James Madison Papers

To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 5 November 1788

From Edmund Randolph

Richmond Nov. 5. 1788.

My dear friend

On saturday next the election of senators will come on. The running names are yourself, R. H L. & Gr—s—n. Your friends have resolved to nominate you; being well assured, that their labours will not be in vain. It is a mortification to me, that the election shd. be brought on before my seat commences. But Carrington has, I presume, been this day elected, and will be here to morrow. When I say, that we are well assured of success, we go upon this estimate, that you will have fifty single votes and fifty promiscuously obtained.1 But you know, that mistakes may occur after the best inquiry.

The assembly have done nothing; but enter into some preparatory resolutions. Among others is one for excluding all fœderal officers, except the military, from posts in the states:2 The patrons differ in the principles, and the scheme may possibly be abortive from this cause. But H——y is decided in its favor; and all powerful.

RC (DLC). Docketed by JM. Apparently incomplete, with subsequent page (or pages) missing.

1In his letter to JM of 10 Nov., Randolph explained what a “single” vote was: “The ballot was opened on Saturday, and at least fifty gave you single votes; that is, threw their other votes on persons, not nominated,”

2This resolution was adopted on 4 Nov. (JHDV description begins Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia; Begun and Held at the Capitol, in the City of Williamsburg. Beginning in 1780, the portion after the semicolon reads, Begun and Held in the Town of Richmond, In the County of Henrico. The journal for each session has its own title page and is individually paginated. The edition used is the one in which the journals for 1777–1790 are brought together in three volumes, with each journal published in Richmond in either 1827 or 1828, and often called the “Thomas W. White reprint.” description ends , Oct. 1788, p. 25).

Index Entries