History of Montpelier, (Charles City County) Virginia United States of America

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James Madison, fourth president of the United States, was born in Port Conway, King George county, Va., March 16, 1751; son of Col. James and Eleanor Rose (Conway) Madison; grandson of Ambrose and Frances (Taylor) Madison; great grandson of John and Agatha (Strother) Madison, and of James and Martha (Thompson) Taylor, and great2 grandson of Capt. John Madison, who was a patentee of a tract of land between the York and North rivers on Chesapeake bay in Virginia in 1653. Captain John's son, John, settled in Orange county, and built the homestead at Montpelier, where his son Ambrose was born, and on reaching manhood took to his house as his wife Frances, daughter of James and Martha (Thompson) Taylor, of Port Conway, King George county. Col. James Madison, born March 27, 1723, was a prosperous but not wealthy farmer, and James, the eldest of the twelve children, was sent to school to Donald Robertson near Montpelier, and was prepared for college by the Rev. Thomas Martin, the minister of the parish. When seventeen years old he was matriculated at the College of New Jersey, Princeton, and he gave close attention to his studies, allowing himself for long periods but three hours' sleep out of the twenty-four. In this way he completed a four-years' course in three years, but on commencement day, Sept. 25, 1771, the program announced that "Mr. James Madison was excused from taking part in the exercises," as he had so overworked as to lead to a complete collapse. His standing in his studies was high and he received his diploma with the class of 1771, the document being dated October 7. This diploma came to light in 1898, when the treasures of the Congressional library were being transferred to the new building. He remained in Princeton after his graduation, taking a post graduate course in Hebrew under President Witherspoon, 1771-79. He then tutored in his father's family, and as his health would allow, continued his study of history, constitutional law and theology. He served as a member of the committee of safety from Orange county in 1774, when twenty-three years old, and was a delegate to the state convention held at Williamsburg in May, 1776. This convention instructed the Virginia delegates to advocate a declaration of independence, and afterward framed a constitution for the state. Madison was a member of the special committee on the constitution and the author of the clause in the bill of rights as adopted, declaring "all men equally entitled to the free exercise of religion according to the dictates of conscience." He was a representative from Orange in the first state legislature, but failed of election to the second as he would not solicit votes or furnish refreshments to voters. He was unanimously elected by the legislature a member of the state council, and in 1780 was chosen a delegate to the Continental congress. On taking his seat at Philadelphia he was at once recognized as a leader and was made a member of important committees. He opposed the issue of paper money proposed treaties with France and Spain, espe- by the states; was chairman of the committee on foreign relations, and was entrusted to draw up the instructions to John Jay in reference to cially locking to an alliance with Spain in order to obtain military assistance in view of the success of the British army in the southern states. Virginia at first sustained him in opposing any surrender of the free use of the Mississippi river, but subsequently favored the surrender of the Mississippi valley to Spain in consideration of an offensive and defensive alliance. This policy Madison continued to oppose, but he finally consented to embody the offer in the instructions to Mr. Jay under protest. Fortunately the surrender of Cornwallis enabled him to countermand these instructions and he was rewarded for his diplomacy by seeing the Mississippi valley the heart of the American republic. He strenuously advocated a limited impost law and in 1783 was made chairman of the committee on ways and means where he antagonized his constituents and disregarded the instructions of the legislature of Virginia which had revoked their former action by which they had assented to an impost law. The adoption of this law called for the first compromise made between the slave and free states, and was proposed and carried through by Madison as the only way in which to secure a continuance of the union. In this agreement it was stipulated that slaves should be rated as population, five slaves to count as three persons. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1784-86, and took an active part in revising the statutes of Virginia and abolishing the Federal system of entails, primogeniture and state support to the Anglican church. During this time he wrote his celebrated "Memorial and Remonstrance" on the latter subject, classed as one of [p.216] his ablest state papers. He represented Virginia in the Annapolis meeting of September, 1786, which called a national constitutional convention at Philadelphia. He was a delegate to the Continental congress, 1786-88. In the convention which met in May, 1787, to frame the Federal constitution, he was a member of the committee and a chief pioneer of the "Virginia Plan," which resulted in the instrument as adopted. He also advocated its adoption through the columns of the Federalist, which was the joint mouthpiece of Hamilton, Jay and Madison. He returned to Virginia in March, 1788, to take part in the state convention called to ratify the Federal constitution, where he found Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, George Mason, James Monroe, Benjamin Harrison and John Tyler opposed to the instrument. Madison assumed the