1To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 2 June 1820 (letter not found) (Madison Papers)
¶ From Thomas Jefferson. Letter not found. 2 June 1820 . Enclosed in Dolley Madison to Lewis J. Cist, 4 July 1842 ( DLC : Dolley Madison Papers).
2To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 16 September 1821 (Madison Papers)
I have no doubt you have occasionally been led to reflect on the character of the duty imposed by Congress on the importation of books. Some few years ago, when the tariff was before Congress, I engaged some of our members of Congress to endeavor to get the duty repealed, and wrote on the subject to some other acquaintances in Congress, and pressingly to the Secretary of the treasury. The...
3To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 21 April 1826 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Wirt declined the offices proposed to him. Mr. Lomax has accepted the Professorship of Law, and will open his school on the 1st. day of July. He has paid us a visit, and his appointment appears to have given the highest degree of satisfaction to every body, Professors Students, Neighbors, and to none more than to myself. We have now 166. students, and on the opening of the Law school, we...
4To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 13 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
I return you mr. Coxe’s letter without saying I have read it. I made out enough to see that it was about the Missouri question, and the printed paper told me on which side he was. Could I have devoted a day to it, by interlining the words as I could pick them out, I might have got at more. The lost books of Livy or Tacitus might be worth this. Our friend would do well to write less and write...
5To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 1 November 1824 (Madison Papers)
I recieved yesterday from La Fayette a letter confirming his movements as stated in the Enquirer of Friday last. He says he will be here on Thursday next, and expresses his hope to meet you here. I presume you also have heard from him, but hope, at any rate, this will reach you in time to be with us on Wednesday. If mrs Madison will accompany you it will be the more welcome to us all. There is...
6To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 April 1825 (Madison Papers)
I have received a proposition from Mr. Perry the owner of the lands which separate the two tracts of the University which I think of so much importance to that institution as to communicate to the visiters by letter in their separate situations. The University tract of 100 acres is ¾ of a mile distant from that of the Observatory of 153 acres. The water which supplies the cisterns of the...
7To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 30 December 1817 (Madison Papers)
I returned from Bedford a week ago, after an absence of 6. weeks, and found here the Palladio, with your two favors of Nov. 29. & Dec. 1 & with 3. from Dr. Cooper, written before he had received one from me of Nov. 25. from Poplar Forest. It was agreed, you know, that we should make a report of our proceedings & prospects to the Govr. as our patron to be laid before the legislature. Being...
8To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 16 February 1823 (Madison Papers)
You already know that the legislature has authorised the literary board to lend us another 60.000 D. It is necessary we should act on this immediately so far as to accept the loan, that we may engage our workmen before they enter into other undertakings for the season. But the badness of the roads, the uncertainty of the weather and the personal inconvenience of a journey to the members of our...
9To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 30 September 1821 (Madison Papers)
Mr Brockenbrough has been closely engaged, since our last meeting in settling the cost of the buildings finished at the University, that we might obtain a more correct view of the state of our funds, and see whether a competency will remain for the Library. He has settled for 6. pavilions, 1. hotel, and 35. dormitories and will proceed with the rest; so that I hope, by our next meeting, the...
10To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 September 1824 (Madison Papers)
I have got thro’ my catalogue except the Alphabet and send you the result. The inclosed table shews the number, size, and cost of the whole and it’s parts. 6860. vols will cost 24.076 D. or 3½ D. a vol. on an average of all sizes. If we get our 50. M D and also if 10.000 would do for apparatus, there would remain 16.000. to invest in stock. This would give us 1000 D. a year for ever which...
11To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 8 August 1824 (Madison Papers)
I recd yesterday a letter from mr. Gilmer which I now inclose, as also a former one, which had only communicated his arrival at Liverpool. I add also a letter from mr. Rush. So far his trust is going on well. I wish the suggestion of mr. Brougham respecting Ivory may be found groundless. There is no mathematician in Gr. Britain who can rival him but Woodhouse professor of Mathematics at...
12To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 2 January 1818 (Madison Papers)
Expecting daily an answer from the President authorising me to sign the within for him I had rather not take on myself a 3d. and therefore send it to you. I have adopted your amendments and made some other small ones. To economise writing I make one letter do for the other gentlemen, joining you with them, altho’ it contains no more than I had before written to you. After signing yourself be...
13To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 9 April 1824 (Madison Papers)
Circular Notwithstanding the reduction which was made in the rents proposed, it appears that that on the salaries will so much enlarge our surplus, that we may very safely engage 8. professors, and still have a surplus this year of 6000. D. and annually after of 5024 D. The opportunity of procuring the anatomical professor is so advantageous, that I propose to make the provisional instruction...
