home, proportioning the tonnage permitted to the number of persons according to the rules in the transport service; and that...
61From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 10 September 1802 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours by yesterday’s post is recieved. the letter to Higginson & others is entirely approved, and is sealed & forwarded to mr Brent. the Consulate at Nantes must be disposed of according to our former arrangement. I do not know whether the mr Lynch recommended is the one who was living at Nantes when I was in France, or his son. of that one there is something not favourable resting in my mind,...
62To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 23 August 1799 (Madison Papers)
With this you will recieve the IVd. nails desired in your memorandum, that is to say 25. ℔ weighing about 2½ ℔ to the M̶. Probably they yield something more than a thousand to that weight, not being so uniform as they ought to be. We are now working up some remnants of hoops of different breadths till the arrival of a supply of proper size from Philadelphia. They are 1/3 pr. ℔. consequently...
63II. Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 6 September 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I sit down to write to you without knowing by what occasion I shall send my letter. I do it because a subject comes into my head which I would wish to develope a little more than is practicable in the hurry of the moment of making up general dispatches. The question Whether one generation of men has a right to bind another, seems never to have been started either on this or our side of the...
64To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, [29 December] 1801 (Madison Papers)
To compleat the roll of governmental officers on the plan inclosed will give the departments some serious trouble: however it is so importan⟨t⟩ to present to the eye of all the constituted authorities, as well as of their constituents, & to keep under their eye, the true extent of the machine of government, that I cannot but recommend to the heads of departments to endeavor to fill up, each,...
65To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 11 August 1807 (Madison Papers)
I pray you to peruse & consider the inclosed letter of Governor Cabell and my answer, and to exercise over the latter the same discretion I have confided to Genl. Dearborne; returning it to me for any material correction, or forwarding it to the General if you think it will do, and by the same post, as it goes so circuitously. I suspect your difficulty with the mail lock proceeded as it did at...
66To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 17 August 1809 (Madison Papers)
I recieved your’s of yesterday by mr. Coles. My journey to Bedford has been delayed by sickness among my laboring people. No new case having arisen for some time, I am in hopes it is at an end. Still no particular object fixing my departure to any precise time, it lies over for convenience, and should I fix a time before we have the pleasure of seeing yourself & mrs. Madison here I shall...
67From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 22 November 1799 (Jefferson Papers)
I have never answered your letter by mr Polk , because I intended to have paid you a visit. this has been postponed by various circumstances till yesterday, being the day fixed for the departure of my daur Eppes, my horses were ready for me to have set out to see you. an accident postponed her departure to this day & my visit also. but Colo. Monroe dined with us yesterday, and on my asking his...
68To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 17 April 1812 (Madison Papers)
The inclosed papers will explain themselves. Their coming to me is the only thing not sufficiently explained. Your favor of the 3d. came duly to hand. Altho’ something of the kind had been apprehended, the embargo found the farmers and planters only getting their produce to market and selling as fast as they could get it there. I think it caught them in this part of the state with one third of...
69To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 26 March 1801 (Madison Papers)
I am still here. Three refusals of the Naval Secretaryship have been re[c]ieved, and I am afraid of recieving a 4th. this evening from mr. Jones of Phila. In that case Genl. Smith has agreed to take it pro tempore, so as to give me time; and I hope the moment it is in either his or Jones’s hands, to get away; but this may be yet three four or five days. Lincoln is doing the duties of your...
70From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 15 March 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you last on the 12th. of Jan. since which I have received yours of Octob. 17. Dec. 8. and 12. That of Oct. 17. came to hand only Feb. 23. How it happened to be four months on the way, I cannot tell, as I never knew by what hand it came. Looking over my letter of Jan. 12th. I remark an error of the word ‘probable’ instead of ‘improbable,’ which doubtless however you had been able to...
71To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 May 1802 (Madison Papers)
Our postrider having mistaken his day, brought us no mail on Thursday last. Yesterday I recieved a double one. In it were the inclosed letters. Those from Dupont & Granger are forwarded for your perusal, and I will recieve them again when I see you at your own house. The one from Dallas to yourself on Jackson’s case I recieved from mr. Brent: the recommendation of the Attorney of the district,...
72To 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...
73From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 21 June 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 10th. inst. is recieved. I expected mine of the 14th. would have been my last from hence, as I had proposed to have set out on the 20th. but in the morning of the 19th. we heard of the arrival of Marshall at New York, and I concluded to stay & see whether that circumstance would produce any new projects. no doubt he there recieved more than hints from Hamilton as to the tone...
