1From James Madison to James Madison, Sr., ca. 5 March 1797 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. Ca. 5 March 1797. Referred to in JM to James Madison, Sr., 12 Mar. 1797 . Requests his name not be placed on Orange County ballot for Virginia House of Delegates.
2To James Madison from Joseph Jones, 8 March 1797 (Madison Papers)
Green and Mullin have published the two first numbers of the examination &c and I have delivered to Green three others including No. 5 & to Mullin No. 3—these will I expect appear in the papers as they come out and are all I have yet seen. If they are continued it wod. be well to have them inserted in Bache’s paper which I receive but by no means regularly by the post. On the 30th. Octr....
3To James Madison from John Beckley, 11 March 1797 (Madison Papers)
J: Beckley’s compliments to Mr: Madison. Mr: Jefferson will take a family dinner with JB—to morrow at 3 o’clock. Will Mr: Madison join us? RC (owned by Charles M. Storey, Boston, Mass., 1961).
4From James Madison to James Madison, Sr., 12 March 1797 (Madison Papers)
I wrote you by the last mail, and add this by Mr. Jefferson. Lest my last should by any possibility have miscarried, I repeat my request that my name may not be suffered to get on the Poll for the County election. If Mr. Jefferson should call & say any thing to counteract my determination, I hope it will be regarded as merely expressive of his own wishes on the subject, & that it will not be...
5To James Madison from Joseph Jones, ca. 15 March 1797 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. Ca. 15 March 1797. Referred to in Jones to JM, 23 Mar. 1797 . Mentions arrival in Fredericksburg of a vessel with goods shipped by JM.
6From James Madison to James Madison, Sr., 19 March 1797 (Madison Papers)
I have not had a line from you for several mails. I hope it is ascribable to the oppy. of writing by M. Collins with our horses. As yet we hear nothing of him. I have regretted that I did not direct him to be here a little sooner, as the roads are found to be better than usual at this season. If he arrives in a day or two we shall probably leave this the last of the week. We shd. be ready...
7To James Madison from Joseph Jones, 23 March 1797 (Madison Papers)
From good information the Poll between Dawson and Posey was as follows— Spots : Dawson 204 Posey 68— Orange Dawson 156. Posey 46— Louisa Dawson 195. Posey 161— Madison I do not recollect the numbers but about 30 Majority for Dawson. Heath and Tayloe having declined a Poll Dr. Jones and Ball were the only Candidates. I have heard only from K. George where Jones had near five for one. The...
8From James Madison to James Madison, Sr., [ca. 27 March] 1797 (Madison Papers)
This is committed to M. Collins who will explain to you the time of his arrival, the cause of stay here, and the time of his setting out. We are endeavouring to get away ourselves tomorrow afternoon, and have already seen the greater part of our effects on board the vessels which are to take them to Fredericksburg. The hurry & confusion we are all in, will apologize for no other letters being...
9From James Madison to Hubbard Taylor, 27 March 1797 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 27 March 1797. Acknowledged in Taylor to JM, 1 May 1797 (DLC). Discusses Kentucky lands of Mary Coles Payne.
10To James Madison from Joseph Chew, 31 March 1797 (Madison Papers)
Your kind letter of the 28th Febry I Received on the 26th. Instant and this is the first moment I have had an oppertunity of Answering it and now do it by post. The hearing from my Dearest freind your father whose letter you inclosed was a greater Satisfaction to me than I can Express. I now inclose a Letter for him Which I leave open for your Perusal. I am greatly oblidged to you for offering...
11To James Madison from James Blair, 25 April 1797 (Madison Papers)
By the bearer Mr Bell and you will recieve the packages mentioned in the inclosed Memo. Annexed you have a list of the packages received a few days ago from Phila. but not having a Bill of Lading I do not know whether they are right. However as they agree with the Manifest of the Captn. I hope & have reason to beleive they are so. Not a Vessel offers for Philadelphia. In consequence of the Low...
