511Memorandum on the Cession of Louisiana from Spain to France, 25 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
The treaty of St. Ildefonso, dated Oct. 1. 1800. between Spain & France, Article 3d . is in these words, in French, the language in which it was written. “Sa Majesté catholique promet et s’engage de son coté a retroceder a la republique Française, six mois aprés l’execution pleine et entiere, les conditions et stipulations cy-dessus, relatives a son Altesse Royale le Duc de Parme, la Colonie...
512From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 15 July 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
The arrival of the treaty of cession of Louisiana last night, and the short day given for ratification (Oct. 30.) will oblige me to call Congress about the middle of that month; & consequently to return here earlier than I had calculated; I shall therefore go home earlier. I think I shall be with you on Friday or Saturday next. my affectionate love to all of you.—the price of Louisiana...
513From Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph, 9 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
I have been so closely engaged since I came here that I have not had time to write any letter which could be postponed. this place is unusually healthy. some persons from Alexandria have been taken with the fever here & died, without communicating it: so that we consider our rural situation as perfectly exempt from the danger. it seems to get worse in Alexandria, Philadelphia & New York, & so...
514From Thomas Jefferson to Caesar A. Rodney, 22 October 1803 [document added in digital edition] (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson requests the favour of The Hon-ble Mr Rodney to dine with him on Tuesday the 25th. inst— at half after three, or at whatever later hour the house may rise. Oct. 22 The favour of an answer is asked. RC (Memorabilia Expert, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2008, item 45130); partially dated; printed form, with blanks filled by Lewis Harvie reproduced in italics; addressed by Harvie: “The Hon-ble...
515From Thomas Jefferson to Caesar A. Rodney, 28 July 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 22d. finds me here. I have carefully perused the copy of the paper addressed to you from Wilmington in July 1801. signed by Messrs. Tilton and others and inclosed to me in your letter: and altho’ I really believe that you presented such an one to me while at Washington, yet I have had so many proofs of the little confidence I ought to place in my memory, surcharged with so...
516From Thomas Jefferson to Caesar A. Rodney, 13 July 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 7th. is now before me. mr Mendenhall wrote to me in Feb. last, asking the communication of a paper against him which he understood had been delivered to me. I wrote him in answer Feb. 25. that I did not remember ever to have recieved such a paper: that tho’ I might ascertain the fact by a recurrence to my files, yet it was unnecessary for another reason, which was, that as it...
517From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Rush, 4 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
No one would more willingly than myself pay the just tribute due to the services of Capt Barry , by writing a letter of condolance to his widow as you suggest. but when one undertakes to administer justice it must be with an even hand, & by rule, what is done for one, must be done for every one in equal degree. to what a train of attentions would this draw a President? how difficult would it...
518From Thomas Jefferson to the Senate and the House of Representatives, 4 November 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
By the copy, now communicated, of a letter from Capt Bainbridge, of the Philadelphia frigate, to our consul at Gibraltar , you will learn that an act of hostility has been committed, on a merchant vessel of the United States, by an armed ship of the Emperor of Morocco. This conduct on the part of that power is without cause, and without explanation. It is fortunate that Capt Bainbridge fell in...
519From Thomas Jefferson to the Senate and the House of Representatives, 14 November 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
I now communicate a digest of the information I have recieved relative to Louisiana, which may be useful to the legislature in providing for the government of the country. a translation of the most important laws in force in that province, now in the press, shall be the subject of a supplementory communication, with such further and material information as may yet come to hand. RC ( DNA : RG...
520From Thomas Jefferson to the Senate, 17 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
In my message of this day to both houses of Congress, I explained the circumstances which had led to the conclusion of conventions with France, for the cession of the province of Louisiana to the United States. those Conventions are now laid before you , with such communications relating to them as may assist in deciding whether you will advise and consent to their ratification. The...
521From Thomas Jefferson to the Senate, 11 November 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
During the last recess of the Senate, I have granted commissions for the offices, and to the persons following: which commissions will expire at the end of the present session of the Senate. I therefore nominate the same persons to the same offices for reappointment, to wit. James Monroe of Virginia, Minister Plenipotentiary of the US. to the government of Great Britain, vice Rufus King...
522From Thomas Jefferson to the Senate, 24 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
I lay before you the Convention signed on the 12th. day of May last, between the United States and Great Britain, for settling their boundaries in the North Eastern & North Western parts of the United States, which was mentioned in my general message of the 17th. instant; together with such papers relating thereto as may enable you to determine whether you will advise & consent to it’s...
523From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 6 November 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Your’s of Oct. 25. from Prestwood came to my hands last night. it is the first knolege of your motions I have had since you set out for Kentucky: and having long expected you were on the road back, I knew not how to write to you. this has been the cause of my keeping a letter recieved for you from France a considerable time ago: & I do not send it now lest you should have left Richmond, where...
524From Thomas Jefferson to Robert Smith, 16 August 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson salutes mr Smith and incloses him a letter from a mr Nichols of Massachusets desiring to be a midshipman, of whom he knows nothing but what is contained in the letter. health & happiness. PrC ( DLC ). Enclosure: John H. Nichols to TJ, 8 Aug. 1803 (recorded in SJL as received from Charlestown on 15 Aug. with notation “to be Midshipman,” but not found).
525From Thomas Jefferson to Robert Smith, 8 August 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
It is suggested to me (indirectly from the person himself) that Jerome Bonaparte is at Baltimore, under the name of Monsr. Dalbarton, with a son of Rewbell, [&] that they mean to ask a passage to France in one of our frigates. if this be the fact, he will have satisfied thereof the minister of his nation, thro’ whom we shall be apprised of it, & relieved from all trouble in deciding on it....
