130831To James Madison from Joseph M. Sanderson, 9 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
I have taken the liberty of sending to your address the first volume of the Biography of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence. Should you find any thing in it worth the perusal, I will thank you for your recommendation, & as the succeeding volumes are published, I shall, with your permission, forward them to you. As the work is intended to perpetuate the lives of men distinguished...
130832From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 10 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
Yours of Novr. 29. came to hand a few days ago. The letter from T. C. is returned. I had one from him lately on the same subject, and in consequence reminded the President of his political career; dropping at the same time a few lines in his favor to our Senator Mr. Barbour. I sincerely wish something proper in itself could be done for him. He needs it and deserves it. The law terminating...
130833To James Madison from Francis Walker Gilmer, 10 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
I received some weeks ago from our excellent friend Mr. Corrêa, his farewell to Virginia, and to all whose kindness has made it dear to him. It was natural that the friendship with which you had honored him, and the repeated civilities he had received from you, should be remembered when he was about to leave our country. He especially charges me, to preserve in your memory, the sentiments of...
130834To James Madison from James Barbour, 13 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
Your favorable recommendation of Mr. Coxe has interested me much in his behalf And I have already pressed his claims on the President who entertains for him a high respect and possesses every disposition to do something for him the first favorable opportunity. You will see by the papers that on yesterday the resolution for the admission of Missouri passed the Senate 26 to 18. Mr. Macon (as my...
130835To James Madison from Ebenezer H. Cummins, 13 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
I beg leave to address to you an English history of the late war, with a few critical notes by myself. It has many merits. My opinion of it is fairly set forth in the advertisement prefixed: but I would be gratified to receive yours in the most conscientious sincerity; and especially of the character of so much as I have appended to the British performance. I would respectfully request that...
130836From James Madison to Francis Walker Gilmer, 18 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
I have received your favor of the 10th. inclosing the letter from Mr. Correa, for the perusal of which you will please to accept my thanks. I am glad to find that he leaves our country with so many cordial feelings: and I can not but value highly the share allowed me in such, by one, not more distinguished by the treasures of his capacious mind, than by the virtues and charms of his social...
130837To James Madison from Mackay & Campbell, 18 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
Some time since we recd. a letter from Messrs. Maury & Latham dated 30th. Septr. in which we find the following, “The balance in our hands due to Mr. Madison is £35.12/5—having sold his Tobo. & Shipped the goods he ordered. We can pass that Amount to your credit on account of Mr. Madison’s dft for £100. This would leave £64.7/7. Of course if Mr. Madison wishes it we will pass this also to Your...
130838To James Madison from James Monroe, 18 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
We have just receivd a letter from Mr Rush of the 20th of october, communicating one from the Spanish ambassador in London to him, of the preceding date, stating that he had been informd confidentially that the Florida treaty had been ratified. It does not appear that the information had been imparted to him, from Madrid or London or by whom. It being possible that it might have been receivd...
130839To James Madison from John H. Wood, 22 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
I am induced from many considerations to address you in a manner which may [be] a surprise; but it is cheifly at the instance of my mother, with whom you have been well acquainted. The influencies to this address it is surperfluous to mention, the contents of this letter can the better tell, but a word to the wise. I will deem it proper to premise, that the small pecuniary aid I am about to...
130840From James Madison to George W. Featherstonhaugh, 23 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
I received on the 20th. your letter of the 7th. inst. The Agricultura[l] paper to which it refers, being already in print, is of course subject to any further publication, without my consent: And I regard the asking it as a special mark of your politeness; the more so as it was intended to give me an opportunity of rectifying the errors into which I might have fallen. That there may be more of...
130841To James Madison from James Monroe, 23 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
The question as to the admission of Missouri into the union, which is still depending, will probably not be decided untill after the holydays, & the decision is then quite uncertain. You have I presume seen a proposition of Dr Eustis, for admitting her, after a certain day, provided, in the interim, the obnoxious clause in her constitution shall be stricken out. Should this fail, it is...
130842To James Madison from Edmond Kelly, 24 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
My last letter concluded my thoughts on the necessity of creating national manufactories of all the articles Imported from England—of puting them into operation, & of substituting a revenue for that pernicious one they Yeild so as not to injure or Embarrass the public service, as the only measure that can avert Impending national Insolvency—Expell foreign (british) influence & destroy the...
130843From James Madison to Ebenezer H. Cummins, 26 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. Sir your favor of the 13th. with a copy of the American Edition of Baine’s Hist: of the late war, to which I have given a hasty perusal. The work does not bespeak historical talents of the highest order, but it is a respectable performance; and merited a republication here, by the degree of research & candor appearing on the face of it. That it contains errors, some very gross...
130844From James Madison to James Monroe, 28 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your two favors of the 18 & 23 inst. The prospect of a favorable issue to the difficulties with Spain, is very agreeable. I hope the ratification will arrive witht clogs on it; and that the acquisition of Florida may give no new stimulus to the spirit excited by the case of Missouri. I am glad to learn that a termination of this case also is not despaired of. If the new State is...
130845To James Madison from Tench Coxe, 28 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
I should have replied sooner to your last favor, but I had hoped to find some of the debates &ca, for the ten years, which you do not possess. I am sorry I have not yet succeeded, and I fear the rarity of them and the constant purchases by young & rising public men, foreigners, libraries &ca. may disappoint me. I will however keep your wishes constantly in view. The Missouri case has...
