TO the James Monroe Papers
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE LIB R A R Y () F C () N G RES S • PRE SID E N T S ' PAP E R SIN D E X S E R I E S INDEX TO THE James Monroe Papers THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS • PRESIDENTS' PAPERS INDEX SERIES INDEX TO THE James Monroe Papers MANUSCRIPT DIVISION • REFERENCE DEPARTMENT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON : 1963 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 62-60006 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 35 cents Preface THIS INDEX to the James Monroe Papers is a direct result of the wish of the Congress and the President, as expressed by Public Law 85-147 of August 16, 1957, and amended by Public Law 87-263 approved September 21, 1961, to arrange, index, and microfilm the papers of the Presidents in the Library of Congress in order "to preserve their contents against destruction by war or other calamity," to make the Monroe and other Presidential Papers more "readily available for study and research," and to inspire informed patriotism. An appropriation to carry out the provisions of the law was approved on July 31, 1958, and actual operations began on August 25. The microfilm of the Monroe Papers became available in 1960. Positive copies of the film may be purchased from the Chief, Photoduplication Service, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., 20540. A positive print is available for interlibrary loan through the Chief, Loan Division, Library of Congress. Contents Introduction PAGE Provenance________________________________________________________ v Selected Bibliography________________________________________________ Xl How to Use This Index______________________________________________ Xl Reel List__________________________________________________.________ xu Abbreviations-_____________________________________________ ._ __ _ ____ xiii Index The Index_________________________________________________________ 1 Appendices National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections Card_________________ 22 Description of the Papers____________________________________.________ 23 Sources of Acquisition_______________________________________________ 24 Statement of the Librarian of Congress________________________________ 25 iii Introduction Another means of raising money was suggested to Provenance * him in correspondence with Nicholas P. Trist, who HEN James Monroe retired from the wrote him on January 27, 1828, from Monticello: "I Presidency on March 4, 1825, he returned suppose you have kept copies of all yr. letters to Mr. W to . Oak Hill, his estate in Loudoun J[effersonJ.-There are among them numerous evi 1 County, Va. In the years that followed, his attempts d[enJces of the pure disinterestedness of yr. course, & of to pay his debts and to better his financial condition the fact that in taking those steps who launched you must have required the steady use of a great many irrevocably on the sea of public life, you were actuated of the papers he had accumulated during his long solely by devotion to yr. country, to the well under years of public service, particularly those which could stood disparagemt. of yr. individual interests. That further the investigation of his accounts that he had you may reap a reward somewhat commensurate with asked Congress to make. Annotations on many of the these sacrifices is with me more a wish than a hope. papers give evidence that Monroe made some attempt Will you permit me to ask however whether you cd. to organize them; this was doubtless done during the not at once avail yourself of the value of yr. papers, by years of his retirement. pledging the proceeds of their future public[atioJn, in To stimulate action by Congress he wrote a long consid[eratioJn of a loan? If I mistake not, such a paper on his "unsettled claims" in the summer of 1826 measure would be far from unexampled; wd. it be im and sent it to Gales and Seaton in Washington for practicable?" In Monroe's reply, on February 8, he 2 publication. The following year he undertook the wrote: "I have examined my papers, and find that I preparation of two additional papers which he hoped have, as I believe, all the letters, that were ever written would raise money through sales. The first of these to me byMr. Jefferson. The first bears date in 1780, was a comparison of the Government of the United while I was reading the law under him. I have States with other, older, republics; 3 the second was his copies, but I am satisfied, that I have not, of a fifth, autobiography.4 of them I wrote him." He offered to send Jefferson's * This essay was written by Mrs. Dorothy S. Eaton, Spe letters to Thomas Jefferson Randolph if he would be cialist in Early American History, Manuscript Division, Li gratified to possess them, an offer that was apparently brary of Congress. not accepted, and he added : "Your suggestion as to 1 Grateful acknowledgement is made to Laurence the sale of my papers, or pledge of them, merits at Gouverneur Hoes, great-great-grandson of James Monroe, for tention." 