To James Madison from Andrew Ellicott, 21 December 1806
From Andrew Ellicott
Lancaster December 21st. 1806.
Dear sir
I have enclosed a communication for the national Institute of France, which you will oblige me by forwarding to our minister at Paris, with a request, to have it handed to Mr. de Lambier.
On account of the intolerance, which was manifested by the successful party towards their old friends immediately after the last reelection of Mr. Mc. Kean, I have withdrawn myself intirely from the political conflicts in this commonwealth; on this subject, I can therefore give you but little information: This much however is certain: the opponents of Mr. Mc.Kean have a settled majority of at least one in each house.1
My compliments to Mrs. Madison, and believe me to be your sincere friend.
Andw. Ellicott2
RC (DLC). Enclosure not found.
1. Thomas McKean (1734–1817), a native Pennsylvanian, studied law and became a successful state politician and active supporter of American independence. He served on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as a Federalist from 1777 to 1799, when he won the Pennsylvania governorship as a Democratic-Republican. After assuming office, he removed powerful Federalists from his government. When radicals in his party determined to replace him with Simon Snyder, he made common cause with moderate Republicans and Federalists to win reelection in 1805 and then began to replace Republican officials with Federalists. Despite attempts to impeach him, McKean served three full terms as governor through 1808.
2. Andrew Ellicott (1754–1820) hailed from Solebury Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Although he was descended from Dutch and English Quakers, he became estranged from the Society of Friends early in his life. Trained as a clockmaker in the family business, he preferred mathematics and published several almanacs. He engaged in land surveying in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida and was instrumental in surveying and laying out the city of Washington, D.C., under Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Ellicott served as secretary of the Pennsylvania Land Office until 1813, when he took a position teaching mathematics at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.