12From James Madison to John Lee, [ca. 26 April] 1797 (Madison Papers)
I find by your letter to my father within acknowledged that you have not discontinued your obliging attention to my little matters committed to your care. My father has already informed you that one of the patents is not to be found, if it ever issued. It seems probable, I think as it is not [to] be found or any account of it obtained in the office at Richmond that no proceeding in the...
13To James Madison from Hubbard Taylor, 1 May 1797 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 27th. of March has come to hand by Mr. Brown. Mr. Bullock is now in Virginia. I shall take particular care of his Letter, when Mr. Bullock left this country he told me he wd. see Mrs. Payne if in Richmond, or any ways near that, as there are many Items to be assertaind, to distinguish her claims under Jno. payne, from those of Jno. payne, father of Smith payne; To obtain this Mrs....
14To James Madison from John Dawson, 18 May 1797 (Madison Papers)
I am sorry to find all your apprehensions verified by the Presidents warlike speech —to it we shall reply in a day or two in a stile rather more pacific, I trust —tho we are very equally divided, & there is reason to fear that Mr. Rutledge, of the committee, will take a course different from what was expected, & to be wishd. We have no late accounts from Monroe, but expect him daily &...
15To 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...
16To 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...
17Receipt from Joseph Jones, 3 June 1797 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
3 June 1797. Acknowledges receipt of $557.83 from JM for James Monroe, of which $250 was received from Benjamin F. Bache and the balance from James Yard. RC ( DLC ). 1 p. In JM’s hand, signed by Jones. For Monroe’s instructions about this money, see Joseph Jones to JM, 8 Mar. 1797 ( PJM Robert J. Brugger et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison: Secretary of State Series (1 vol. to date;...
18To James Madison from John Dawson, 4 June 1797 (Madison Papers)
I am favourd with your letter, & will, as far as lays in my power , forward the wishes of my friends in Orange altho I learn that after due deliberation it has been resolvd in the Executive council, not to appoint any person of our politicks to any office, least they shoud unhinge, or impede the movements of the government, & that Bedinger has been objected to on that score solely—in...
19To James Madison from Henry Tazewell, 4 June 1797 (Madison Papers)
I suppose you partake in the common solicitude to hear the passing political occurrences of this place, at this time. Accept this effort to satisfy your anxiety. I presume you have seen the President’s Speech, & the Senate’s answer. I now inclose you the answer of the H. of R which was presented yesterday. When I arrived here which was on the 4th. day of the Session an answer had been drafted,...
20To 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...
21To James Madison from Henry Tazewell, 11 June 1797 (Madison Papers)
I hasten to tell you that the Northern Mail of today brings an account of the arrival of a Ship at Boston from London with European intelligence up to the 4th. May. Being Sunday, the post office is not open, but Mr Patten says, as Bache tells me, the papers contain a positive account of a seperate peace between France & the Emperor of Germany—and among other things, that a Mutiny has taken...
22To 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...
23To James Madison from John Dawson, 22 June 1797 (Madison Papers)
I have recievd your favour, & deliverd Mrs. Madisons. The accompanying papers will shew you the state of Europe, & you can easily judge of the effect they have had here. We have voted out the propositions for a salt tax, & for an additional regiment of artillerists—& the Senate, to day, that for a provisional army—they have also confirmd the nomination of Gerry in the place of Dana, who...
24To 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...
25To James Madison from John Dawson, 25 June 1797 (Madison Papers)
I wrote to you by the last mail, & now enclose a letter entrusted to my care for Mrs. Madison. On saturday we passed a bill, which came from the Senate, for the protection of our commerce, after disrobing it of the clauses, which authorisd the president to purchase nine additional vessels of 20 guns each, & directing that the three frigates shoud not be used as convoys—& that the law shoud be...
26To 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...
27To James Madison from John Dawson, 10 July 1797 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 10 July 1797. Mentioned in JM to Jefferson, 2 Aug. 1797 . Informs JM that James Monroe should be in Virginia within two weeks.
