William S. Cardell to Thomas Jefferson, 11 January 1821
From William S. Cardell
New York 11th Jan 1821
Dear Sir,
I had the honor to address you in1 February last, in behalf of a number of Gentlemen, on the subject of an institution for promoting the literature of our country. The correspondence on the subject has been extensive and interesting, and the society is organised under very encouraging prospects. The enclosed2 circular which is in part an amplification of my former letter will explain the leading principles and objects.
The officers elected are John Quincy Adams President—Judge Livingston, Judge Story and Hon. William Lowndes, Vice Presidents.—Alex. McLeod D.D. Rec. Sec. John Stearns MD. (President N.Y. State Med. Society) Treasurer.—Counsellors, Chancellor Kent, Daniel Webster, Boston, Bishop Brownell Con. John M. Mason, D.D. Joseph Hopkinson N. Jersey, P. S. Du Ponceau LL.D. Phil. John L. Taylor, North Carolina, H. Clay, Kentucky—There are 2 vacancies. Dr Smith of William & Mary Col. is proposed to fill one, and Doct Dana President of Dartmouth the other.
Among other transactions of this institution, it is made my duty, Sir, respectfully to communicate to you thier unanimous election of you as an honorary member. The other honorary members are Hon John Adams James Madison, James Munroe, C. C. Pinckney, John Jay and John Trumbull.
The society of course can have no expectation of exalting the dignity of men who have passed thro all forms and degrees of honor which a nation can confer: but it is the highest tribute of respect in our power to offer, and the cordial approbation expressed by those distinguished citizens gives to the institution the means [of]3 additional usefulness to our country.
There is more coincidence of opinion and more4 concert in action than were anticipated on a subject so new and among men so widely scattered.
The only publication made by the society is the offer of a premium of 400 Dollars and a gold medal for the best American History, calculated for a class book in Academies and schools. Several other premiums are proposed copies of which will be printed and circulated in a few days to obtain the opinions of members respecting the selection of objects.
| W. S. Cardell |
| Corresponding Sec. |
| Am. Acad. of Lang. & B. Lettres. |
RC (DLC); torn at seal; addressed: “Hon. Thomas Jefferson Monticello (Virg.)”; franked; postmarked New York, 11 Jan.; endorsed by TJ as received 19 Jan. 1821 and so recorded in SJL.
Cardell sent a longer letter with the same enclosures to John Adams on this day, and on the next he wrote one to James Madison very similar to the one to TJ. His letters to Adams and Madison included Washington Irving, “now in London,” among the counsellors of the American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres, and he named William Allen, president of Bowdoin College, as a potential candidate for one of the vacancies (MHi: Adams Papers; Madison, Papers, Retirement Ser., 2:207–16).
1. Manuscript: “in in.”
2. Manuscript: “enlosed.”
3. Omitted word editorially supplied.
4. Word interlined.
Index Entries
- Adams, John; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Adams, John; works sent to search
- Adams, John Quincy; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Allen, William (1784–1868); and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres; founding of search
- American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres; members of search
- American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres; premiums awarded by search
- belles lettres; promotion of search
- books; on history search
- Brownell, Thomas Church; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Cardell, William Samuel; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Cardell, William Samuel; letters from search
- Clay, Henry; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Dana, Daniel; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Dartmouth College; mentioned search
- Du Ponceau, Peter Stephen; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Hopkinson, Joseph; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Irving, Washington; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Jay, John; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Honors & Memberships; American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres, membership search
- Kent, James; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Livingston, Henry Brockholst; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Lowndes, William; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Madison, James (1751–1836); and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Madison, James (1751–1836); works sent to search
- Mason, John Mitchell; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- McLeod, Alexander; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Monroe, James; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- New York (state); Medical Society of the State of New-York search
- Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- schools and colleges; Dartmouth College search
- Smith, John Augustine; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Stearns, John search
- Story, Joseph; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Taylor, John Louis; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Trumbull, John (artist); and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- Webster, Daniel; and American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres search
- William and Mary, College of; president of search