74From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 23 February 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose two letters to the President and Secretary of state open for your perusal and consideration. I pray you to bestow thought on the subject, and if you disapprove it, return me my letters, undelivered, by next post. If you approve of them, stick a wafer in them and have them delivered. I also put under your cover a letter to the Fresco painter from whom you inclosed me one. His not...
75To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 14 March 1807 (Madison Papers)
The following Commissions to be made out. Lemuel Trescott of Massachusets Collector of the district, & Inspector of the revenue for the port of Machias. Jonathan Palmer of Connecticut Surveyor of the port of Stonington, & Inspector of the revenue for the same. John Vemor junr. Surveyor of the port of Albany & Inspector of the revenue for the same. Robert Cockran of N. Carolina Collector for...
76To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 22 February 1798 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 12th. is recieved. I wrote you last on the 15th. but the letter getting misplaced, will only go by this post. We still hear nothing from our Envoys. Whether the Executive hear we know not. But if war were to be apprehended, it is impossible our envoys should not find means of putting us on our guard, or that the Executive should hold back their information. No news therefore is...
77From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 7 May 1783 (Jefferson Papers)
I received your favor of Apr. 22. and am not a little concerned at the alterations which took place in the Report on the impost &c. after I left you. The article which bound the whole together I fear was essential to get the whole passed; as that which proposed the conversion of state into federal debts was one palatable ingredient at least in the pill we were to swallow. This proposition...
78XI. To James Madison, [16 November 1801 or after?] (Jefferson Papers)
Will you be so good as once more to revise this? altho’ I have not entirely obliterated all the passages which have been thought objectionable, yet I have very much reduced & smoothed them. still verbal & minor corrections of style or sentiment will be thankfully recieved & made. RC ( ViU ); undated, but perhaps written after TJ saw Gallatin’s remarks and made changes to the early draft....
79From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 23 May 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s by the last post was recieved yesterday, and I now return Monroe’s letters. that Armstrong should be returning so suddenly & without notice is quite an impossibility. any other hypothesis for his journey to Amsterdam would be more probable. I send you a letter from Pierpoint Edwards respecting Swartwout: his testimony against him cannot be suspected, considering their mutual relation to...
80Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 16 August 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of yesterday was recieved last night. the M c Gehee who is the subject of it, is an overseer of mine at a place, which on account of it’s importance to me, mr Randolph takes care of. he employed M c Gehee , & solely superintends him. We consider him as an extremely industrious, active, attentive, and skilful in the old practices, but prejudiced against any thing he is not used to. we...
81From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 2 September 1806 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 30th. I recieved yesterday, and now return the papers from Cathcart, Sullivan, De Ponceau, Ramage, Barnet, Merry, & that concerning Lewis. in a former letter I had suggested to you the waiting to arrest Lewis in some other state (for I believe that such an offence may be tried any where) but considering the change of the Marshall it is possible a fair jury may be obtained now in...
82To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 13 May 1810 (Madison Papers)
I thank you for your promised attention to my portion of the Merinos, and if there be any expences of transportation Etc & you will be so good as to advance my portion of them with yours & notify the amount it shall be promptly remitted. What shall we do with them? I have been so disgusted with the scandalous extortions lately practised in the sale of these animals, & with the ascription of...
83To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 12 February 1801 (Madison Papers)
The H. of R. has been in conclave ever since 2. oclock yesterday. At 10. P.M. 17 ballots had been tried, & were invariably 8. 6. & 2 divided. I have not heard from the Capitol this morning. I can venture nothing more by the post but my affectionate salutations, to yourself & mrs. Madison. P. S. 1. P.M. The H. of R. suspended the balloting from 7. to 12. this morning, & after trying a few more...
84To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 17 December 1796 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 5th. came to hand last night. The first wish of my heart was that you should have been proposed for the administration of the government. On your declining it I wish any body rather than myself: and there is nothing I so anxiously hope as that my name may come out either second or third. These would be indifferent to me; as the last would leave me at home the whole year, &...
85Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 23 July 1817 (Jefferson Papers)
The promptitude & success of our subscription paper , now amounting to upwards of 20,000.D. with a prospect much beyond that renders the decision immediately necessary of some important questions which I had thought might have laid over to our periodical meeting the last of September. having an opportunity of writing to Gen l Cocke , I invited him to join me in a visit to you on Friday the 25...
86From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 14 July 1804 (Jefferson 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...
87To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 9 May 1801 (Madison Papers)
A person of the name of Thompson, of Amherst county in Virginia has asked my interference for the recovery of his son John Thompson understood to be impressed on board the Squirrel a British vessel of war. The inclosed letter gave him the first information he has recieved from him for some time past, for so long a time indeed that he had apprehended he was dead. He thinks the letter not...
