101To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 14 October 1803 (Madison Papers)
I have the honor to transmit you copies of two notes that I have received within these few days, both are I believe of a nature to make public in the United States. I have concerted with Mr Schimmelpennink (who has resumed his place here as Ambassador from the Batavian Republic) to press this Govt on the Subject of the prohibition of the import of cheese from Holland. I enclose you a copy of...
102To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 3 June 1803 (Madison Papers)
Mr Monroe having undertaken to write our joint letter I Shall confine this to objects that do not relate to the treaty. I would only observe to you that we have since the ratification had a great deal of trouble with it an opinion prevailing that we have made too favorable a bargain . My letter to the President & our joint letter will So fully explain this extraordinary business as to make any...
103To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 31 October 1803 (Madison Papers)
The Article of the Convention that authorized the nomination of commissioners to determine certain questions under it previous to the ratification, was founded upon reasons that appeared extremely important to Mr Monroe & myself, among them were, first the full execution of the promise that I had obtained from the First Consul of a prompt discharge of the debt, which could only be Satisfied by...
104To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 25 June 1803 (Madison Papers)
Inclosed is Mr. Skipwiths report upon Colonel Powels claim. I fully concur with him in opinion that he has no foundation for any demand upon this government. Should we make it we should doubtless invite the most serious ones upon our own. I also inclose an arrette of this government and a note that I have put in this day upon the subject. I have asked a conference with Consul Le Brun and will...
105To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 11 March 1803 (Madison Papers)
I have a few days since written to you transmitting you a letter which I addressed to the first Consul for tho I had got various Notes and observations under his eye, in an informal way—Yet I had reason to fear that what I wrote to the Minister particularly on the subject of the debt had not reached him, besides that I believed that he could not pass over a more direct address to him...
106To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 12 July 1807 (Madison Papers)
I ought long before this to have returned you my thanks, & those of Coll. Livingston for your kind compliance with our request in forwarding to him the passport & dispatches, with which he sailed the 21st. of last month for Bordeaux. But indeed my mind has been harrassed by anxiety on his departure, & that of my daughter & two of her children, who accompanied him. As they all lived in the...
107To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 2 February 1804 (Madison Papers)
I mentioned to you in one of my former letters that so soon as I learned from Mr Pichon (your letters not having arrived till Some time after) the opposition that the Spanish Envoy had given to the Treaty, I wrote to the Minister, & afterwards I called upon him & entered into a full discussion of the Subject. That he candidly Shewed me Mr. Pichon’s letter, & assured me the discontents of Spain...
108To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 29 March 1804 (Madison Papers)
I enclose you the papers containing a circular letter from the Minister of Exterior Relations to the foreign Ministers accompanying a correspondence of Mr Drake the British Minister at Munich you will find these in one of the Moniteurs inclosed, you will also find the replies of the foreign Ministers, my note is enclosed as delivered in English accompanied by the French translation which I had...
109To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 19 July 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Cover missing. Docketed by JM over the date line, “Livingston R. R,” and in the right margin at the close of the letter, “Rob. Livingston July 19. 1783.” The draft copy, among the Robert R. Livingston Papers in the New-York Historical Society, frequently varies in text from that received by JM. I have this moment been informed that the definitive treaty is concluded,...
110To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 12 May 1803 (Madison Papers)
You have Seen in my late letter the direct commencement of the negotiation previous to the arrival of Mr Monroe and in our Joint letter its consummation it will be matter of curiosity at least to you to be more intimately acquainted with the existing causes which have been long operating and which I have hinted at in my letters to the President but which from their extreme delicacy I have not...
111To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 8 February 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have the honor to transmit you my answer to the Minister’s notes enclosed in my last —they amount to little as I have thought it best to dwell in generals, not knowing the President’s instructions to Commodore Preble. I find by a letter of 22 January just received from Mr Pinkney, that the Minister of Exterior Relations has kept his word with me relative to Florida . I wrote you some time...
112To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 29 June 1805 (Madison Papers)
I arrived here with my family this Morning, having <left> Nantes the 26th. May. I should proceed to Washington as <soo>n as I had a little recovered the fatigue<s> of my voyage, <did> I not apprehend that at this season both the president & <your>self would have left it before I could arrive. I am extrem<ely> <an>xious to have the pleasure of seeing you both, & to give <you an> accomt of my...
113To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 24 April 1802 (Madison Papers)
I send with this duplicates of my two last letters & the notes that have since passed between me & the minister on the subject of prizes tho I found much clamor on my arrival I confess I have found less reason for it than I expected there are not more than four or five cases on which we have any just cause of complaint. The Winyaw mentioned in my note was evidently british property covered by...
114To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 25 October 1809 (Madison Papers)
Tho I know that your time is occupied by more important concerns, yet the interest you take in the introduction of merino sheep induces me to hope that you will find leasure (at least when you return to your farm) to run over the little treatize which accompanies this letter. It was written with a view to remove the prejudices of common farmers, who are suspicious of every thing new, & to...
115To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 17 January 1809 (Madison Papers)
I thank you for your favor of the 11th. which I have just now recd. I feel much more indifferent to the measures of the belligerents with respect to us than many of my fellow citizens not because I am more regardless of the general welfare but because I sincerely believe that "all things are working together for good". In our infancy we had the powerful protection we required. When we attained...
