James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 11 November 1823
From James Madison
Montpellier Novr 11. 1823
Dear Sir
I have recd yours of the 6th. My preference of F. Gilmer for the law professorship, to any other name brought into view,1 has not changed; & I know of no one better suited for the mission now declined by Mr Cabell. It will be well I think to hold out, in the first instance at least, not more than $1500 for the Salary, as the reduction of the number of professors from 10 to 7. may not be finally settled, & if settled in the negative, the annuity, would fall short. It is true that a professor of law if taken from the Bar, may be expected to2 make a greater pecuniary sacrifice than might be made by3 the others, but on the other hand, his class & his4 fees will probably be more numerous.5 I should prefer a fixed sum for the6 service abroad, to defraying actual expences.7 You can better estimate these than I can. Supposing that he will be absent not more than 6, 7, or 8 months, I suggest8 $1500 for the allowance; but9 shall acquiesce in any sum you may prefer not exceeding $2000. The gratification of such a trip to Europe, will doubtless be felt as an item in the compensation.10 I incline to11 making the allowance a12 special provision for the service rather than a Salary for professional services not performed. The distinction however is more13 nominal than material.
I return Mr Cabell’s letter with the copy of14 your answer to the President. you will see by mine inclosed, that they substantially agree, and you will see by Mr Rush’s letter which I also inclose, & which is of later date than his correspondence sent us by the President, how skittish the Br:15 Cabinet is on the very business into which it has invited us. It is not impossible that Canning, looking more16 ahead than his colleagues, and more to the vox populi at the moment may be drawn back occasionally from his own advances.
Mr Crawford proceeded hence on his way to Washington this afternoon. He came from Govr B’s17 on sunday, and was detained here yesterday & part of today by the State of the weather. He seems equal to the Journey; but his Constitution seems a good deal shaken, and will require care as well as time for a thorough repair.
With Mr R’s letter you will be kind eno’ to return18 my answer to the President.
James Madison
RC (DLC: Madison Papers); at foot of text: “Mr Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as received 13 Nov. 1823 and so recorded (with mistaken 10 Nov. date of composition) in SJL. Dft (DLC: Madison Papers, Rives Collection); on reused address cover to Madison. Enclosures: (1) Joseph C. Cabell to TJ, 27 Oct. 1823. (2) TJ to James Monroe, 24 Oct. 1823. (3) Madison to Monroe, Montpellier, 30 Oct. 1823, stating that the success of the Holy Alliance in Spain will probably lead to attempts “to reduce the revolutionized colonies of the latter” in the New World “to their former dependence”; positing that the United States should not hesitate to join Great Britain in opposing “the meditated crusade”; suggesting that it invite Britain to disapprove publicly of the French incursion into the Iberian Peninsula and declare itself in favor of Greek independence; and wondering whether, all disclaimers notwithstanding, Britain was reserving for itself the right to seize Spanish possessions in the Caribbean and other parts of the world (, 3:149–50). (4) Richard Rush to Madison, [London, 10 Sept. 1823], only a portion of which survives, discussing negotiations with Great Britain over such topics as American trade with British colonies, the suppression of the international slave trade, settling the boundary between the United States and Canada, maritime law and New England fisheries, and Russia’s claim to the northwest coast of America; requesting information in support of an American right to “coequal navigation” of the Saint Lawrence River; mentioning provisions agreed to at the Congress of Vienna in favor of free and open waterways; and expressing a growing desire to return to America (, 3:122–4).
1. Preceding three words interlined in Dft in place of “that has occurred.”
2. Preceding four words interlined in Dft in place of “wd probably.”
3. In Dft Madison here canceled “any.”
4. Preceding three words interlined in Dft.
5. Preceding two words interlined in Dft in place of “of greater amount.”
6. In Dft Madison here canceled “foreign.”
7. Reworked in Dft from “to bearing his expenses.”
8. Preceding two words interlined in Dft followed by a canceled “about.”
9. Word interlined in Dft in place of “I.”
10. Sentence interlined in Dft.
11. In Dft Madison here canceled “the idea of.”
12. Preceding three words interlined in RC and Dft in place of “this.”
13. Word interlined in Dft in place of “as much.”
14. Preceding three words interlined in Dft.
15. Dft: “Brit:.”
16. Word interlined in Dft in place of “farther.”
17. Dft: “Barbour’s.”
18. Dft here adds “the copy of.”
Index Entries
- Barboursville (J. Barbour’s Orange Co. estate) search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; and recruitment of University of Virginia faculty search
- Cabell, Joseph Carrington; correspondence of search
- Canada; and U.S.–Canada border search
- Canning, George; British foreign minister search
- Crawford, William Harris; health of search
- Crawford, William Harris; visits Va. search
- Europe; and recruitment of faculty for University of Virginia search
- France; and invasion of Spain (1823) search
- Gilmer, Francis Walker; and recruitment of University of Virginia faculty search
- Gilmer, Francis Walker; University of Virginia professorship proposed for search
- Great Britain; and French invasion of Spain (1823) search
- Great Britain; and Greek independence search
- Great Britain; and Monroe Doctrine search
- Great Britain; and U.S. search
- Greece, modern; war of independence search
- Holy Alliance; and French invasion of Spain (1823) search
- Holy Alliance; and Latin America search
- law; maritime search
- law; University of Virginia professorship of search
- Literary Fund; and annuity for University of Virginia search
- Madison, James (1751–1836); and foreign affairs search
- Madison, James (1751–1836); and J. Monroe search
- Madison, James (1751–1836); and W. H. Crawford search
- Madison, James (1751–1836); as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
- Madison, James (1751–1836); letters from search
- Madison, James (1751–1836); TJ’s correspondence sent to search
- Monroe, James (1758–1831); and J. Madison search
- Monroe Doctrine; origins of search
- Montpellier (Montpelier; J. Madison’s Orange Co. estate); visitors to search
- New England; fisheries search
- Rush, Richard; as minister plenipotentiary to Great Britain search
- Russia; and northwest coast of America search
- Russia; and U.S. search
- Saint Lawrence River; and navigation rights search
- slave trade; suppression of search
- Spain; invaded by France (1823) search
- United States; and Great Britain search
- United States; and Monroe Doctrine search
- United States; and Russia search
- United States; and U.S.–Canada border search
- United States; trade of search
- Vienna, Congress of; and navigation rights search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; funding for search
- Virginia, University of; Faculty and Curriculum; faculty compensation search
- Virginia, University of; Faculty and Curriculum; law professorship search
- Virginia, University of; Faculty and Curriculum; recruitment of faculty search
- weather; effect on travel search