GAJS.COM Web Catalogue James Madison on Elbridge Gerry

President JAMES Madison responds to a number of questions posed by his new Vice President, Elbridge Gerry, on taking the Oath of Office and assuming his duties as president pro tempore of the Senate

MADISON, JAMES. (1751-1836). Fourth President of the United States (1809-17). Superb war-date Autograph Letter Signed, “J. Madison,” as President. One full page, folio. January 5, 1813 (date assigned by the editors of the Papers of James Madison, based on a photocopy of the original address overleaf showing the postmark). Some separation to vertical folds, else fine condition. Headed “Private” and written to Elbridge Gerry, Madison’s newly elected Vice President. Madison writes:

“Dear sir, Your two favors [of December 12 & 19, 1812] have been some time on hand. I believe it may be assumed, that no meeting of Congress will take place immediately after the 4th of March. The Senate has usually been detained a few days, for the sake of appointments growing out of the laws of session. It is always possible, and must be so commanded at present, that other business requiring their decision, may prolong their stay, or an early return after their adjournment. Nothing is known here, more than you know, on which a calculation as to the latter must be founded. Should the call on you be limited to the case of the ordinary business of deciding on nominations, you have the sanction of precedent as well as the length of the Journey & season of the year, in yielding to your personal accommodation. The Oath of office may I believe be taken any where, before the Judge & within the term prescribed. After stating their side of the subject, allow me to remind you, that one half of the difficulty arising from the distance & the season, may be avoided by proceeding Southwardly instead of returning Northward. Your friends in Virginia will then be the gainers & among them none more than Yrs very sincerely, J. Madison.”

In 1812, Elbridge Gerry had been defeated for reelection as Governor of Massachusetts, primarily for his brash orchestration of the redistricting of his state to favor his own party (Republican). One such district was so distorted, that its political boundaries, as seen on a map, resembled a salamander, at which point a clever newspaper editor coined the phrase “gerrymander,” which has remained an important part of the political lexicon. On June 8, 1812, within two weeks of leaving the Governor’s chair, the Republican congressional caucus nominated Elbridge Gerry for the Vice Presidency, on the ticket with Madison. The Madison-Gerry ticket was chosen in November, though it failed by a large majority to carry Gerry’s home state of Massachusetts. On the advice of President Madison as proffered in this letter, Gerry took the oath of office at his Cambridge estate on March 4, 1813. He presided over the opening session of the Senate on May 24, at which time he made a warlike oration, predicting the speedy conquest of Canada. Although in his seventieth year and frail in health, he entered into the social life of Washington with great zeal. Contrary to the usual practice, he did not relinquish his chair in the Senate at the end of the session of 1813, lest the factious Senator William B. Giles become President pro tempore and consequently succeed to the presidency in the event of the death both of President Madison, who was severely ill at the time, and of Gerry himself. Some sixteen months after taking the Oath, Gerry’s long political career came to an end. On the morning of November 23, 1814, proceeding to the Senate chamber in his carriage, he was seized with a hemorrhage of the lungs and died within twenty minutes.

An exceptional letter discussing Gerry’s oath of office and his Constitutional role as President pro tempore of the Senate.

For more details or to buy this item, please contact us.


President JAMES Madison responds to a number of questions posed by his new Vice President, Elbridge Gerry, on taking the Oath of Office and assuming his duties as president pro tempore of the Senate MADISON, JAMES. (1751-1836). Fourth President of the United States (1809-17). Superb war-date Autograph Letter Signed, “J. Madison,” as President. One full page, folio. January 5, 1813 (date assigned by the editors of the Papers of James Madison, based on a photocopy of the original address overleaf showing the postmark). Some separation to vertical folds, else fine condition. Headed “Private” and written to Elbridge Gerry, Madison’s newly elected Vice President. Madison writes: “Dear sir, Your two favors [of December 12 & 19, 1812] have been some time on hand. I believe it may be assumed, that no meeting of Congress will take place immediately after the 4th of March. The Senate has usually been detained a few days, for the sake of appointments growing out of the laws of session. It is always possible, and must be so commanded at present, that other business requiring their decision, may prolong their stay, or an early return after their adjournment. Nothing is known here, more than you know, on which a calculation as to the latter must be founded. Should the call on you be limited to the case of the ordinary business of deciding on nominations, you have the sanction of precedent as well as the length of the Journey & season of the year, in yielding to your personal accommodation. The Oath of office may I believe be taken any where, before the Judge & within the term prescribed. After stating their side of the subject, allow me to remind you, that one half of the difficulty arising from the distance & the season, may be avoided by proceeding Southwardly instead of returning Northward. Your friends in Virginia will then be the gainers & among them none more than Yrs very sincerely, J. Madison.” In 1812, Elbridge Gerry had been defeated for reelection as Governor of Massachusetts, primarily for his brash orchestration of the redistricting of his state to favor his own party (Republican). One such district was so distorted, that its political boundaries, as seen on a map, resembled a salamander, at which point a clever newspaper editor coined the phrase “gerrymander,” which has remained an important part of the political lexicon. On June 8, 1812, within two weeks of leaving the Governor’s chair, the Republican congressional caucus nominated Elbridge Gerry for the Vice Presidency, on the ticket with Madison. The Madison-Gerry ticket was chosen in November, though it failed by a large majority to carry Gerry’s home state of Massachusetts. On the advice of President Madison as proffered in this letter, Gerry took the oath of office at his Cambridge estate on March 4, 1813. He presided over the opening session of the Senate on May 24, at which time he made a warlike oration, predicting the speedy conquest of Canada. Although in his seventieth year and frail in health, he entered into the social life of Washington with great zeal. Contrary to the usual practice, he did not relinquish his chair in the Senate at the end of the session of 1813, lest the factious Senator William B. Giles become President pro tempore and consequently succeed to the presidency in the event of the death both of President Madison, who was severely ill at the time, and of Gerry himself. Some sixteen months after taking the Oath, Gerry’s long political career came to an end. On the morning of November 23, 1814, proceeding to the Senate chamber in his carriage, he was seized with a hemorrhage of the lungs and died within twenty minutes. An exceptional letter discussing Gerry’s oath of office and his Constitutional role as President pro tempore of the Senate. For more details or to buy this item, please contact us. SOLD...Please contact us for items similar in quality and content.
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