14To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 13 April 1817 (Madison Papers)
Your letter of Feb. 15. having given me the hope you would attend the meeting of the Visitors of the Central college near Charlottesville I lodged one for you at Montpelier notifying that our meeting would be on the day after our April court. A detention at Washington I presume prevented your attendance, and mr. Watson being sick, only Genl. Cocke, mr. Cabell and myself met. Altho’ not a...
15To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 November 1823 (Madison Papers)
I return your letter to the President, and that of mr. Rush to you, with thanks for the communication. The matters which mr. Rush states as under consideration with the British government are very interesting. But that about the navigation of the St. Laurence and the Missisipi, I would rather they would let alone. The navigation of the former, since the N.Y. canal, is of too little interest to...
16To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 17 February 1826 (Madison Papers)
My Circular was answered by Genl. Breckenridge, approving, as we had done, of the immediate appointment of Terril to the chair of Law, but our 4. colleagues, who were together in Richmond, concluded not to appoint until our meeting in April. In the meantime the term of the present lamented incumbent draws near to a close. About 150. students have already entered, many of those who engaged for...
17To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 12 May 1822 (Madison Papers)
I thank you for the communication of mr. Rush’s letter which I now return. Mr. Bentham’s character of Alexander is I believe just and that worse traits might still be added to it equally just. He is now certainly become the watchman of tyranny for Europe, as dear to it’s oppressors as detestable to the oppressed. If however he should engage in war with the Turks, as I expect, his employment...
18To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 16 February 1820 (Madison Papers)
With this letter I commit for you to the mail a bundle of seeds, one parcel of which was sent by you to mr. Randolph for inspection. The other is seakale seed lodged here for you by Genl. Cocke. Have I returned your Vitruvius to you? I am in great tribulation about it? I keep my borrowed books on a particular shelf that they may neither be forgotten nor confounded with my own. It is not on...
19To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 February 1823 (Madison Papers)
I have read mr. Cox’s letters and some of his papers, which I now return you. It is impossible for me to write to him. With two crippled hands I abandon writing but from the most urgent necessities; and above all things I should not meddle in a Presidential election, nor even express a sentiment on the subject of the Candidates. As you propose to write to him, will you be so good as to add a...
20To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 November 1824 (Madison Papers)
I would have accompanied the General to-day but for two reasons, I have not strength, and I should only have added to your embarrasmts. He leaves you Friday morning to partake of a dinner and ball at Fredsbg. on Saturday. The miss Wrights are detained here by the sickness of one of them. They go hence to the Natural bridge and return to Washington by Staunton, Winchester & Harper’s ferry. No...
21To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 16 May 1824 (Madison Papers)
You will see by the inclosed letter from mr. Cabell that a project is in agitation respecting Wm. & Mary Coll. which gives him much alarm. I communicate to you the letter as he requests, and with it my answer, as shewing the point in which I view it. I will ask their return when read, that I may be enabled to lodge my answer in Richmd. before his arrival there. On the question of engaging a...
22To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 30 January 1821 (Madison Papers)
The inclosed letter to mr. Cabell so fully explains it’s object, and the grounds on which your signature to the paper is proposed if approved, that I will spare my stiffening & aching wrist the pain of adding more than the assurance of my constant & affectte. friendship. We the subscribers, visitors of the University of Virginia being of opinion that it will be to the interest of that...
23To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 22 March 1825 (Madison Papers)
George Tucker accepts, as you know, and will be in place early in April. Emmet accepts and will be here about the same time. Henry St. George Tucker declines, expressly on the grounds of the local attachments of his family, with abundance of thanks Etc. to the Visitors; Barbour throws a greedy grapple at both places. I inclose you his letter and my answer. I have still some hope that when he...
24To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 7 January 1824 (Madison Papers)
I send you two letters of Dr. Cooper for perusal. Altho’ the trustees of that College and the Legislature have supported him most triumphantly against his clerical persecutors, yet it is evident he does not feel himself secure. I think you will see from these letters that he keeps us in his eye. And altho’ I doubt, were he now offered a place here, whether he would think he could accept it...
25To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 12 February 1825 (Madison Papers)
I concur with entire satisfaction in your amendment of my resolution, and am peculiarly pleased with your insertion of Genl Wash’ns addresses, which had not occurred to me or I should have referred to them also. I send you another letter of mr. Cabell’s which I think you will read with pleasure. Affectionate salutations. RC ( DLC : Rives Collection, Madison Papers); draft ( DLC : Jefferson...
