121To George Washington from James Madison, 14 January 1789 (Washington Papers)
Your favor of the 2d instant with the letters attending it never came to hand till last evening. I have good reason to believe that the delay happened between Alexanda & Fredg, rather than at or from the latter place. Mr F. Maury pays particular attention to all letters which arrive there for me, and forwards them to Orange by opportunites which are frequent & safe. I apprehend there will be...
122To George Washington from James Madison, 21 July 1788 (Washington Papers)
I have deferred writing since my arrival here in the hourly hope of being enabled to communicate the final news from Poughkepsie. By a letter from Hamilton dated the day before yesterday I find that it is equally uncertain when the business will be closed, and what will be its definitive form. The inclosed gazettes state the form which the depending proposition bears. It is not a little...
123To George Washington from James Madison, 20 December 1787 (Washington Papers)
I was favoured on Saturday with your letter of the 7th instant, along with which was covered the printed letter of Col. R. H. Lee to the Governour. It does not appear to me to be a very formidable attack on the new Constitution; unless it should derive an influence from the names of the correspondents, which its intrinsic merits do not entitle it to. He is certainly not perfectly accurate in...
124To George Washington from James Madison, 5 November 1788 (Washington Papers)
The inclosed memorandum was put into my hands by Mr St John the French Consul. He is a very worthy man & entitled by his philanthropy and zealous patronage of whatever he deems useful, to much esteem and regard. You will therefore oblige me by putting it in my power to afford him the little gratification he asks. I have another request to trouble you with, which concerns myself. Col. H. Lee...
125To George Washington from James Madison, 2 December 1788 (Washington Papers)
The information conveyed in your favor of the 17th ulto lays me under great obligations. It was by no means my wish to have imposed the task of so full and particular a view of the subject. The general result in your own mind was all that I had in contemplation. One of the papers herewith inclosed will shew you the state of the election for the Senate in Massts. It was understood here, that Mr...
126From James Madison to George Washington, 14 September 1788 (Madison Papers)
The delay in providing for the commencement of the Government was terminated yesterday, by an acquiescence of the minor number, in the persevering demands of the major. The time for chusing the electors is the first wednesday in Jany. and for chusing the President the first wednesday in Feby. The meeting of the Govt is to be the first wednesday in March, and in the City of New York. The times...
127To George Washington from James Madison, 18 October 1787 (Washington Papers)
I have been this day honoured with your favor of the 10th instant, under the same cover with which is a copy of Col. Mason’s objections to the Work of the Convention. As he persists in the temper which produced his dissent it is no small satisfaction to find him reduced to such distress for a proper gloss on it; for no other consideration surely could have led him to dwell on an objection...
128To George Washington from James Madison, 11 November 1785 (Washington Papers)
I recd your favor of the 29th ulto on thursday. That by Col. Lee had been previously delivered. Your letter for the Assembly was laid before them yesterday. I have reason to believe that it was received with every sentiment which would correspond with yours. Nothing passed from which any conjecture could be formed as to the objects which would be most pleasing for the appropriation of the...
129From James Madison to George Washington, 18 November 1787 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 5th. instant found me in Philada. whither I had proceeded, under arrangements for proceeding to Virginia or returning to this place, as I might there decide. I did not acknowledge it in Philada. because I had nothing to communicate, which you would not receive more fully and correctly from the Mr. Morris’s who were setting out for Virginia. All my informations from Richmond...
130From James Madison to George Washington, 24 October 1793 (Madison Papers)
Your letter of the 14th. instant did not arrive till sunday night, and being not then at home, I did not receive it till last night. I now lose not a moment in complying with its request; tho’ I foresee it cannot reach you before you will have left Mount Vernon, and before you will probably have made up a final determination on some if not on all the questions proposed. These are 1. Ought the...
131From James Madison to George Washington, 26 March 1789 (Madison Papers)
The inclosed copy of Morgan’s invitation to his fellow Citizens was obtained from one of his friends, and forwarded to me from Pennsylvania. It is the most authentic & precise evidence of the Spanish project that has come to my knowledge. The instrument referred to as retained in Morgan’s hands in order to be signed by the Adventurers, would still further explain the transaction. No Quorum is...
132To George Washington from James Madison, 16 April 1787 (Washington Papers)
I have been honoured with your letter of the 31 of March, and find with much pleasure that your views of the reform which ought to be pursued by the Convention, give a sanction to those which I have entertained. Temporising applications will dishonor the Councils which propose them, and may foment the internal malignity of the disease, at the same time that they produce an ostensible...
133To George Washington from James Madison, 30 September 1787 (Washington Papers)
I found on my arrival here that certain ideas unfavorable to the Act of the Convention which had created difficulties in that body, had made their way into Congress. They were patronised cheifly by Mr R.H.L. and Mr Dane of Massts. It was first urged that as the new Constitution was more than an Alteration of the Articles of Confederation under which Congress acted, and even subverted these...