leadership of the party in favor of its adoption and was supported in its advocacy by Marshall, Wythe, Randolph, Pendleton and Henry Lee, and the constitution was ratified by Virginia, the vote standing 89 to 79,?so close a vote that the succeeding state assembly called upon congress for a national convention to reconsider the action of the first convention. Henry opposed Madison as U.S. senator and succeeded in keeping his name out of the contest. Madison was, however, elected a representative from Virginia in the 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th congresses, 1789-97. In congress he opposed the policy of Hamilton in relation to the finances, but was not at first classed as a radical Republican. He was married in Virginia, in 1794, to Dorothy (Payne) Todd, widow of John Todd, and daughter of John and Mary (Coles) Payne of North Carolina. President Washington offered Mr. Madison the mission to France in 1794, which he declined, as he also did the portfolio of state the same year. He had meanwhile become the acknowledged leader of the Republican party, and his opposition to the policy of the administration made him the choice of that party for the presidency in 1796, but he declined to be a candidate and advocated the election of Thomas Jefferson. During Adams's administration he retired to Montpelier and took no part in the affairs of state except to express his opinion in letters to the public press. He was the author of the "Resolutions of 1789," in condemnation of the alien and sedition laws, which resolutions were adopted by the Virginia legislature, and of the report on the resolutions of 1798 in 1800. in which he defended the resolutions. He was again elected to represent Orange county in the Virginia assembly in 1799, and in 1800 was an elector from Virginia to vote for Thomas Jefferson for President. His writings at this time paved the way for the inauguration of a Republican administration and when Jefferson was elected he naturally turned to Madison as his chief cabinet officer. On March 4, 1801, Madison took up the portfolio of state and for eight years directed foreign affairs. In 1809 he was elected President of the United States, the electoral vote standing: for President, James Madison of Virginia, Republican, 122, Charles C. Pinekney of South Carolina, Federalist, 47, George Clinton of New York, Republican, 6; for Vice-President, George Clinton of New York, Republican, 113, Rufus King of New York, Federalist, 47, John Langdon of New Hampshire, 9, James Madison, 3, James Monroe, 3. In making up his cabinet President Madison appointed Robert Smith of Maryland, Jefferson's secretary of the navy and attorney-general, as secretary of state; Albert Gallatin of Pennsylvania secretary of the treasury, which office he had also held under Jefferson; William Eustis of Massachusetts, secretary of war; and Paul Hamilton of South Carolina, secretary of the navy. The following changes occurred in the cabinet during Madison's two administrations: James Monroe of Virginia succeeded Secretary Smith in the state department, April 2, 1811; Secretary of the Treasury Gallatin resigned, and on Feb. 9, 1814, was succeeded by George W. Campbell of Tennessee, after whose resignation in September, 1814, Alexander J. Dallas of Pennsylvania was appointed, Oct. 6. 1814, and was in turn succeeded by William H. Crawford of Georgia, Oct. 22, 1816; in the war department the successors of Secretary Eustis were John Armstrong of New York, appointed January 15, 1813; James Monroe of Virginia, Sept. 27, 1814; Alexander J. Dallas of Pennsylvania (acting) March 14, 1815, and William H. Crawford of Georgia, Aug. 1, 1815; and in the navy department Secretary Hamilton was succeeded, Jan. 12, 1813, by William Jones of Pennsylvania, who was succeeded by Benjamin was Crownshield of Massachusetts, Dec. 19, 1814. The war between France and England affected American commerce; American seamen were impressed in the foreign service, and American vessels trading with France were searched and detained by British men-of-war. [p.217] Negotiations with the offending nations failed to secure immunity, and acts of congress brought neither belligerent to terms. The war spirit was rife in the south and west and the continuation of diplomatic quarrels with Great Britain resulted in the declaration of war, June 18, 1812. The debate attending the passage was not made public at the time. In the house the vote stood 79 for war and 49 against, and in the senate 19 for and 18 against. In both houses about one-fourth of the Republican members voted with the Federalists against the declaration of war, and in the senate it is claimed that the three senators who turned the scale were Federalists who voted for the measure in order to embarrass the President. Pennsylvania was the only northern state voting for war, and Kentucky the only southern state voting against the measure. The President had ample cause to recommend the action to congress and the same cause equally affected the attitude of the United States toward France, but the friendship of that nation during the Revolution made her offence less serious in the opinion of the congress. The officers and soldiers in the army were largely drawn from the northwest and the U.S. navy was drawn from the northeast. In November, 1812, Madison was re-elected to the presidency. The electoral vote for President stood: for James Madison, 128, for DeWitt Clinton of New York, Federalist, 89; the vote for Vice-President was for Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, Republican, 181, Jared Ingersoll of Pennsylvania, Federalist, 86. The war of 1812 was vigorously carried on for three years and in the northwest and in Canada the U.S. army met with successive victories and defeats. This indecisive warfare was followed by the capture