1From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 22 November 1822 (Jefferson Papers)
The person who hands you this letter is an interesting subject of curiosity. he was taken prisoner by the Kickapoos when he supposes he must have been about 3. or 4. years of age, knows not whence taken, nor who were his parents. he escaped from the Indians at about 19. as he supposes, & about 7. years ago. he has applied himself to education, is a student of Medecine, & has assumed the name...
2From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 6 January 1823 (Jefferson 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. 1. mr Cabell’s letter to me & mine to him which passed each other on the road will give you the state of things respecting the University, and I am happy to add that letters recieved from Appleton give us reason to expect our capitels by the first vessel...
3From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 16 February 1823 (Jefferson 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...
4From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 24 February 1823 (Jefferson 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...
5From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 14 March 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed lre in Gr. Lat. Fr. and Eng. with it’s accompaniments being intended for your inspection as much as mine, is now forwarded for your perusal. you will be so good as to reinclose them that I may return them to the writer. the answer I propose to give is, what I have given on all similar applications, that until the debt of the University is discharged, and it’s funds liberated, the...
6From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 24 March 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
M r Dodge, our Consul at Marseilles, wishing to pay his respects to you on his way to Richm d 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...
7From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 30 April 1823 (Jefferson 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...
8From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 13 June 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
I communicated to you a former part of a correspondence between Judge Johnson of Charleston and my self, chiefly on the practice of caucusing opinions which is that of the supreme court of the US. but on some other matters also, particularly his history of parties. in a late letter he asks me to give him my idea of the precise principles & views of the Republicans in their oppositions to the...
9From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 30 August 1823 (Jefferson 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 4 th 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...
10From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 18 October 1823 (Jefferson 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...
11From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 24 October 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
I forward you two most imporant letters sent to me by the President and add his letter to me by which you will percieve his primâ facie views. this you will be so good as to return to me, and forward the others to him I have recieved Trumbull’s print of the Decln of Independance, & turning to his letter am able to inform you more certainly than I could by memory that the print costs 20. D. &...
12From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 6 November 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
The belief is so universal that the ensuing legislature will dispose in some way of the University debt, & liberate our funds, as that we ought to save what time we can by provisional preparations. we have all, I believe, agreed that an Agent to Gr. Britain will be necessary to procure Professors; & I have heretofore mentioned to you that mr Cabell was disposed to undertake the business. but...
13From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 15 November 1823 (Jefferson 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 S t 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...
14From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 7 January 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
I send you two letters of D r 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...
15From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 16 May 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
You will see by the inclosed letter from mr Cabell that a project is in agitation respecting W m & Mary College, 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 able to lodge my answer in Richmond before his arrival there. On the question of engaging a...
16From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 14 July 1824 (Jefferson 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...
17From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 8 August 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
I rec d 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...
18From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 3 September 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
I am near closing my catalogue, and it is important I should recieve the kindness of your Theological supplement, by the 1 st or 2 d mail, or it’s insertion will be impracticable. be so good as to expedite it as much as possible. affectionate salutations. DLC : Papers of James Madison.
19From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 24 September 1824 (Jefferson 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 3 1\2 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, these would remain 16,000. to invest in stock. this would give us 1000 D. a year for ever which...
20From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 6 October 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
Within 6. hours after we had all dispersed yesterday to our several homes, the inclosed most unwelcome letter came to hand. I have never recieved a greater damper on my hopes and spirits. it is so contrary to the state of things as given us by Ticknor, a state which I cannot but still respect, because he had staid many months at each of those places. Gilmer says there are Professors who...
21From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 11 October 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
The reciept of the inclosed letter did not give me more pleasure than I feel in communicating it to you. it dispelled the gloom which that from Edinbg had produced and gives me hopes that all will end well. with a good Professor of mod. lang. assured, a good one of ant t languages in view, a prime Mathematician engaged we want really nothing essential but an able Nat. Phil. and that he cannot...
22From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 15 October 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
I wished to have communicated to you my letter to Gilmer before I sent it off. but the danger of it’s not getting there before his departure induced me to dispatch it by mail for the packet from N. York, as soon as written. my rough draught being illegible, I have taken time to make a legible copy, now inclosed for your perusal. I think there is nothing in it which does not accord with the...
23From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1 November 1824 (Jefferson 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...
24From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 15 November 1824 (Jefferson 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...
25From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 20 November 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
Gilmer is arrived in N. York sick of a fever which he has had thro’ the whole voyage of 35. days and likely to remain there some time in the hands of the Doctors. he has engaged 5. Professors to wit George Long, Antient languages. George Blaetterman. Modern d o Tho s H. Key. Mathematics. Charles Bonnycastle (son of the Mathematician) Nat. Philos. Robley Dunglison Anatomy E t c this last wishes...
26From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 30 November 1824 (Jefferson 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...
27From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 10 December 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
I send you the sequel of Gilmer’s letters rec d since my last to you. Torrey you will see does not accept. I had before rec d from the Sec y at War the inclosed letter to him from mr Emmet the father recommending his son Doct r John Patton Emmet, for Professor of Chemistry. considering that branch as expected by Doct r Dunglison I have given an answer that the place was filled. but learning...
28From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 26 December 1824 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a long letter from mr Cabell and a long answer from my self, not much work 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,...
29From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 23 January 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose you a letter from mr Cabell and a copy of the bill I prepared and sent him as he requested. I send you also a letter from mr Gilmer, by which he seems determ d not to undertake our professorship. what are we to do? I abhor the idea of a mere Gothic lawyer who has no idea beyond his Coke Littleton, who could not associate in conversation with his Colleagues, nor utter a single...
30From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1 February 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
I concur with you in the favorable opinion of mr Barber; and altho’ I should prefer Preston, as rather of a more acadamical cast, yet I could readily give a first vote to Barber. his reputn in Congress would be of service. In most public seminaries a text-book is prescribed to the several schools as the Norma docendi in them; and this is frequently done by the Trustees. I should not propose...