5 information on family relationships and for clues to the location of Monroe papers; to James A. Servies, Librarian Monroe's study of republics and his autobiography of the College of William and Mary, and to Paul Rugen, were incomplete, and his claims before Congress were Assistant Chief of the Manuscript Division of the New York still unresolved, when Mrs. Monroe died in September Public Library, for information on the Monroe papers in 1830. Two months later financial difficulties and ill those institutions; and to Wilmer R. Leech, of the New-York Historical Society, and Miss Emma Swift, of the Rochester health forced him to leave Oak Hill and to make his Public Library, for aid in examining the Henry O'Reilly home with his younger daughter, Maria, and her hus papers in those repositories. Thanks are also due to Handy band, Samuel L. Gouverneur, in New York City. The B. Fant of the National Historical Publications Commission latter was acting as Monroe's agent in dealing with and to Mrs. Julia Bland Carroll and Buford Rowland of the National Archives for their suggestions and assistance. the several committees of Congress investigating his 2 The "Memoir of James Monroe, Esq., relating to his Un claims, and for this purpose Monroe had supplied his settled Claims upon the People and Government of the United son-in-law with selections from his papers from time States" was published in three parts in the National Intelli gencer, beginning in the issue for November 15, 1826. to time, as shown in letters exchanged by the two 3 The People the Sovereigns, being a comparison of the men. In addition to papers that might already have Government of the United States with those of the Republics been in New York, it is reasonable to suppose that which have existed before, with the causes of their decadence and fall, by James Monroe, Ex-President of the United States, fragments of an unfinished manuscript in the Monroe Papers, and dedicated by the author to his countrymen, edited by New York Public Library. Samuel L. Gouverneur, [Jr.] his grandson and administrator G A draft of Trist's letter and Monroe's reply are in a (Philadelphia, 1867). portfolio containing "Trist's recollections of conversations 4 The Autobiography of James Monroe, edited by Stuart with Thomas Jefferson," in the Nicholas P. Trist Papers, Li Gerry Brown (Syracuse, 1959). This was based on two long brary of Congress. v Monroe took with him when he left Virginia such ister to England: "I wrote often to him, and with a papers as he would need to continue work on his auto freedom that would not have been justifiable in my biography. Neve:r:theless,an undetermined number public despatches .... It is on this account that I of his papers were at Oak Hill when Monroe died in should be glad to have them in my possession, lest by New York City on July 4, 1831.6 any chances hereafter any portion of them should In his will, Samuel L. Gouverneur was named "sole come to be mixed up with his manuscripts ... and and exclusive executor" and was asked to care for in that way run the risk of publicity." The nature of Monroe's older daughter Elizabeth, whose husband, Gouverneur's reply is suggested by the next letter he Judge George Hay, had died the previous autumn. received from Rush: "Its obliging sentiments ... The Monroe papers were mentioned somewhat ob leave me no anxiety on the score of the private and liquely in the following provision: "... with respect confidential letters alluded to. if any parts of to the works in which I am engaged and leave behind, them can, in the judgement of others, be made sub I commit the care and publication of them to my son sidiary to the better understanding of any of Mr. in law Samuel L. Gouvernieur [sic], giving to him one Monroe's services, there is no scruple even that I would third of the profits arising therefrom for his trouble not forego on my part; so much did I honor him as a in preparing them for publication, one third to my statesman, revere him as a patriot, and love him as a daughter Maria and one third to my daughter Eliza man. At the same time the promise you are so good as beth." 7 to give that no use will be made of any paper from me In the first month of Gouverneur's proprietorship of without my approbation . is a relief." the papers, he lent a small number to John Quincy Gouverneur was again reminded of his responsibili Adams, who was to deliver a eulogy to Monroe in ties as custodian of the Monroe papers three years Boston at the invitation of the city government.