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Subject Area: Political Theory
Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution

TO JAMES MONROE J. MSS. - Thomas Jefferson, The Works, vol. 8 (Correspondence 1793-1798) [1905]

Edition used:

The Works of Thomas Jefferson, Federal Edition (New York and London, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1904-5). Vol. 8

Part of: The Works of Thomas Jefferson, 12 vols.

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


TO JAMES MONROEJ. MSS.

Philadelphia, Dec. 27, 97.

Dear Sir,—

I communicated to Mr. M. the evening I was with him the papers you sent by me for Mr. D. He was clearly of opinion nothing further ought to be done. D. was decisively of the same opinion. This being the case then there was no ground for consulting L. or B. & accordingly nothing has been said to them. Your book was later coming than was to have been wished: however it works irresistably. It would be very gratifying to you to hear the unqualified eulogies both on the matter & manner by all who are not hostile to it from principle. A pamphlet written by Fauchet (and now reprinting here) reinforced the views you have presented of the duplicity of the administration here. The Republican party in the H. of Representatives is stronger than its antagonistic party in all strong questions. Today on a question to put off a bill for permitting private vessels to arm, it was put off to the 1st Monday of Feb. by 40. to 37. & on a motion to reconsider was confirmed by 44. to 38. We have half a dozen members absent, who if here would give decisive preponderance. Two of these are of our state, Giles & Cabell. The stamp act is put off to July, & the Land tax will not be touched this session. Before the next the elections will be over. We have therefore literally nothing to do, but to await intelligence from our envoys at Paris, & as soon as we learn that our affairs there will be of peaceable aspect (as there is reason to expect) I see nothing which ought to keep us here. The question about building a navy, to be sure must be discussed out of respect to the speech: but it will only be to reject them. A bill has passed the representatives giving three years longer currency to foreign coins. It is in danger in the Senate. The effect of stopping the currency of gold & silver is to force bank paper through all the states. However I presume the state legislatures will exercise their acknoleged right of regulating the value of foreign coins, when not regulated by Congress, & their exclusive right of declaring them a tender. The Marquis Fayette was expected in the ship John from Hamburg. She is cast away in this river. 70 passengers were said to be got ashore & the rest still remaining on the wreck, but we do not know that he was actually a passenger. Some late elections have been remarkable. Lloyd of Maryland in the place of Henry by a majority of 1. against Winder the Republican candidate. Chipman, Senator of Vermont, by a majority of 1. against J. Smith the Republican candidate. Tichenor chosen governor of Vermont by a small majority against the Republican candidate. Governor Robertson of that state writes that the people there are fast coming over to a sound understanding of the state of our affairs. The same is said of some other of the N. England states. In this state that spirit rises very steadily. The Republicans have a firm majority of about 6. in the H. of Representatives here, a circumstance which has not been seen for some years. Even their Senate is purifying. The contest for the government will be between McKean & Ross, & will probably be an extreme hard one. In N. York it will be the same between Livingston & Jay, who is becoming unpopular with his own party. We are anxious to see how the N. York representatives are. The dismission of Tench Coxe from office without any reason assigned is considered as one of the bold acts of the President. Tant mieux. As soon as Fauchet’s pamphlet appears I will send you a copy. Your book so far has sold rapidly. I received from mr. Madison paper for 500 D. for you, which will be paid in the course of a few weeks. I shall desire Barnes to receive and hold it subject to your order. Present me respectfully to mrs. Monroe & accept assurances of my sincere friendship. Adieu.

TO JOHN PAGEJ. MSS.

Philadelphia Jan. 1. 1798.

My dear Page,—

You have probably seen or heard of some very abusive letters addressed to me in the publick papers by a mr. Martin of Baltimore on the subject of Logan’s speech cited in the Notes on Virginia. I do not mean to notice mr. Martin or to go into the newspapers on the subject, but I am still anxious to inquire into the foundation of that story, and if I find anything wrong in it it shall be corrected, & what is right supported either in some new edition of that work or in an Appendix to it. You & I were so much together about the year 1774, that I take for granted that whatsoever I heard you heard also, & therefore that your memory can assist mine in recollecting the substance of the story, how it came to us, & who could now be applied to to give information relative to it. You were more in Ld Dunmore’s & Foy’s company than I was, & probably heard more of it from that family than I did. I must pray you to rub up your recollection & communicate to me as fully as you can what you can recall to your mind relative to it. & if you can procure me the evidence, or the recollections of any other persons on it, it will much oblige me. We have now been met 7. weeks & have done nothing except put off the stamp act to July next. Nor does it seem as if there would be anything to do. We are waiting for news from France. A letter from Talleyrand (French Minister of Foreign Affairs) to mr. Le Tombe consul here, dated the day after the arrival of our ministers at Paris, says they will be well received, & that every disposition exists on the side of France to accommodate their differences with us. I imagine you will have seen Monroe’s work, as many copies were sent to Richmond by Bache. We hourly expect Fauchet’s pamphlet from the same press. I will send you a copy. Present me respectfully to mrs. Page & accept assurances of the constant friendship of my Dear Sir, Yours affectionately.