134From James Madison to George Washington, 18 March 1787 (Madison Papers)
Recollecting to have heard you mention a plan formed by the Empress of Russia for a comparative view of the aborigines of the new Continent, and of the N. E. parts of the old, through the medium of their respective tongues, and that her wishes had been conveyed to you for your aid in obtaining the American vocabularies, I have availed myself of an opportunity offered by the Kindness of Mr....
135From James Madison to George Washington, 20 December 1787 (Madison Papers)
I was favoured on Saturday with your letter of the 7th. instant, along with which was covered the printed letter of Col. R. H. Lee to the Governour. It does not appear to me to be a very formidable attack on the new Constitution; unless it should derive an influence from the names of the correspondents, which its intrinsic merits do not entitle it to. He is certainly not perfectly accurate in...
136To George Washington from James Madison, 24 October 1793 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 14th instant did not arrive till sunday night, and being not then at home, I did not receive it till last night. I now lose not a moment in complying with its request; tho’ I foresee it cannot reach you before you will have left Mount Vernon, and before you will probably have made up a final determination on some if not on all the questions proposed. These are 1. Ought the...
137From James Madison to George Washington, 14 October 1787 (Madison Papers)
The letter herewith inclosed was put into my hands yesterday by Mr. de Crœvecuœr who belongs to the Consular establishment of France in this Country. I add to it a pamphlet which Mr. Pinkney has submitted to the public, or rather as he professes, to the perusal of his friends; and a printed sheet containing his ideas on a very delicate subject; too delicate in my opinion to have been properly...
138From James Madison to George Washington, 16 April 1787 (Madison Papers)
I have been honoured with your letter of the 31 of March, and find with much pleasure that your views of the reform which ought to be pursued by the Convention, give a sanction to those which I have entertained. Temporising applications will dishonor the Councils which propose them, and may foment the internal malignity of the disease, at the same time that they produce an ostensible...
139From James Madison to George Washington, 9 January 1785 (Madison Papers)
I have now the pleasure of confirming the expectations hinted in my last concerning the result of the measures which have been favoured with your patronage. The Bill for opening the Potowmac has passed precisely on the model transmitted from Maryland, the last conditional clause in the latter being rendered absolute by a clause in the former which engages this State for fifty shares in the...
140To George Washington from James Madison, 7 December 1786 (Washington Papers)
Notwithstanding the communications in your favor of the 18th Ult: which has remained till now to be acknowledged, it was the opinion of every judicious friend whom I consulted that your name could not be spared from the Deputation to the Meeting in May in Philada. It was supposed that in the first place, the peculiarity of the mission and its acknowledged preeminence over every other public...
141To George Washington from James Madison, 5 December 1789 (Washington Papers)
Since my last I have been furnished with the inclosed copy of the letter from the Senators of this State to its Legislature. It is well calculated to keep alive the disaffection to the Government, and is accordingly applied to that use by the violent partizans. I understand the letter was written by the first subscriber of it, as indeed is pretty evident from the stile and strain of it. The...
142VI. James Madison’s Concurring Opinion, [14 July 1790] (Jefferson Papers)
This reasoning is inforced by the clause (Art. 2. Sect. 1. < cl. 3 >) which says the list of votes of the electors shall be transmitted to the seat of Govt. directed to the President of the Senate who in presence of the Senate and H of Reps. shall open the certificates &c. The seat of Congress then must be at the seat of Govt. It is admitted that the seat of Govt. can not be where the Ex: part...
143Memorandum for George Washington, [ca. 8 October] 1789 (Madison Papers)
On the supposition that the business can be more properly conducted by a private Agent at London, than a public Minister at a third Court, the letter and instructions for the former character appear to be well adapted to the purpose. If any remark were to be made, it would relate merely to the form, which it is conceived would be made rather better by transposing the order of the two main...
144Motion on Instruction to George Washington, [7–8 November] 1782 (Madison Papers)
On Mature deliberation on all the papers which had been referred to the Committee respecting the murder of Capt: Huddy, the British officer allotted as the subject of retal[i]ation for the murder and to the trial of Lippencut as the perpetrator thereof[,] It is deemed expedient & accordingly resolved that the Commander in cheif be directed to set at liberty the said British officer Resolved...
145Memorandum from James Madison, 29 August 1790 (Washington Papers)
“The act for establishing the temporary and permanent seats of the Government of the U. States” requires the following steps for carrying the latter into effect. 1. The appointment of three Commissioners of sufficient respectability having good will to the general object without any particular bias of private interest residing (a majority at least) so conveniently to the scene of business as...
146Address of the House of Representatives to the President, [9 November] 1792 (Madison Papers)
The House of Reps. who always feel a satisfaction on meeting you are much concerned that the occasion for mutual felicitation afforded by the circumstances favorable to the National prosperity, should be abated by a continuance of the hostile spirit of the Indian tribes; and particularly that the reiterated efforts for effecting a pacification with them should have issued in new proofs only of...
147Address of the House of Representatives to the President, [5 May] 1789 (Madison Papers)
The Representatives of the People of the United States present their congratulations on the event by which your fellow-citizens have attested the pre-eminence of your merit. You have long held the first place in their esteem: you have often received tokens of their affection. You now possess the only proof that remained of their gratitude for your services, of their reverence for your wisdom,...