The late incumbents running away from
their offices and leaving them vacant, will prevent my filling them
without the _previous_ advice of Senate. How this difficulty is to be
got over I know not. Accept for Mrs. Monroe and yourself my affectionate
salutations. Adieu.
Th: Jefferson.
LETTER CCLXXII.--TO JAMES MADISON, February 18,1801
TO JAMES MADISON.
Washington, February 18,1801.
Dear Sir,
Notwithstanding the suspected infidelity of the post, I must hazard
this communication. The minority of the House of Representatives,
after seeing the impossibility of electing Burr, the certainty that a
legislative usurpation would be resisted by arms, and a recourse to a
convention to re-organize and amend the government, held a consultation
on this dilemma, whether it would be better for them to come over in a
body and go with the tide of the times, or by a negative conduct suffer
the election to be made by a bare majority, keeping their body entire
and unbroken, to act in phalanx on such ground of opposition as
circumstances shall offer: and I know their determination on this
question only by their vote of yesterday. Morris of Vermont withdrew,
which made Lyon's vote that of his State. The Maryland federalists put
in four blanks, which made the positive ticket of their colleagues the
vote of the State.
Pages:
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788