From James Madison to William Eustis, 30 August 1810
To William Eustis
Montpelier Aug. 30. 1810
Dear Sir
I have recd. your favor of the 19th. A long letter, now with the Dept. of State, from Judge Toulmin,1 confirms the reality of a projected expedition from his neighborhood agst. Mobille; which he considered however as suspended, if not abandoned. The inclosed copies of letters from Govr. Holmes, & Secretary Robinson,2 will give you the latest information of what is passing on the other side of the Boundary. Will you turn your thoughts to the question, what steps are within the Executive Competency, in case the deliberations of the people of W. Florida should issue in an offer to place the territory under the Authority of the U. S.? I see that Mourier is arrived, & announced in the Newspapers as Chargé d’Affaires. The dispatches of which he is sd. to be the bearer from Mr. P. have not yet reached me. Accept my esteem & best wishes
James Madison
With the letter from Col. Smith, I send you the cover under which I recd it.3
RC and enclosures (PHi: Daniel Parker Papers). RC docketed by Eustis, “The President Aug 31. 1810. enclosing correspondence of Govr. Holmes &c. respecting Florida.” For enclosures, see n. 2.
2. JM forwarded to Eustis the clerks’ copies that John Graham had sent to him on 24 Aug.: David Holmes to Robert Smith, 31 July 1810 (4 pp.; docketed by Graham as received 23 Aug.), enclosing two accounts (2 and 4 pp., respectively) of proceedings relating to the convention held at St. John’s Plains on 25 July 1810; and Thomas B. Robertson to Robert Smith, 28 July 1810 (2 pp.; docketed by Graham as received 23 Aug.), enclosing William Wykoff, Jr., to Robertson, 24 July 1810 (2 pp.). For a discussion of the contents of these letters, see John Graham to JM, 24 Aug. 1810, nn. 1 and 2.