1To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 18 May 1797 (Madison Papers)
I was informed on my arrival here that Genl. Pinckney’s dispatches had on their first receipt excited in the administration a great deal of passion: that councils were held from day to day, and their ill temper fixed at length in war; that under this impression Congress was called: that the tone of the party in general became high, and so continued till the news of the failure of the bank of...
2To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 1 June 1797 (Madison Papers)
I wrote you on the 18th. of May. The address of the Senate was soon after that. The first draught was responsive to the speech & higher toned. Mr. Henry arrived the day it was reported. The addressers had not as yet their strength around them. They listened therefore to his objections, recommitted the paper added him & Tazewell to the committee, and it was reported with considerable...
3To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 8 June 1797 (Madison Papers)
I wrote you last on the 1st. inst. You will have seen by the public papers that the amendment for putting France on an equal footing with other nations was clogged with another requiring compensation for spoliations. The objection to this was not that it ought not to be demanded, but that it ought not to be a sine qua non, and it was feared from the dispositions of the Executive that they...
4To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 June 1797 (Madison Papers)
My last was of the 8th. inst. I had inclosed you separately a paper giving an account of Buonaparte’s last great victory. Since that we recieve information that the preliminaries of peace were signed between France & Austria. Mr. Hammond will have arrived at Vienna too late to influence the terms. The victories lately obtained by the French on the Rhine were as splendid as Buonaparte’s. The...
5To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 22 June 1797 (Madison Papers)
The Senate have this day rejected their own bill for raising a provisional army of 15,000. men. I think they will reject that for permitting private vessels to arm. The Representatives have thrown out the bill of the Senate for raising artillery. They yesterday put off one forbidding our citizens to serve in foreign vessels of war, till Nov. by a vote of 52. to 44. This day they came to a...
6To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 29 June 1797 (Madison Papers)
The day of adjournment walks before us like our shadow. We shall rise on the 3d. or 4th. of July. Consequently I shall be with you about the 8th. or 9th. The two houses have jointly given up the 9. small vessels. The Senate have rejected at the 3d reading their own bill authorizing the President to lay embargoes. They will probably reject a very unequal tax passed by the Repr. on the venders...
7To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 July 1797 (Madison Papers)
In hopes that mrs. Madison & yourself & miss Madison will favor us with a visit when Colo. Monroe calls on you, I write this to inform you that I have had the Shadwell & Secretary’s ford both well cleaned. If you come the lower road, the Shadwell ford is the proper one. It is a little deepened, but clear of stone & perfectly safe. If you come the upper road you will cross at the Secretary’s...
8To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 3 August 1797 (Madison Papers)
One of the documents Jefferson enclosed in his letter to JM of 3 August 1797 was a draft petition in response to a federal circuit court grand jury presentment handed down in Richmond 22 May. The presentment, issued on a charge given by Judge James Iredell, condemned Samuel J. Cabell and other United States representatives for writing circular letters that endeavored “at a time of real public...
9To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 3 January 1798 (Madison Papers)
Your’s of Dec. 25. came to hand yesterday. I shall observe your directions with respect to the post day. I have spoken with the Depy. Post. M. Genl. on the subject of our Fredericksburg post. He never knew before that the Fredsbg. printer had taken the contract of the rider. He will be glad if either in your neighborhood or ours some good person will undertake to ride from April next. The...
10To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 January 1798 (Madison Papers)
I wrote you last on the 2d. inst. on which day I recieved yours of Dec. 25. I have not resumed my pen because there has really been nothing worth writing about but what you would see in the newspapers. There is as yet no certainty what will be the aspect of our affairs with France. Either the Envoys have not written to the government, or their communications are hushed up. This last is...