116To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 24 December 1806 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. so many letters from Mr. Mitchel soliciting my interest with you in relation to his question on the consulate at Havre, for which two commissions exist that I can not but beg the favor of you to procure the presidents determination. If Mr. Barnets commission supercedes that of Mr. Mitchel I presume that he might be otherwise provided for, as he is realy an attentive & good...
117To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 6 July 1795 (Madison Papers)
I sincerely condole with you on the ratification of the treaty which sacrafices every essential interest & prostrates the honor of our country. I had indeed little hope of Mr. Jays rendering us any essential service. His hatred to France & the violence with which he entered into the system of the ministerialists whose views have long appeared to me to be such as I do not chuse to explain but...
118To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 1 July 1801 (Madison Papers)
Since leaving Washington I have maturly reflected on the principles adopted by the President on the subject of neutral rights. The more I consider them, the more sound they appear to me. It has always been my opinion that the law of nations must necessarily take its complextion from the existing circumstances of nations, & must of course change with those circumstances. When the revenues of...
119To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 17 September 1803 (Madison Papers)
A circumstance has arisen here that has given me the most serious uneasiness because it has placed me in a very delicate situation with this Court & with Mr. Monroe, & it is impossible to act in it without incurring some serious evils unless the Treaty should be immediately ratified in which case you may suppress all that relates to it, for having made it a duty to perform no act in my public...
120To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 4 May 1804 (Madison Papers)
I informed you in my last of my intention to comply with your instructions & to obtain from this Government Such an explanation of the Convention as would embrace all the objects the President wished & then to have proceeded to draw bills for the principal of the debts, leaving the interest as a fund for equalizing the demands by dividing it among the creditors, by this means the further...
121To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 31 March 1804 (Madison Papers)
Enclosed are some letters that have passed between Mr. Skipwith and me. They sufficiently explain themselves—I shall make no comment upon them. I would only observe that the President having left it in my discretion to fix the salary of Mr Skipwith as agent of prizes at any sum not exceeding 2000$ I was induced to go to the extent of the allowance because at the time there were many prize...
122To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 1 January 1804 (Madison Papers)
I have now before me your favor of the 9th of Novr announcing the agreable information of the ratification of the Treaty & Conventions by so decided a majority. This is the first official information I have had on that Subject the letter you mention to have written on the 22d October has not come to hand. I had however received the intelligence thro’ private letters & the news papers prior to...
123To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 4 April 1805 (Madison Papers)
I returned to Paris a few days ago from my tour thro Italy & Germany. When the Emperor was <o>n the point of leaving this for Milan. The day of his <de>parture I was honoured to my great surprize by the <le>tter of which the enclosed is a copy accompanied by the Emperors portrait in a gold box, very richly set with dia<m>onds of very considerable value. I made no difficulty <in> accepting this...
124To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 22 November 1801 (Madison Papers)
I arrived this evening from L’Orient at this place, I have yet seen nobody here from whom I could collect any sort of information of what is doing at Paris. At L’Orient I met with Genl. Desfourneaux who is going with the armament that sails from that place for St. Domingo. He told me that it was probable that either Adet or Mr. De Puissay (who was Aid to the Marquis La Fayette & his fellow...
125To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 21 September 1804 (Madison Papers)
The ambassador of Spain has this moment left me. In the course of our conversation he dropped Some things that it is important you Should know as indicative of the Sentiments of his Court & perhaps as necessary to form the basis of the measures that it may be proper immediately to take. He of course insisted that West Florida made no part of our purchase, but as he Supported this Sentiment by...
126To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 24 March 1803 (Madison Papers)
The question of war yet remains undetermined my letters from Mr. King of the 18th lead me to believe as well as my persuasion of the present System of politicks in England that war will come Soon. Here there is an earnest & Sincere desire to avoid it as well in the Government as the people. I enclosed in my last a note to the Minister. Some days after I called upon him & he told me an answer...
127To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 10 November 1802 (Madison Papers)
France has cut the knot. The difficulties relative to Parma and Placentia that stopped the expedition to Louisiana have ended by their taking possession of the first. As you see by the enclosed paper, orders are given for the immediate embarkation of troops (two demi brigades) for Louisiana they will sail in about twenty days from Holland. The government here will give no answer to my notes on...
128To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 10 August 1802 (Madison Papers)
On the 15 Thermidor when the Ministers had a public audience the Senate were ⟨announced⟩—they entered the ⟨circle with⟩ their President Barthelemi at their head. He presented the decree declaring Bonaparte Consul for life as the result of the vote and made an address in writing upon the occasion which was answered by the first Consul from a paper he held in his hand so that it appears the...
129To James Madison from Robert R. Livingston, 18 January 1804 (Madison Papers)
I enclose a copy of the instructions of the French Government to their Commercial agent at Tripoli upon the Subject of our prisoners. I Shall Send it by the Post to morrow to Leghorn, with directions to Mr Appleton to forward it by the first conveyance, & if none offers to Send a Small vessel with it, & the notes I have Sent him to Commodore Prebble to whom I have written on the Subject, &...