26To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 6 January 1823 (Madison Papers)
I send you a mass of reading, and so rapidly does my hand fail me in writing that I can give but very briefly the necessary explanations. You will observe that mr. Cabell, if the loan bill should pass, proposes to come up with mr. Loyall, probably mr. Johnson, and Genl. Cocke to have a special meeting. This is necessary to engage our workmen before they undertake other work for the ensuing...
27To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 30 April 1823 (Madison Papers)
The anxieties expressed in the inclosed letter are pointed to 3. articles. 1. the size of the lecturing rooms. 2. depositories for the Apparatuses. 3. the arrangement of the seats for the Students. 1. If we could have foretold what number of students would come to our University, and what proportion of them would be in attendance on any one Professor at one time, lecturing rooms might have...
28To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 23 September 1819 (Madison Papers)
The law establishing the University requires the Visitors to make a report annually embracing a full account of the disbursements, the funds on hand, and a general statement of the condition of the sd. University. The account of disbursements and funds belongs to the Bursar & Proctor, who are accordingly instructed to have them made up to the last day of this month. The condition of the...
29To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 30 August 1823 (Madison Papers)
I recieved the inclosed letters from the President with a request that after perusal, I would forward them to you, for perusal by yourself also and to be returned then to him. You have doubtless seen Timothy Pickering’s 4th. of July Observations on the Declaration of Independance. If his principles and prejudices personal and political, gave us no reason to doubt whether he had truly quoted...
30To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 30 November 1824 (Madison Papers)
I detained the inclosed letters awhile to enable me to write my letter of informn. addnal. to our Report to the Governor, and then in expectation some of the Visitors might call on their way to the legislature and wish to read them. None have called however, and I now inclose them for your perusal. On the reciept of Gilmer’s letter of Sep. 15. from London which came to hand 3. days after those...
31To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 18 October 1823 (Madison Papers)
I return you mr. Coxe’s letter which has cost me much time at two or three different attempts to decypher it. Had I such a correspondent I should certainly admonish him that if he would not so far respect my time as to write to me legibly, I should so far respect it myself as not to waste it in decomposing and recomposing his hieroglyphics. The jarrings between the friends of Hamilton and...
32To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 15 August 1821 (Madison Papers)
In obedience to the resolution of the visitors of the university at their last session, the Proctor has been constantly employed in “ascertaining the state of accounts under contracts already made, and the expence of compleating the buildings begun and contemplated”: and we have consequently suspended, according to instructions, “the entering into any contracts for the Library until we see...
33To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 13 May 1825 (Madison Papers)
Every offer of our Law chair has been declined, and a late renewal of pressure on Mr. Gilmer has proved him inflexibly decided against undertaking it. What are we to do? The clamor is high for some appointment, we are informed too of many students who do not come because that school is not opened, and some now with us think of leaving us for the same reason. You may remember that among those...
34To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 19 February 1819 (Madison Papers)
Yours of the 12th. has been duly recieved, and the pamphlet it covered has been sent to mr. Minor. The late day to which the Governor has fixed the 1st. meeting of the Visitors of the University (the last Monday in March) renders a meeting of the College visitors immediately necessary, some measures of high importance to the institution not admitting that delay; & the Law having authorised us...
35To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 20 January 1826 (Madison Papers)
Circular It is with the sincerest regret I inform you that we are likely to be again at default for our Professor of law. Mr. Gilmer’s situation is become decidedly pulmonary and hopeless. He has not yet been made sensible of the real character of his case and therefore only notifies me in a letter that it is certain he shall not be in health for the commencement of the term, and suggests the...
36To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 29 March 1825 (Madison Papers)
Not knowing whether you may have obtained mr. Barber’s acceptance in the visit you proposed, I have thought of a proposition which it has been suggested to me would reconcile him to our offer. If therefore he has not accepted that of joining us at the end of his first circuit, and you would approve of giving him a year on his assurance that he will then accept, be so good as to forward him the...
37To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 29 November 1820 (Madison Papers)
The inclosed letter from our antient friend Tenche Coxe came unfortunately to Monticello after I had left it and has had a dilatory passage to this place where I recieved it yesterday and obey it’s injunction of immediate transmission to you. We should have recognised the stile even without a signature, and altho so written as to be much of it indecypherable. This is a sample of the effects we...
38To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 10 December 1824 (Madison Papers)
I send you the sequel of Gilmer’s letters recd. since my last to you. Torrey you will see does not accept. I had before recd. from the Secy. at War the inclosed letter to him from mr. Emmet the father recommending his son Doctr. John Patton Emmet, for Professor of Chemistry. Considering that branch as expected by Doctr. Dunglison I had given an answer that the place was filled. But learning...