88To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 23 February 1795 (Madison Papers)
I inclose two letters to the President & Secretary of state open for your perusal & consideration. I pray you to bestow thought on the subject, & if you disapprove it, return me my letters, undelivered, by next post. If you approve of them, stick a wafer in them & have them delivered. I also put under your cover a letter to the Fresco painter from whom you inclosed me one. His not having...
89To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 16 April 1810 (Madison Papers)
On my return from Bedford I found in our post office your favor of the 2d. inst. as also the inclosed letter from mr. Martin, formerly of N. C. recommended to us by mr. Blackledge. I dare say you will recollect more of him than I do. I remember that his being a native French man, educated I believe to the law there, very long a resident of this country and become a respectable lawyer with us,...
90To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 7 June 1798 (Madison Papers)
I wrote you last on the 31st. since which yours of the 27th. of May is received. The alien bill, when we had nearly got through it, on the 2d. reading, (on a report from the commee. of the whole) was referred to a special committee, by a vote of it’s friends (12) against 11. who thought it could be rejected on the question for the 3d reading. It is reported again, very much softened, and if...
91From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 15 May 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you on the 3d. of April, and since that have received yours of Mar. 24. 26. 31. Apr. 14. and 28. and yesterday I received Colo. Monroe’s of the 4th. inst. informing me of the failure of the non-importation bill in the Senate. This body was intended as a check on the will of the Representatives when too hasty. They are not only that but completely so on the will of the people also: and...
92To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 2 August 1806 (Madison Papers)
I return you mr Lear’s letters; in which I am sorry to find he says not a word about the Tripoline family. I presume the family has chosen not to be given up. I inclose you a letter from Salvatore Bosutti at Malta, which may be filed in the office I presume without answer. Noble’s letter & sample should I suppose be filed in the patent-office. It may be a charity tho’ it is not a duty to...
93From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 6 December 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I return you the papers on Clarke’s claim, which indeed I have not considered with all the attention which should be done were this an ultimate decision but my first impression is that the claim ought to be rejected. It is clearly a claim for money, not for land. The Commrs. of N.Y. were constituted a special court of justice to distribute the 30,000. D. of Vermont according to right, & they...
94From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 2 September 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
The extract of a letter to Bishop Carroll I have inclosed to Genl. Dearborne. I return you judge Davies’s letter. if we meddle in the case at all, should it not be by sending the letter to the Attorney General who will know best how to prevent a conflict of jurisdictions. I inclose you the copy of a letter from Genl. Smith to mr Gallatin, communicated by the Generel to P. Carr & by him to me....
95To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 9 November 1800 (Madison Papers)
This will be handed you by mr. Erwin, a gentleman of Boston, with whom I became acquainted last winter on a letter of introduction from old Saml. Adams. He is sensible, well informed & strongly republican, wealthy & well allied in his own state & in England. He calls to pay his respects to you. I inclose you two letters which the Govr. sent me by him for perusal. It is a pity that a part of...
96From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 3 September 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Smith’s letter of Aug. 29. & the papers it inclosed, and which are now reinclosed, will explain to you the necessity of my confirming his proposition as to the means of apprising our East India commerce of their danger, without waiting for further opinions on the subject. you will see that it throws on you the immediate burthen of giving the necessary instructions with as little delay as...
97From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 25 August 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
You will percieve by the inclosed papers that Genet has thrown down the gauntlet to the President by the publication of his letter and my answer , and is himself forcing that appeal to the people, and risking that disgust, which I had so much wished should have been avoided. The indications from different parts of the continent are already sufficient to shew that the mass of the republican...
98To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 28 July 1791 (Madison Papers)
I this moment recieve yours of the 26th. The sugar of which you inclose a sample would by no means answer my purpose, which was to send it to Monticello, in order, by a proof of it’s quality, to recommend attention to the tree to my neighbors. In my letter of yesterday I forgot to tell you there is a brig here to sail for Halif[a]x in 10. days. She is under repair, & therefore may possibly...
99To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 19 February 1812 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 12th. has been duly recieved. I have much doubted whether, in case of a war, Congress would find it practicable to do their part of the business. That a body containing 100. lawyers in it, should direct the measures of a war is, I fear, impossible; and that thus that member of our constitution, which is it’s bulwark, will prove to be an impracticable one from it’s cacoethes...
100From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 9 January 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote the inclosed letter to you a little before I left Paris, and having no occasion to send it, I brought it with me. I mentioned it to you when I had the happiness of possessing you at Monticello, but still forgot to give it to you. After so long lying by me, and further turning the subject in my mind, I find no occasion to alter my mind. I hazard it therefore to your consideration. I...