130846To James Madison from Thomas Mann Randolph, 28 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
My Brother in Law Mr Hackley informs me that he will shortly be in the neighbourhood of your Country Seat, and I ask of him to wait upon you with my homage, which it has, for such a number of years, been my pride to be allowed to pay. His long residence in the Peninsula, and his excellent understanding, and habit of observation, may perhaps enable him to afford you interesting conversation for...
130847To James Madison from William Davis Robinson, 28 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
I take the liberty of sending you by mail a volume of my memoirs of the Mexican Revolution, which I request you will do me the honor to accept, and I shall be much gratified to learn that any thing containd therein compensates for the trouble of perusing it. My career in life has not afforded me many opportunities of exploring the walks of literature, hence the style of the volume in question...
130848From James Madison to Mackay & Campbell, 29 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. yours of the 18th. & have delayed the answer a few mails hoping for a letter from Messrs. M. & L. of a like date with their last to you. The last to me was of Sepr. 13, at which time the whole of my Tobo. had not been sold, and the invoice of the goods sent me not inclosed. Perhaps a letter for me may be in the Country & you can give me some account of it. The Tobo. seems to have...
130849From James Madison to George Alexander Otis, 29 December 1820 (Madison Papers)
Your letter of the 5th. came safe to hand, with the 2d. vol: of the translation of Botta’s History, for which I am ⟨anew to offer⟩ my thanks. Without a more careful reading of the two volumes, and comparison of them with the original, than has been permitted by other demands on my time, I could not express any opinion as to the merits of the translation that would be worth your acceptance. Of...
130850To James Madison from George Alexander Otis, 4 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your respected letter of the 29th Ulto. and to return my grateful acknowledgements for the honour you have done me in naming my enterprise to Mr. Stephenson; to whom I shall request my Agent in Richmond to deliver a Set. I pray you to accept Sir my Sincere thanks for the permission to make your letter of 5th July public, and for your benevolent wishes of...
130851To James Madison from John H. Wood, 5 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
Permit me to thank you for your polite and friendly Answer to my letter. My application was certainly predicated on the presupposition that whatever relief you cou’d grant me consistently with engagements & obligations (of which we all are surrounded) wou’d have been done with willingness. On addresses for pecuniary aid I shou’d always be entirely indisposed to afford any, cou’d I suppose the...
130852From James Madison to James Monroe, 6 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Hackley called on me a few days ago on his way to Washington. I found him very intelligent and of agreeable manners. He observed a commendable delicacy in the part of his conversation, which touched his personal hopes from the Government; but it was not concealed that he aspired to some provision under its patronage. He will doubtless be, if he has not already been, more explicit &...
130853From James Madison to William Davis Robinson, 6 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
I have recd. your favor of Decr. 28. accompanied by a Copy of your “Memoirs of the Mexican Revolution.” As I can not at present find leisure to go thro the volume, I make an offer at once, of my thanks for your obliging attention. So little is known of the late events & of the actual State of things in Mexico, which well deserve to be known, that accurate information as to both must be...
130854From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 7 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
In The inclosed you will see the ground on which I forward it for your perusal. In the late views taken by us, of the Act of Congress, vacating periodically the Executive offices, it was not recollected, in justice to the President, that the measure was not without precedents. I suspect however that these are confined to the Territorial Establishments, where they were introduced by the Old...
130855From James Madison to Robert Mackay, 7 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
An accident to the Saw of my Sawmill requires a new one immediately, the season being now favorable for using it. Will you be so obliging as to have a good one chosen, & held ready for the application of Mr. Howard’s waggoner, who will be down very quickly after this reaches you. If he shd fail, I will authorise some other waggoner to bring up the Saw. The sickness in my family and other...
130856To James Madison from James Barbour, 8 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
I understood when at your house that you were in want of a good riding horse. In consequence when I returned here, having found the one I had bought of Mr Johnson the writer of the within a very fine one I mentioned to him your wish. In answer he returned me the enclosed note. If you think proper to avail yourself of his offer and should choose either of the horses and signify which to me I...
130857To James Madison from Tench Coxe, 8 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
I have heard of a collection of the debates in Congress between 1790 and 1800, which are to be shewn to me and will at least direct my searches and attention. Perhaps want of money, which exists in the case, may occasion a sale. If it should I shall make the terms known to you. Our state after 41 years, and with only 700 to 800 slaves in 1810 are about to pass a final abolition act, paying...
130858To James Madison from Andrew Stevenson, 8 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of the 10 ulto I recd in the course of the mail, & owe you an apology for not answering it sooner; but the truth is that what with personal indisposition, & professional & Legislative duties, I have not had an opportunity of doing so, until today. Since I last wrote you Mr. R. & myself have made the promised search amongst his father’s papers, for yr. letters, & I am pleased to say,...
130859To James Madison from William S. Cardell, 12 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
The literary institution on which I before had the honor to address you has become organised with very encouraging prospects. The enclosed circular which is in part an amplification of my former letter explains the outlines as far as it was thought proper to form them by anticipation. The officers elected are His Ex. J. Q. Adams President. Judge Livingston, Judge Story Hon. William Lowndes, V....
130860To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 13 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
I return you mr. Coxe’s letter without saying I have read it. I made out enough to see that it was about the Missouri question, and the printed paper told me on which side he was. Could I have devoted a day to it, by interlining the words as I could pick them out, I might have got at more. The lost books of Livy or Tacitus might be worth this. Our friend would do well to write less and write...