The writings of James Madison, comprising his public papers and his private correspondence, including numerous letters and documents now for the first time printed. |
 |
TO JAMES MONROE. |
 | The writings of James Madison, |  |
TO JAMES MONROE.
Dear Sir,—Altho' your personal and official
acquaintance with Mr. J. Graham,[131]
be well known
from the public service, satisfy myself,
without expressing my sense of his great merit.
Mr. Graham, recommended by my knowledge of
his public agency abroad, and of his private virtues,
was invited into the Department of State, as the
chief under the Head of it, whilst the Department
was in my hands. It was my wish, more than his
own that was gratified by the appointment. And
I have always considered it as the effect of an
honorable desire to serve his country, combined
with his personal & political feelings, that he
remained for so long a period, in a station, without
the attractions, which could otherwise have detained
him in it.
On these grounds, & from continued & varied
opportunities of being intimately acquainted with
Mr. Graham, I not only take a pleasure, but feel
an obligation, in saying that I regard him as among
the most worthy of men, and most estimable of
citizens; as adding to a sound & discriminating
judgment, a valuable stock of acquirements adapted
to public affairs; and to both, a purity of character,
a delicacy of sentiment, and an amenity of temper
& manners, exceeded in no instance to which I could
refer.
With this view of his capacity to be useful to his
country and the principles guarantying a proper
exertion of it, I can not but hope that suitable occasions
may present themselves for preventing a
loss to the public of the services of a citizen, so
highly entitled to its confidence.
With the highest consideration & regard, I remain
This letter, probably handed to Graham just before Madison left
the Presidency, was one of the few letters of recommendation for
office written by Madison. Soon after his return to Montpelier he had
the following circular letter printed:
The friendship which has long subsisted between the President of the
United States and myself gave me reason to expect, on my retirement
from office, that I might often receive applications to interpose with
him on behalf of persons desiring appointments. Such an abuse of
his dispositions towards me would necessarily lead to the loss of them,
and to the transforming me from the character of a friend to that of an
unreasonable and troublesome solicitant. It therefore became necessary
for me to lay down as a law for my future conduct never to interpose
in any case, either with him or the Heads of Departments (from
whom it must go to him) in any case whatever for office. To this
rule I must scrupulously adhere; for were I to depart from it in a
single instance, I could no longer plead it with truth to my friends in
excuse for my not complying with their requests. I hope therefore
that the declining it in the present, as in every other case, will be
ascribed to its true cause, the obligation of this general law, and not
to any disinclination existing in this particular case; and still less to
an unwillingness to be useful to my friends on all occasions not forbidden
by a special impropriety.—D. of S. MSS. Applications for
Office.
| The writings of James Madison, | |