39To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 10 September 1825 (Madison Papers)
Circular The state of my health renders it perfectly certain that I shall not be able to attend the next meeting of visitors (Oct. 3) at the University. Yet I think there is no one but myself to whom the matters to be acted on are sufficiently known for communication to them. This adds a reason the more for inducing the members to meet at Monticello the day before, which has been heretofore...
40To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 4 August 1825 (Madison Papers)
Circular Chancellor Tucker, Mr Barbour, Judge Carr, as you know had declined accepting the law chair of the University, and yesterday I received a letter from Judge Dade finally declining also; Mr Gilmer, our first choice had declined on account of his health, very much deranged by his voyage to Europe. That is now in a great degree reestablished, and he is willing to accept. What shall we do?...
41To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 7 April 1822 (Madison Papers)
Your favor of Mar. 29. did not come to hand until the 4th. instant. Only mr. Cabell, Genl. Cocke and myself attended. Messrs. Johnson and Taylor were retained in Richmond on Lithgow’s case, and Genl. Breckenridge hindered by business. It was not material as there was not a single thing requisite to act on. We have to finish the 4. rows and appendages this summer which will be done and then to...
42To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 22 February 1825 (Madison Papers)
Our Colleagues on the legislature have called a meeting of the Visitors for the 4th. of March. I presume they have notified you of it by mail, but lest they should not have done so I have thot it safe to inform you. Our newly arrived Professors will come up in the stage of the day after tomorrow. Mr. Cabell writes me that they were much pleased with them in Richmd. We are much so with the two...
43To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 18 October 1819 (Madison Papers)
By this day’s mail I forward you ⅓ of a parcel of seeds of the Sea-Kale sent here by Genl. Cock for you, mr. Divers & myself. I feared to await a private conveyance because they lose their vegetative power if not planted soon. The day after you left us I was taken with a cholic which attended with a stricture on the upper bowels brought me into great pain & immediate danger. The obstacle was...
44To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 23 July 1817 (Madison Papers)
The promptitude & success of our subscription paper, now amounting to upwards of 20,000. D. with a prospect much beyond that renders the decision immediately necessary of some important questions which I had thought might have laid over to our periodical meeting the last of September. Having an opportunity of writing to Genl. Cocke, I invited him to join me in a visit to you on Friday the...
45To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 14 July 1824 (Madison Papers)
I have attentively read your letter to mr. Wheaton on the question whether at the date of the message to Congress, recommending the embargo of 1807 we had knolege of the order of council of Nov. 11. and according to your request I have resorted to my papers, as well as to my memory, for the testimony these might afford, additional to yours. There is no fact in the course of my life which I...
46To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 8 March 1819 (Madison Papers)
I now return you the letter from mr. Watson whom I met with on the road as mentioned in mine of the 3d. In consequence of the doubts discovered on the subject of Cooper, I wrote to mr. Cabell, to Correa, and to Cooper himself, and inclose you copies of my letters for perusal that you may see on what ground I place the matter with each. To Cooper I barely hold up the possibility of new views...
47To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 26 December 1824 (Madison Papers)
I inclose you a long letter from mr. Cabell and a long answer from myself, not much worth reading, but that it is well you should know every thing. No letter from Gilmer since my last, but he is believed to be now in Richmond. Long and Blaettermann are here located in their pavilions as drawn by lot. The former is a fine young man and well qualified. The latter rather a rough looking German,...
48To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 3 March 1819 (Madison Papers)
I promised your gardener some seeds which I put under a separate cover and address to you by mail. I also inclose you a letter from mr. Cabell which will shew you that the “sour grapes” of Wm. & Mary are spreading; but certainly not to the “enlightened part of society” as the letter supposes. I have sent him a transcript from our journals that he may see how far we are under engagements to Dr....
49To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 11 March 1819 (Madison Papers)
I inclose you a letter received last night from mr. Cabell containing interesting information as to our University as well as something further with respect to Dr. Cooper. Be so good as to return it with those formerly sent you. I recieved by the same mail a commission as visitor, and an authentic appointment of the last Monday of this month for our first meeting at the University. I have...
50To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 24 March 1823 (Madison Papers)
Mr. Dodge, our Consul at Marseilles, wishing to pay his respects to you on his way to Richmd. and apprehending that altho presented to you some half dozen years ago, you may not now recollect him, requests me to give him a line of re-introduction. You will find him a person of very general information and good sense, and particularly familiar with the affairs of Southern Europe. We shall hope...