of the national capital, the driving out of the President and his family from the White House; the burning of the capitol building and congressional library and the sacking of the executive mansion in August, 1814. These disasters were offset by a succession of victories at sea and on the lakes by the U.S. navy, resulting in the treaty of peace at Ghent, Dec. 24, 1814, after which on Jan. 8, 1815, General Jackson gained his signal victory over the British army at New Orleans. The hope of the young Republicans of the western states led by Henry Clay, to acquire the territory of Canada by right of conquest was the greatest incentive that led the twelfth congress to declare war, but their plans were not embodied in the treaty of peace which they reluctantly accepted. It was thought by many that their hopes would have been realized had the treaty been drawn up and signed after the battle of New Orleans, which gave to their section some of the glory gained in the war. The chief credit, however, went to the navy, and in the President's message to congress, Dec. 5, 1815, he said, speaking of the late war: "The signal services which have been rendered by our navy and the capacities it has developed for successful co-operation in the national defence will give to that portion of the public force its full value in the eyes of congress. To preserve the ships we now have in a sound state, to complete those already contemplated, to provide amply for prompt augmentations, is dictated by the soundest policy." Upon the close of his second term, after welcoming James Monroe, his friend and secretary of state, as his successor, Mr. Madison retired to Montpelier, where for nearly twenty years he lived a quiet, uneventful life. He succeeded Jefferson as rector of the University of Virginia, and served the institution as rector and visitor. He was also a visitor of the College of William and Mary. He was a delegate to the Virginia constitutional convention of 1829, but was too infirm to take part in the active work of the convention. The College of New Jersey and the College of William and Mary conferred on him the honorary degree of LL.D. in 1787. Besides twenty-six of the papers contributed to the Federalist in defence of the constitution of the United States, and the Memorial and Remonstrance against taxing the people of Virginia for the support of teachers of the Christian religion, published as "Madison's Religious Freedom Act," translated into French and Italian, and extensively read in America and Europe, Mr. Madison is the author of: The Virginia Plan (1798); An Examination of the British Doctrine which subjects to Capture a Neutral Trade not open in the Time of Peace, prepared while secretary of state in Jefferson's administration; Report of the Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, which is accepted as a political text-book of great value, and Advice to my Country, the lesson of his life as he wished his countrymen to understand it, which he desired should not be given to the public until after his death. In the last named book Madison says: "with regard to the responsibility of our country to mankind, let it be remembered that it has ever been the pride and boast of America that the rights for which she contended were the rights of human nature. By the blessing of the Author[p.218] of these rights on the means exerted for their defence, they have prevailed over all opposition?. No instance has heretofore occurred, nor can any instance be expected hereafter to occur in which the unadulterated forms of Republican government can pretend to so fair an opportunity of justifying themselves by their fruits. In this view the citizens of the United States are responsible for the greatest trust ever confided to a political society. If justice, good faith, honor, gratitude, and all the other qualities which ennoble the character of a nation and fulfil the ends of government, be the fruits of nut establishment, the cause of liberty will acquire a dignity and lustre which it has never yet enjoyed; and an example will be set which cannot but have the most favorable influence on the rights of mankind. If, on the other side, our government should be unfortunately blotted with the reverse of these cardinal and essential virtues, the great cause which we have engaged to vindicate will be dishonored and betrayed; the last and fairest experiment in favor of the rights of human nature will be turned against them; and their patrons and friends exposed to be insulted and silenced by the votaries of tyranny and usurpation." See "Reports of the Debates in the National Convention of 1787" (3 vols., 1840; new ed., 1 vol., 1893); "Madison's Complete Works" (6 vols.); "Life and Times of James Madison" by W. C. Rives (3 vols., 1859-69, unfinished); "The Letters and Other Writings of James Madison"(4 vols., 1865); "James Madison" by Sydney Howard Gay in "American Statesmen" series (1884); and "History of the United States under the Administration of James Madison," by Henry Adams (1893). In 1901 his grave at Montpelier was reached by crossing an uncultivated field to a dilapidated brick wall surrounding the family burial plot which was filled with sunken mounds, fallen headstones, and a wilderness of woods. One of these graves is that of James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution" and the fourth president of the United States. In selecting names for a place in the Hall of Fame for great Americans, New York university, October, 1900, James Madison in Class M. Rulers and Statesmen, received forty-eight votes, fifty-one being necessary to secure a place. President Madison died at Montpelier, Va., June 28, 1836.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Montpelier, (Charles City County) Virginia

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