Our friend, Mr Madison of Orange

Was invited to coffee at the curatorial offices in the morning just over the way from Kenwood at Marquis  - very good chance to meet the people who piece together all that is in Monticello and work out what goes where and what is original. They are the ones who will know which windows Alexander had made and if indeed a stonemason, sober or otherwise, came from Scotland to help with the construction of Monticello. Arranged to meet several of them in the next few weeks. Was just leaving when met with Leni Sorensen who is the African American Research Historian at Monticello - feature on Leni here. Very interesting on the whole subject of food and drink in the 18th century and how people knew how to prepare, present and serve food. She is a culinary historian as well - so I hope to follow up on our meeting to find out more about what the Donalds would have been eating - we have more than enough records on what they were drinking - but what about food? Leni will have the answer. "The Truth of the matter is, that I had some Friends dining with me that day, and we made rather too free with the Juice of the Grape" - Alexander to Jefferson - yes, yes but what were you eating?

One thing she did already have the answer to was stink bugs - they come from Asia apparently and only arrived in 2001. No natural predator, so I reckon by this time next year there will be no humans left in Virginia, so pack your bags and get here fast! Just spent an evening doing battle again and one has got into my cars air conditioning so every time I turn that on I get a blast. I shall bring some home so everyone can experience. 

The afternoon was so beautiful, that I thought it would be a good chance to explore further Alexander Donald's relationship with James Madison - and what better way to do that than to drive along The Constitution Route, as Route 20 is called, from Charlottesville to Orange County and Montpelier? Very beautiful drive - through lovely English named towns - Somerset, Burnley. Yes, there is a Burnley, with its own vineyard, most appropriate as Burnley football club are nicknamed The Clarets.
The leaves are just beginning to turn, so it is only going to get better over the next few weeks.

In 1795 Thomas Jefferson wrote to Alexander: "Of private there is not much. You old friend Dr Walker is dead, and Frank is universal legatee, which was contrary to the expectations of the rest of the family. Our friend Mr Madison of Orange is married." 
Now, not going to get distracted - but Dr Walker is actually a fascinating person. Quick link here. That's something to follow up on, surely?

And here are James Madison and America's first First Lady, Dolley Madison. You can tell from all these pictures that I was struggling with the crowds today.

From Alexander's letters to Jefferson, there are a lot of references to James Madison - or Maddison as Alexander quite often spelt his name. The most significant of these is to do with the Bill of Rights - or the first 10 Amendments to the American Constitution. James Madison is known as the Father of the Constitution, and he was also the author of the Bill of Rights - contains the Right to Bear Arms at Number 2.
Alexander wrote to Jefferson, who was in Paris at the time, on 12 November 1787 how important he felt the amendments would be: "I will not presume to be competent to give an opinion on such a Complex subject, but I can see that there may be some objections made to it, but still it is my sincere opinion, that the Adoption will be the salvation of America, For at present there is hardly the semblance of Law or Government in any of the States, and for want of a Superintending Power over the whole, a dissolution seems to be impending." 
Jefferson's replied to Alexander on 7 February 1788: "I wish with all my soul that the nine first Conventions may accept the new Constitution, because this will secure to us the good it contains, which I think great and important. But I equally wish that the four latest conventions, whichever they be, may refuse to accede to it till a declaration of rights be annexed. This would probably command the offer of such a declaration, and thus give to the whole fabric, perhaps as much perfection as any one of that kind ever had. By a declaration of rights I mean one which shall stipulate freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of commerce against monopolies, trial by juries in all cases, no suspensions of the habeas corpus, no standing armies. These are fetters against doing evil which no honest government should decline."
But here is the interesting bit - and here like Alexander I too would not presume to be competent and struggle with the complex subject - James Madison appears not to really care about a Bill of Rights - writing to Jefferson: "At the same time I have never thought the omission a material defect, nor been anxious to supply it even by subsequent amendment, for any other reason than that it is anxiously desired by others. I have favored it because I suppose it might be of use, and if properly executed could not be of disservice." Hardly a ringing endorsement?
So here's the question - and one that I think is vital in understanding Alexander's and Jefferson's relationship - why on earth was Jefferson writing to Alexander about this? From looking through the books in the Madison book shop - not that I do all my research in book shops - Alexander gave this letter to Patrick Henry who then immediately triumphed the idea. This one wasn't actually in the bookshop, but for instance in Chesapeake Politics, 1781-1800 Norman K Risjord writes "Patrick Henry somehow obtained a copy of this letter  and used it in the ratifying convention as evidence of Jefferson's support for conditional ratification."
I think Jefferson was clever enough to know that this would happen - and there was no surprise that it got into Patrick Henry's hands. So from what I can infer, is that Jefferson really wanted to get the message through to Madison that it was a vital thing to add - but didn't want to offend him by being direct - that's what another one of the books suggests as well - so went about it in this round about way, knowing that Alexander was such a blabber mouth and show off and so proud of his friendship with Jefferson, he was bound to show his letter off to someone like Henry. Then Jefferson can defend himself by saying it was a private letter to a Richmond merchant and he hadn't gone behind Madison's back directly to Henry.
Well, that's my theory which I am going to work on. What do you think? Any feedback or thoughts much appreciated!

The house used to be owned by the Du Pont family, who added many parts to the house, but now all that is being stripped away and it is very slowly being returned to what it would have been like in 1817 when Madison returned from his two terms as President.
At the moment the house is quite empty - but the guide was so good, I felt I got more out of the experience than if it had been full of furniture. He really was illuminating - and brought empty rooms to life. I admit it is quite easy to do this when you are talking about someone as significant as James Madison, but this was one time when I agreed with the American habit of not calling guides guides, but calling them interpreters. As I would love to see something happen at Geilston, the house Alexander lived in before his father died and which his brother Thomas inherited before he had to pass it on due to financial restraints - this was a lesson that you don't need to fill the house with objects to make it worth a tour.

Alexander also knew James Madison's first cousin - called James Madison funnily enough, but the Rev Dr James Madison. Head of William and Mary College and the first Bishop of Virginia. Alexander in 1790 arranged in London for him to meet with Granville Sharp, the anti slave campaigner, and also the Archbishop of Canterbury. I have a copy of the letter from Alexander to Granville Sharp which I am going to take to William and Mary College in Williamsburg - where Jefferson went - as in 1791 they awarded Granville an honoury degree.

Here's where Madison is buried - a very quiet and secluded place and a very simple engraving. Just name and dates - actually, not even a first name. No "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Most restrained and all the more poignant for it.