28To James Madison from Volney, 19 July 1797 (Madison Papers)
Me Voici depuis peu de jours beaucoup rapproché de Vous; et deja il me Serait difficile de rester a cette distance Sans aller Vous rendre une Visite; mais cela me deviendra absolument impossible, avec l’engagement que j’ai pris d’aller passer quelques jours près de Mr jefferson: je n’ai point oublié celui que Vous me prescrivites au moment de Votre depart, de Vous prévenir du tems où je...
29To 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...
30To James Madison from John Dawson, 27 July 1797 (Madison Papers)
We have nothing late from Europe—in our committee we go on well, & I have well grounded reasons, which I cannot communicate by letter, to say that we shall bring in some large fish. Colo Monroe is here & is very much engaged—he proposes to set out in about a week—in September I expect the pleasure of seeing you as I hope by that time I may with safety leave the committee. Yrs Truly RC ( DLC )....
31From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 2 August 1797 (Madison Papers)
At the desire of Mr. Bringhurst I forward him to Monticello; and make use of the opportunity, the first that has offered, to return you the pamphlet you were so kind as to leave with me. I add to it a late Fredg. paper which has got hold of some important articles of later date than were brought by the last post, and which may therefore be new to you as they were to me. I have had nothing from...
32To 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...
33“Signora Catoni” [Sarah McKean] to Dolley Madison, 3 August 1797 (Abstract) (Madison Papers)
3 August 1797, Philadelphia. Acknowledges letter of 23 June [not found]. “In the first place you ask me for a description of the Drawing room, I now hasten to give it you—that we have none at all—for that old what shall I call her —with her hawks eyes, gave out that the weather was too warm, and it would affect her nerves, they must be very delicate of course, but I suppose we shall have it in...
34From James Madison to John Dawson, ca. 3 August 1797 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. Ca. 3 August 1797. Acknowledged in Dawson to JM, 13 Aug. 1797 . Gives opinion on the Blount conspiracy.
35From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 5 August 1797 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 3d. arrived safe yesterday. I will converse with Col. Monroe, as you desire, on the subject of his letter to you, & listen to all his reasons for the opinion he gives. My present conviction is opposed to it. I have viewed the subject pretty much in the light you do. I consider it moreover as a ticklish experiment to say publickly yes or no to the interrogatories of party spirit....
36To James Madison from Snowden and McCorkle, 9 August 1797 (Madison Papers)
Herewith you will receive 13 copies of the History of the United States. Mr John Beckley presented your name to us as answerable for 12. Agreeably to the terms of subscription, you are, therefore, entitled to a thirteenth gratis. The price to subscribers is one dollar. Non-subscribers pay one dollar and a quarter. It would be needless to remind you, Sir, of the delicacy of the situation of a...
37To James Madison from John Dawson, 13 August 1797 (Madison Papers)
By the mail on Thursday I recievd your favour of the Int. On the 12 of the last month we sent a messenger to Tennessee for some persons & papers, & have good reason to conclude that we shall get some material testimony from that quarter. For his return I wait, & shall on it set out for Virginia, if I can escape the fever which is pretty prevalent here, notwithstanding the heavy rains which we...
38From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 24 August 1797 (Madison Papers)
The inclosed letter for Mr. B. came to my hands last week; but not till the opportunity by the then mail was lost. I hear nothing of Monroe but thro’ the Newspapers containing his correspondence with Pickering. As that appears to have been closed on the 31st. of last month, I am in hourly expectation of seeing him. I am also without any late information with respect to the progress of the...
39To James Madison from John Dawson, 7 September 1797 (Madison Papers)
I left Philaa. on the 1st. & arrivd here on the 5. In the morning I shall go to Richmond for a few days to arrange some private matters. The result of the enquiries of the committee has been more favourable than I expected, and will be a bitter pill to the British minister, our Secretary of state & their faction. We have deemd it proper not to make our proceedings public, untill laid before...
40To James Madison from Volney, 12 [September] 1797 (Madison Papers)
J’ai L’honneur de présenter à Mr Madison mes remerciemens: je Suis arrivé ce Matin à 9½ h ayant couché chez getwood: Samuel se trouve en etat de repartir de suite pour retourner Coucher au Même lieu, en sorte que j’espère qu’il Sera demain rendu pour diner—je prie Mr Madison de présenter Mes complimens a Sa famille, et d’agreer mes très humbles civilités N. b. la lettre de Mlle Baynton a été...
