Thomas Jefferson to Bernard Peyton, 1 August 1820
To Bernard Peyton
Monticello Aug. 1. 20.
Dear Sir
Your favors of July 21. & 24. have been recieved, the latter covering 225.D. and I shall immediately draw on you in favor of A. Garrett for 300. or 325.D. before the reciept of yours of the 21s[t]1 I had already2 availed myself of the first good opportunity of speaking to the President on what is the subject of it. it was impossible to reply more frankly or more favorab[ly] than he did as to his earnest dispositions on that subject towards you. I could not ask a promise certainly, but he said that it should be as I pleased. he added that acting with responsibility between candidates, it would be necessary to furnish him with the best grounds of justification by as strong recommendations as could be obtained, whenever either event should happen. these should be from the resp[e]ctable merchants the gentlemen of the best standing of the place, and particularly3 your brother officers of the late war; to be obtained at the moment when either event happens, and in the mean time to be as silent as the grave as to your views. no removal will probably take place. revolutionary whiggism and services are a strong ground of tenure. affectionately yours
Th: Jefferson
PoC (MHi); on verso of a reused address cover from Mark Langdon Hill to TJ; edge trimmed; mutilated at seal; at foot of text: “Capt Peyton”; endorsed by TJ.
On 2 Aug. 1820 TJ gave Alexander garrett an order on Peyton for $325, of which $250 was to pay the third installment of TJ’s subscription to the University of Virginia ( , 2:1366; Garrett’s Account with the University of Virginia, 30 Sept. 1820, enclosure no. 1 in University of Virginia Board of Visitors Report to Literary Fund President and Directors, 2 Oct. 1820).
1. Word faint.
2. Manuscript: “alreeady.”
3. Manuscript: “particully.”
Index Entries
- banks; currency issued by search
- currency; for TJ search
- Garrett, Alexander; and Central College–University of Virginia subscription search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; Central College–University of Virginia subscription search
- Monroe, James; and appointments search
- Peyton, Bernard; and currency for TJ search
- Peyton, Bernard; letters to search
- Peyton, Bernard; payments made for TJ search
- Peyton, Bernard; seeks federal appointment search
- subscriptions, nonpublication; for Central College–University of Virginia search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; funding for search