51From James Madison to James Monroe, 28 July 1785 (Madison Papers)
I received yesterday your favour of the 12th. inst. The date of the preceding one was early in May. From this interval and your not acknowledging some of my letters I suspect that our correspondence suffers from some fault in the post office. This has certainly been the case with letters between Col. Grayson and myself. The part of your letter which has engaged most of my attention is the...
52From James Madison to James Monroe, 4 June 1786 (Madison Papers)
At the date of my last I expected I should by this time have been on the Journey which promises the pleasures of taking you by the hand in New York. Several circumstances have produced a delay, which I did not calculate upon, and which are like to continue it for eight or ten days to come. My journey will also be rendered tedious by the route which I shall pursue. I have some business which...
53From James Madison to James Monroe, 24 December 1784 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 14th. instant came to hand on thursday. A proposition was made a few days ago for this State to empower Congs. to carry into effect the imposts as soon as 12 States should make themselves parties to it. It was rejected on the following grounds 1. that it would present a disagreeable aspect of our affairs to Foreign nations. 2 that it might lead to other combinations of lesser...
54From Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 12 July 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you fully on the 5th. and gave also to young Mr. Franklin a letter of introduction to you dated the 4th. Besides these I have addressed this day a letter to our delegation in Congress on the subject of Mr. Houdon. That will apprise you fully of his merit and objects. I have now only to add in a particular letter to yourself my prayers to give him personally all those aids and counsels...
55From James Madison to James Monroe, 5 October 1786 (Madison Papers)
I recd. yesterday your favour of the 2d. inst: which makes the 3d. for which my acknowledgments are due. The progression which a certain measure seems to be making is an alarming proof of the predominance of temporary and partial interests over those just & extended maxims of policy which have been so much boasted of among us and which alone can effectuate the durable prosperity of the Union....
56From James Madison to James Monroe, 11 July 1786 (Madison Papers)
I reached this yesterday afternoon, not without sensible effects of the extreme heat of the four last days of my journey. A little repose will I hope soon refit both me & my horses for prosecuting it towards N. York. Before I set out however I wish to know from you, for I have forgotten, the precise sum which you have paid to Taylor, with the residue of the debt & the time at which it is to be...
57From Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 9 August 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Since my last to you I have to thank you for your favors of July 27. 87. and Apr. 10. 88. and the details they contained, and in return will give you now the leading circumstances of this continent. The war between the two empires and the Turks seemed to be in a languid state when Paul Jones was called into the Russian service with the rank of rear admiral and put at the head of their ships of...
58From James Madison to James Monroe, 10 June 1787 (Madison Papers)
I have been discouraged from answering sooner your favor of by the bar which opposes such communications as I should incline not less to make than you must do to receive. One of the earliest rules established by the Convention restrained the members from any disclosure whatever of its proceedings, a restraint which will not probably be removed for some time. I think the rule was a prudent one...
59From Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 27 January 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you on the llth. of December, and on the llth. of this month I received your favor of July 15 entrusted to Mrs. McCaulay Graham. I do not know from what place she sent it. The last papers from America present us a very disagreeable altercation between Mr. Jay and a young man from whom he had deserved better things. Mr. Carmichael will I fear too think himself involved. With him I am...
60From James Madison to James Monroe, [ca. 20 November] 1784 (Madison Papers)
Your favor without date was brought by thursday’s post. It inclosed a Cypher for which I thank you & which I shall make use as occasion may require, though from the nature of our respective situations, its chief value will be derived from your use of it. Gel. Washington arrived here on Sunday last, and the Marquis on thursday. The latter came from Boston in a French frigate. They have both...
61From James Madison to James Monroe, 27 November 1784 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 15th inst: came to hand by thurday’s post. Mine by the last post acknowledged your preceding one. The umbrage given to the Comsrs. of the U. S. by the negociations of N. Y. with the Indians was not altogether unknown to me, though I am less acquainted with the circumstances of it than your letter supposes. The Idea which I at present have of the affair leads me to say that as...
62From James Madison to James Monroe, 24 February 1786 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 9th. Feby. is just handed to me. Having but a moment to answer it I confine myself to the Paragraph relating to Mr. Scotts proposition. I thank you most sincerely for the attention you have given to my request on that matter. My opinion is not changed with regard to the policy of some such speculation, and I shall revolve well your communications. The difficulty however of...
63From Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 5 August 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
A journey of between three and four months into the Southern parts of France and Northern of Italy has prevented my writing to you. In the mean time you have changed your ground, engaged in different occupations, so that I know not whether the news of this side the water will even amuse you. However it is all I have for you. The storm which seemed to be raised suddenly in Brabant will probably...
64From James Madison to James Monroe, 11 February 1787 (Madison Papers)
I got to this place two days ago after a very tedious journey. I had the pleasure to find the family with which you are connected well, but full of complaints agst. your epistolary failures. I became your apologist as far as I could, but have agreed to give you up if you do not give future proofs of repentance & amendment. I have already intimated to you the urgency of Mazzei on the subject of...