41To James Madison from Montesquieu, 12 September 1797 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 12 September 1797. Calendared as a three-page letter in the lists probably made by Peter Force (DLC, series 7, container 2); however, no correspondence has been located between JM and Charles Louis, baron de Montesquieu (1749–1824), grandson of the famous French philosopher.
42From James Madison to Francis Taylor, 17 September 1797 (Madison Papers)
In compliance with my promise I have written the inclosed letter to the Secretary of the Treasury. You will observe that it has not so much of an exclusive & specific reference to the office of Collector as of a general one to that line of appointments. This mode of recommendation was preferred for two reasons; the one, because it has been usual to promote to vacancies, the officers next in...
43From James Madison to Oliver Wolcott, 17 September 1797 (Madison Papers)
The death of Major Lindsay the Collector at Norfolk requiring a new appointment to be made within your branch of the administration, Mr. Francis Taylor of that place, wishes to present himself to the attention of the Executive; and I am requested to join my voucher to that of others, in his favor. Altho’ related to him by a kindred not very remote, I have the pleasure of a slight personal...
44To James Madison from William Glassell, 21 September 1797 (Madison Papers)
Altho from our differnt avocations we are not in the habit of corresponding I shall use the freedom of asking you to do me a favor which from its nature, is only just. Mr. Francis Taylor, who was the deputy of Major Wm. Lyndsay “late collector of the Port Norforlk [ sic ] for many years past” offers himself as a candidite for that Office, in rotation . The Government will pay Much Attention to...
45To James Madison from James Monroe, 24 September 1797 (Madison Papers)
Since my return I have devoted all the leasure time I have had in preparing my narrative for Mr. Bache but yet it is not finished. I suppose I have yet abt. a 3d. to do, which I hope to complete this week. The whole when completed will make a pamphlet of between thirty & forty pages. It has cost me much trouble on acct. of the necessity of observing great accuracy in facts, dates, &ca. Of the...
46To James Madison from Stephen Moylan, 27 September 1797 (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 27 September 1797. Mentioned in Moylan to JM, 25 Apr. 1798 . Moylan refuses to continue as JM’s tenant if property taxes are added to the rent.
47To James Madison from Hubbard Taylor, 8 October 1797 (Madison Papers)
Being out of paper I am obliged to have recourse to an old Book. Since I wrote you last I recd. a letter from Mesrs. Watts’s of New york, with a power of Atteo: & Deed of Trust to them but neither of them are properly proved—either before a Court, Majestrates, or thro Notory public. I have answerd their Letter & observed those deficiencies to them. I do not think the Authority I have is...
48To James Madison from James Monroe, 15 October 1797 (Madison Papers)
I tax you with H.’s pamphlet, requesting that you will return it by the post to Mr. Jeffn. You will be so good as tell me frankly yr. opinion of the footing upon wh. my correspondence with that Scondrel stands, and whether it becomes me to pursue him further. Mr. Dawson will be at yr. court I think on the 25. wh. I presume is yr. ct. day. If I can I will meet him at yr. house. My narrative...
49To James Madison from Thomas Law, 18 October 1797 (Madison Papers)
For particular reasons (a chief one is that I have a claim for 10000 £ Stg now pending in England) altho’ I am married to a Virginian Lady & have almost the whole of my fortune vested in America, I am adverse to taking the oath required to entitle me to the rights of Citizenship. I therefore wish to hold lands in Virginia as a foreigner & to request your advice & aid if you approve of my...
50From James Madison to James Monroe, 19 October 1797 (Madison Papers)
I have recd yours of the 15th. and according to its request inclose back the pamphlet to Mr. Jefferson. I have looked over attentively the parts of it which regard you. It does not seem to me to present any ground on which you could resume the controversy with Col. H. with an appearance either of obligation or propriety. All the points deserving attention which grew out of the course of the...