31To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 29 November 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Cover addressed to “The Ho[n?]ble James Madison.” Docketed by JM, “Novr. 29th. 1782. Secy. F. A. Mr. J. Jay.” For a probable explanation of these notations following the date, see Notes on Debates, 28 November ; JM to Randolph, 2 December 1782 . The italicized words are those written in the Randolph code. I yesterday saw Mr....
32To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 13 December 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Docketed by JM, “Decr. 13. 1782.” Unless otherwise noted, words or parts of words italicized in the present copy are encoded in the Randolph cipher. See Randolph to JM, 22 November 1782 , and n. 1. Nothing, I think, need be apprehended from the conveyance of the cypher in an unsealed letter. The curiosity of the postmaster or any...
33To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 20 December 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Docketed “Decr 20th 1782” by JM. Cover addressed to “The honble James Madison jr. esq of congress Philadelphia.” Randolph may have written this letter, or the greater part of it, on 19 December and then postdated it. See n. 12, below. The journal of the house of delegates from Saturday last to this day includes the following points,...
34To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 27 December 1782 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Cover addressed by him to “The honble James Madison jr. esq of congress Philadelphia.” Docketed, “Decr. 27. 1782,” by JM. Portions of the third and fourth paragraphs encoded in the Randolph cipher are here italicized. Colo. Mercer, your new colleague, will leave this country for Philadelphia in about twenty days. He wishes to become...
35To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 3 January 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Owing to fading of the ink, considerable portions of the letter are scarcely legible. Cover addressed to “The honble James Madison jr Esqr of congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “Jany. 3d. 1783.” The post of yesterday brought your two favors of the 17th. and 24th of decr. The prospect of softening the states who were at first the most obdurate against the impost...
36To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 15 January 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Letter unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Addressed by Randolph to “The Honble Jas. Madison jr. esqr. of congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “Jany. 15. 1782,” a misdating by a year. The extreme badness of the weather prevented me from sending a letter from hence to Richmond for the post of last week. As I am really uneasy, at a little seeming omission on my part to...
37To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 1 February 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Letter unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Cover addressed to “The honble James Madison jr. esq of congress Philadelphia. To go by the post.” Docketed by JM on the right margin of the cover, “Richmond Feby. 1st. 83,” and on the left margin, “Feby. 1. 1783.” The death of my aunt unfortunately furnishes me with an apology for the late omissions in my correspondence. At...
38To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 7 February 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Cover addressed to “The honble James Madison jr. esq of congress Philadelphia.” Docketed by JM, “Feby—7—1783.” Words or parts of words enciphered in the Randolph code are italicized. See JM to Randolph, 7 Jan. , and hdn.; 4 Feb. 1783 , and n. 10. The fatal repeal is wrapt up in more than common mystery; the motives being various, as...
39To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 15 February 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned and without complimentary close but in Randolph’s hand. Cover addressed by him to “The honble James Madison jr. Esq. of congress Philadelphia.” The date line and many words in the first six and last six lines of the text are so blotted as to be illegible or doubtfully legible. I had resolved before the receipt of your favor of the 2d. instant to change our...
40To James Madison from Edmund Randolph, 22 February 1783 (Madison Papers)
RC ( LC : Madison Papers). Unsigned but in Randolph’s hand. Parts of the manuscript are hard to read. Besides revising a few words by writing over rather than above them, he used a porous paper. This caused the ink to spread, thereby blotting several adjacent letters together. He posted the letter on 1 March. See Randolph to JM, 1 Mar. 1783 . I easily conceive the difficulty if not...