526From Thomas Jefferson to Robert Smith, 10 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
I have heard of your misfortune and lament it, but will say nothing, ha[ving] learnt from experience that time, silence, & occupation are the only medicines such case. I should have regretted the necessity of writing to you on a subject of business, did I not believe it useful to withdraw the mind from what it is too apt to brood over, to other objects. You know the importance of our being...
527From Thomas Jefferson to Robert Smith, 30 September 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Having understood that you have been unwell, & that your family is still so, I have not asked your attendance here, lest these circumstances should stand in the way. Mr. Madison, Dearborne & Gallatin are here & mr Lincoln expected tomorrow. we have not only to decide on the matters to be communicated to Congress, but as early a decision of the administration as possible is requisite on one of...
528From Thomas Jefferson to Robert Smith, 23 August 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a letter from mr Simpson to mr Madison shewing very clearly that our plan of having the gun carriages for the Emperor of Marocco made in Europe, cannot take place. to cut short all further delay on this subject, I think we must furnish them from hence. you observe they must be of the very best & fitted for land service. if we have such, really good, tho’ wanting for our own...
529From Thomas Jefferson to Robert Smith, 5 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of yesterday is this moment recieved. mine of Sep. 30. [was] written without any accurate information of the state of your family. the question hinted in that was decided on Tuesday & is gone into action. there is therefore now no cause for separating you from your family, and I shall be sorry if it should take place before you recieve this. I am sure you will approve what we have...
530From Thomas Jefferson to Robert Smith, 5 September 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 28th. came to hand on the 2d. inst. expecting mr Madison daily , I deferred writing till I should confer with him. this is the first post after his arrival, & I write to Genl. Dearborne to contribute his agency with you in such way as may be convenient for both towards carrying into execution the engagement of our predecessors to furnish the hundred gun carriages to the...
531From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Harrison Smith, 8 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson salutes mr Smith & having copied the inclosed, returns it with some queries & supplements for his use. RC ( DLC : J. Henley Smith Papers); undated; addressed: “Mr. Samuel H. Smith”; endorsed by Smith: “From Th. Jefferson Oct. 8. 1803.” Not recorded in SJL . Enclosure not identified.
532From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Snowden, 29 September 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
I pray you to recieve & apply the within sum of one hundred dollars to the use of those among you afflicted with the present sickness, who may be in need of it. I further request that no acknolegement may be made of it in the public papers, nor otherwise in any manner. I offer my best wishes for the reestablishment of the health of Alexandria, & to yourself my respectful salutations. PrC (...
533From Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Stoddert, 20 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
The pressure of business & of ceremony at the commencement of a session rendered it impossible for me to peruse the inclosed till yesterday evening. I sincerely wish well to whatever may contribute to give growth to the city, under which term I include Georgetown also: for I consider that & Washington as standing in the same relation to the general government, & as constituting on[ly]...
534From Thomas Jefferson to John Strode, 15 July 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his friendly salutations to mr Strode. the arrival of the treaty of cession of Louisiana, [rendering it] necessary to call Congress in October, he will leave this place earlier than he had intended. he will probably breakfast with him on Thursday or Friday morning next. he wishes him health. PrC ( DLC ); torn; endorsed by TJ in ink on verso.
535From Thomas Jefferson to James Taylor, Jr., 13 July 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
In a letter to Colo. Newton some time ago I informed him I should take two pipes of Madeira of the Brazil quality annually, that being about my annual consumption of that kind of wine. he mentioned in reply that they should be imported annually with his own, and what he ordered for a few particular friends, and that his correspondents had assured him these should be of superior quality. having...
536From Thomas Jefferson to Madame de Tessé, 31 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
In my letter of Jan. 30. I informed you that the person whom I had employed in this neighborhood had provided such seeds of the list therein stated to you, as the lateness of the season had permitted. I had the mortification to see them remain here till summer without any opportunity occurring to forward them. our only commercial port is Alexandria, five miles distant. by casting your eye on a...
537From Thomas Jefferson to Stephen Thacher, 19 September 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson presents his respectful salutations to mr Thatcher, and his thanks for the excellent oration of which he was pleased to send him a copy. while such sentiments as are therein expressed animate the breasts of our citizens, we have every thing to hope for their happiness & freedom. he owes mr Thatcher his particular thanks for the friendly terms of his letter . RC ( MeHi );...
538From Thomas Jefferson to William Thornton and Family, 11 July 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Madison and his family take a family dinner with Th: Jefferson tomorrow (Tuesday). Will Doctr. Thornton and his family join us? RC ( DLC : William Thornton Papers); addressed: “Dr. Thornton.”
539From Thomas Jefferson to the Senate, 31 October 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
I now lay before you the treaty mentioned in my general message at the opening of the session, as having been concluded with the Kaskaskia Indians, for the transfer of their country to us, under certain reservations & conditions. Progress having been made in the demarcation of Indian boundaries, I am now able to communicate to you a Treaty with the Delawares, Shawanese, Poutewatamies, Miamis,...
540From Thomas Jefferson to Aaron Vail, 4 November 1803 (Jefferson Papers)
The schooner Citizen, capt Lawson, being employed by our government to carry some gun carriages to the Emperor of Marocco, and to touch at Lorient, in going, in order to deliver there the ratification of our late treaty with France, I take the benefit of your cover for a letter to mr Livingston, our Minister Plenipotentiary, accompanied by a small box of about 8. or 9. inches cube addressed to...