65From Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 11 August 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you last on the 9th. of July and since that have recieved yours of the 16th. of June with the interesting intelligence it contained. I was entirely in the dark as to the progress of that negociation, and concur entirely in the views you have of it. The difficulty on which it hangs is a sine qua non with us. It would be to deceive them and ourselves to suppose that an amity can be...
66From Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 15 April 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
We wrote a public letter to Mr. Jay the day before yesterday. We were induced to hasten it, because young Mr. Chaumont was to set out yesterday for l’Orient to go to N. York in the packet, and a private conveyance is alone to be depended on for secrecy. I have put off writing any letters as long as I could, expecting the arrival of the packet. She is arrived, as the packet of the last month...
67From James Madison to James Monroe, 8 January 1785 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 18 Ult. came to hand yesterday. The view which it gives of the operations of the Cabinet, portends I fear a revival of those intrigues & contests of ambition which have more than once distracted & dishonoured the national Councils. Foreign appointments have generally been the parents of those mischiefs, and ought for that reason, when no other reasons oppose, to be rendered as...
68From James Madison to James Monroe, 29 May 1785 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of May [8] came to hand a few days ago. It is fortunate that the variant ideas have been so easily accomodated touching the mode of surveying & selling the territorial fund. It will be equally so I think if you can dispossess the British of the Western posts, before the land office is opened. On this event and the navigation of the Mississippi will much depend the fiscal importance...
69From Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 18 March 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you by the packet which sailed from hence in Feb. and then acknoleged the receipt of yours of Dec. 14. which came by the packet arriving here in Jan. That which sailed from N.Y. in Jan. and arrived here in Feb. brings me no letter from any body except from Mr. Jay to Mr. Adams Dr. F. and myself jointly. Since my last the rumour of an exchange proposed between the Emperor and El. of...
70From James Madison to James Monroe, 9 December 1785 (Madison Papers)
Supposing that you will be at New York by the time this reaches it I drop a few lines for the post of today. Mr. Jones tells me he informed You that a substitute had been brought forward to the commercial propositions which you left on the carpet. The subject has not since been called up. If any change has taken place, in the mind of the House, it has not been unfavorable to the idea of...
71From James Madison to James Monroe, 15 August 1786 (Madison Papers)
I inclose herewith a letter for Mr. Jefferson, in which I have communicated the matter agreed on between us. As I thought it best to put it in cypher, I have not left the letter unsealed as I intended for your perusal, but subjoin an extract of the paragraph relating to that subject “My trip to N. Y. was occasioned cheifly by a plan concerted between Col M. & myself for a purchase of land on...
72From James Madison to James Monroe, ca. 31 August 1786 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. ca. 31 August 1786, Philadelphia. JM expressed his anxiety at being unable to repay Monroe the money he had advanced on their purchase of Mohawk lands. Mentioned in Monroe to JM, 12 and 25 September 1786 .
73From James Madison to James Monroe, 19 April 1787 (Madison Papers)
No definitive steps are yet taken for the transportation of your furniture. I fear we shall be obliged to make use of a conveyance to Norfolk as soon as one shall offer. I have examined the workmanship of the man in Chappel Street. The face of it is certainly superior to that of your workman. Whether it may prove much so for substantial purposes, I do not undertake to say. Should Mrs. Monroe...
74From Thomas Jefferson to James Monroe, 28 August 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you on the 5th. of July by Mr. Franklin and on the 12th. of the same month by Monsr. Houdon. Since that date yours of June 16. by Mr. Mazzei is received. Every thing looks like peace here. The settlement between the Emperor and Dutch is not yet published, but it is believed to be agreed. Nothing is done as yet between him and the Porte. He is much wounded by the Confederation of...
75From James Madison to James Monroe, 17 December 1785 (Madison Papers)
Since my last by the preceding post the fate of the Assize laws has been determined by a negative in the H. of Delegates on the Bill on which its execution depended. The majority consisted of 63 agst. 49. A reform of the County Courts is the substitute proposed by the adversaries of the Assize, and if it can be put into any rational shape, will be received by the other side as auxiliary to the...
76From James Madison to James Monroe, 21 June 1785 (Madison Papers)
Finding from a letter of Mr. Mazzei that you have never been furnished with a copy of the Bill for establishing the Christian Religion in this State, I now inclose one, regretting that I had taken it for granted that you must have been supplied thro’ some other channel. A very warm opposition will be made to this innovation by the people of the middle and back Counties, particularly the...
77From James Madison to James Monroe, 9 April 1786 (Madison Papers)
I am favoured with yours of the 18th. of March. My last answered your preceding one relating to your territorial speculation. I hope it has been reced. I forgot to intimate to you, though I presume it would have been superfluous, that it will be well in every purchase to ascertain by information as far as possible, the proportion of land which lies on the river and comes within the description...