To Thomas Jefferson from Madame de Corny, 25 April 1805
From Madame de Corny
paris le 25 avril. [1805]
Je vous prie, monsieur, de recevoir mes Compliments Sur la réelection qui vous nomme president des Etats unis, c’est bien la nation qui vous choisit puisque toutes les voix etoient pour vous, jaurois facilement prevu ce resultat, et davance je pouvois vous Adresser mes felicittations, je donne un Soupir a montechello
Vous ete si loin des petits interêts que je ne crains point de vous parler de Mde churche sa santé deperits, elle a eprouvé des pertes si Sensible et si repettée que tout mon desir est de la voir Seloigner pour quelques tems, sa tristesse est si grande que je ne crains plus pour elle mon extrême solitude, jay fini avec le monde, elle a, a Sen plaindre. notre reunion peut luy etre utille parler a un homme detat des interets de mon Coeur c’est un hommage que je rend a sa bonté joignez y, je vous en prie, celuy de tous les sentiments destime et damitie que je vous ai Voué, et qui ne cesseront jamais.
de corny
Editors’ Translation
Paris, 25 Apr. [1805]
I beg you, Sir, to accept my compliments on your reelection as president of the United States. You are indeed the nation’s choice since all voices were for you. I could easily have predicted this result and congratulated you in advance. I breathe a sigh for Monticello.
You are so far beyond pettiness that I do not fear telling you about Madame Church. Her health is failing; she has undergone such deep and repeated losses that my only wish is for her to get away for a while. Given her great sadness, I no longer fear that my extreme solitude would be a problem for her. I have finished with the world, but she has cause to lament. It would do her good to be here with me.
In sharing my sentiments with a statesman, I pay tribute to your goodness. Add to that, I beg you, all the feelings of respect and friendship that I have and will never cease to have for you.
de corny
RC (DLC); partially dated; endorsed by TJ as received 3 July 1805 and so recorded in SJL.
davance je pouvois vous Adresser mes felicittations: Corny to TJ, 2 Feb. 1804.
elle a eprouvé des pertes: Angelica Schuyler Church, who suffered from frequent bouts of illness, mourned the deaths of her eleven-year-old son Alexander in August 1802, her mother, Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler, in March 1803, and her brother-in-law and close friend Alexander Hamilton in July 1804 (New-York Evening Post, 27 Aug. 1802; , 26:93-4; Philip John Schuyler to Angelica Church, 4 Aug. 1804, MS in ViU: Papers of Angelica Schuyler Church; Vol. 36:549).