| | 1 | Author: | Madison
James
1751-1836 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | The Writings of James Madison  | | | | Published: | 2003 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Modern English collection | UVA-LIB-Text | | | | Description: | Rev Sir—I am not a little affected at hearing of
your misfortune, but cannot but hope the cure may be
so far accomplished as to render your journey not inconvenient.
Your kind Advice & friendly cautions
are a favour that shall be always gratefully remembered,
& I must beg leave to assure you that my
happiness, which you and your brother so ardently
wish for, will be greatly augmented by both your
enjoyments of the like blessing. SIR,—The complexion of the intelligence received of late from Spain, with the
manner of thinking which begins to prevail in Congress with regard to the claims
to the navigation of the Mississippi, makes it our duty to apply to our constituents
for their precise, full and ultimate sense on this point. If Spain should
make a relinquishment of the navigation of that river on the part of the United
States an indispensable condition of an alliance with them, and the State of Virginia
should adhere to their former determination to insist on the right of navigation,
their delegates ought to be so instructed, not only for their own satisfaction,
but that they may the more effectually obviate arguments drawn from a supposition
that the change of circumstances, which has taken place since the former
instructions were given, may have changed the opinion of Virginia with regard
to the object of them. If, on the other side, any such change of opinion
should have happened, and it is now the sense of the State that an alliance with
Spain ought to be purchased even at the price of such a cession if it can not be
obtained on better terms, it is evidently necessary that we should be authorized
to concur in it.—It will also be expedient for the Legislature to instruct us in
the most explicit terms whether any and what extent of territory on the East
side of the Mississippi and within the limits of Virginia, is in any event to
be yielded to Spain as the price of an alliance with her.—Lastly, it is our earnest
wish to know what steps it is the pleasure of our Constituents we should
take, in case we should be instructed in no event to concede the claims of Virginia
either to territory or to the navigation of the above-mentioned river, and
Congress should without their concurrence agree to such concession. . . . . . . . . . . "My Dear Sir,—Since my last the Danae a French frigate has arrived from
France with money for the French army and public despatches. A snow storm
drove her on shore in this Bay where she was in danger of following the fate of
one of the last Frigates from France. The accident as it turned out only cost
her all her masts. The despatches for Congress are from Mr. Franklin, Mr.
Jay, & the Marquis de la Fayette, and come down to the 14th. of Octr. They
advise that the 1st. Commission issued to Mr. Oswald empowered him to
treat with certain colonies &c., which being objected, another issued explicitly
empowering him to Treat with commisrs from the thirteen United States. The
latter, of which a copy was inclosed, and which will be transmitted to the
Executives, is grounded on the Act of Parliament, but is to continue in force
no longer than July 1783. It is no doubt on the whole a source of very soothing
expectations, but if we view on one side the instability & insidiousness of
the British Cabinet, and, on the other the complication of interest and pretensions
among the Allies, prudence calls upon us to temper our expectations with much
distrust. "Your favor of the 13th. instant arrived a few minutes after I sealed my last.
That of the 20th. came duly to hand yesterday. The sensations excited in Mr.
Jones and myself by the Repeal of the law in favor of the Impost were such as
you anticipated. Previously to the receipt of your information a letter from
Mr. Pendleton to me had suspended the progress of the Deputies to Rhode
Island. Yours put an entire stop to the mission, until the plan or some other
can be extended to the case of Virga. The letter from the Govr., of the same
date with your last, gives a hope that our representations may regain her support
to the impost without further steps from Congress. Your doubt as to her
power of revoking her accession would, I think have been better founded, if she
had not been virtually absolved by the definite rejection of Rho: Island;
altho' that rejection ought perhaps have been previously authenticated to her.
I beg you to be circumstantial on this subject especially as to the parties and
motives which led to the repeal, and may oppose a reconsideration. After a silence of 4 weeks your favor of the 26 Ult, was particularly welcome.
Your conjecture was but too well founded as to the compiler of the Proclamation.
The offensive passages were adverted to by some, but the general
eagerness on the occasion, increased by some unavoidable delays, rendered all
attempts to draw the attention of Congress to smaller inaccuracies unacceptable. Your favor of the 21. Ult: written at Col: Pendleton's was brought to hand
by the Post of last week Col: Floyd's family did not set out until the day
after it was received. I accompanied them as far as Brunswick, about 60
miles from this and returned hither on friday evening. . . . Congress have
recd a long and curious letter from Mr. Adams, dated in Feb. addressed to the
president not to the Secretary for foreign affairs. He animadverts on the revocation
of his commn for a treaty of commerce with great Britain presses the
appointment of a minister to that Court with such a commn draws the picture
of a fit character in which his own likeness is rediculously & palpably studied
finally praising and recommending Mr Jay for the appointment provided
injustice must be done an older servant. Marbois lately took occasion in our family to complain of ungenerous proceedings
of the British against individuals, as well as against their enemies at large,
and finally signified that he was no stranger to the letter transmitted to Congress
which he roundly averred to be spurious. His information came from Boston,
where the incident is said to be no secret; but whether it be the echo of letters
from Philada. or has transpired from the correspondence of Mr. Adams to his
private friends is uncertain. This conversation passed during my absence in
new Jersey, but was related to me by Mr. Carroll. Your favour of the 9th inst. was duly brought by yesterday's Mail. My impatience
is great to know the reception given to the propositions of Congress by
the Assembly. I foresaw some of the topics which are employed against them,
& I dread their effect from the eloquent mouths which will probably enforce
them; but I do not despair. Until those who oppose the plan, can substitute
some other equally consistent with public justice & honor, and more conformable
to the doctrines of the Confederation, all those who love justice and
aim at the public good will be advocates for the plan. The greatest danger is
to be apprehended from the difficulty of making the latter class sensible of the
impracticability or incompetency of any plan short of the one recommended;
the arguments necessary for that purpose being drawn from a general survey of
the federal system, and not from the interior polity of the States singly. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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