Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-08-19


! GEATLEMgS: The accompanying notes oil visit 10
Mr. Madison we've wr!en for Pfeser"ai'on, rot fG5ca-
ton But his death srggess not only tna FTnFT!sy but
perhaps, the utility of giving to the pn6c his opinions
many subjects. And. being nncer that conviction.
know of edinm for their extensive and sutary dis
scmnalion, goui the Globe, il. wa:cA hope you
may think fit 10 insert them.
| August 6, 1876.
VISIT TO Mr.. MADISON.
| had long promised myself visit TO Mr.. Madison,
whom had not seen for twenty odd years and Mon
day, the ID Of May, 1896, after sleeping The night
before at the village of Orange Court house, SIX miles
| from Montpelier, got there before breakfast and
were most hospitality received. The TIDE is rough,
the road not good nnr the conntry much cultivated
| But after we left home, wilhpat any spring, 1t had
suddenly burst forth, there from several hot
days; md, in the Southern climate of Virginia,
the woods in fnliuge, tie whiiethcrn ard red
bud trees in greater nambT than | had ever seen
thcu, giving pleasant cooriug 10 what otherwise
! rather wild, poor, and uaimeresag rsginn Nearer
! Mr. Madsons the country IS more improved, and The
scenery very ogreeabie You enter his out
er gate from tbs woods, and at once get into something
like park, with his welIlo"king house aboct half mile
off the whole cleared and improved, with trees III
cumps and otter gns Of ornamental agriculture The
house is wostorv brick mansion with wings and co.
lonuadcs from. and back III good design, but decayed
and in need of inco odcrab!e REPAIRS which, al !Iiin
expense, would make great difference IN h7or OF the
first impression OF his residence. The house was built
by his father The wings and coIonnade by himself The
rooms are good: furnished wih French carpets, la-ge
windows. you'd many paintings and sumo stat':ary-
altogether without any fashionable or very elegant
equipment vet in gentleman like style Of rural pro-
pricy The table not only a4undantly but handsomely
prryidrd; good soups Aesb FISH, and vegetables, sell
cooked dessert and excellent wines Of various kinds;
and when 2rs Madison WAS prevailing on me to eat not
bread al breakfast she said You city people think it
unwilnlrs,rc bat rnry, hhe HE French, and
me- ser ind ourselves !ar it, She looks just as
she did twenty years ago, aud dresses III the same man
nr with Der tnran AID rravat rises early, Is very ae
Il, hfs hpF non
Madison is acPssan and he needs all her constant at
iention The view from the front OF the house is very
picturesque bounded BY the BIne Ridge, which begins
about eighteen miles OIL seeming to be close by; and
though the thermometer marked deg in the coluDnade
vet the mountain air kept tn" house cool enough The
estate consists Of two thousands acres OF good land
the red soil, Inhn RaTd"}pI sald in which Presidents
grnw-wlh about hundred slaves moi one OF whc;nr
was told by AIr PuyAe Todd, had been logged for Sc
; veral years
They raise about thousand bushels Of corn; bat the
principal crop io gale tobacco productive OF income
for the time being though injurious TO The 2r"und-
There horned cattle OF The superior breecs;
the horses, eg pages, aud sabng however, tNe "F"le
equestrian irparnen IN useful state bu' by no M ans
elegant. MIR. Madison told that ever s@cr MS fra
sidney he has been Obliged live beyond his mraIs,
erli.nr of some Of his capital continually, and that lie Is
anw in debt. BE spike often and nnxirusiy %! slave
o,operiy as the worst possible for profit unless employed
in ianulacl urcs, he IT Will be TO advantage
! aud when mentioned MIR. Rushs productive tsFIn OF
ten acres near Philadelphia he said he had no d"ue II
was profitable Than his with Two thonsana aEong
The dpp!orablc effects OF the aboone Scirmeni he con
sui.rs first, that in legching Souhrru people ~ nghc
that slavery is RICH: and useful, change OF opnnn
suddenly arises and he referred to Go"crnnr NcJEte
message proof Of il; secondly detcrI"!ating he eona
ton OF the poor slaves, %nse bmndGre Is cmbered oy
laws aud ae.drd 10 ccunteract liz iE.traed
and i'll directed c1rts pu! end TO ii. Sustaining
Governor NcDuic message, hc also mentioned Iro.
f.ssnr Dew 5 DISCOURSE of Which, Of Governor Nc
Dsilr talents nc sP"Hc a! the same tine, "a apPro
iyE1Iya Inrfri lsS
Mr. MADISON said, he always told the Southern people
that the Tariff their caiei grievance when they
cc,upanrd Of 1t; hut that while Le asserted The
constitutional power. and denied the pGicy OF high du-
1lks dseminn it power best used no,racly, yc. in his
ars,rr hcnsion the SbI lanes Ut ie south.
west brought into competition TI'h the worn soilS Of
Yirunia ana the Caronas, the prlEcPa cause %
,lr suffrngs Nearly two.lhi. DIS q his slaves age 10"
yo.lnu or 100 old to work much, while the support of so
many is very expensive. it takes nearly all he makes
10 feed cluthe and preserve them; and whcn mana
some column other ornamental part 81 MS mansion
faMs into decay he wants tie means Vi conveniently re-
pairinr IT, wlihout encr,achIng necessary rS2end-
tuos-bcsdes The difficulty of getting adequate artists
at such a distance from their common resorts In ms
cenncxion he spoke Of the predictions, the resources,
LIE currency, AVID the economy OF The country nc argc
the substance OF all he said these topics was, TANK,
TO eprecae lhp paper money SYSTEM without appearing
to have confidence in the establishment ns hard money
instead of it, There will &c troubles and explosions
,r- diet said be- Though is perliUus TO BE p!oPhe'
AMI, il seemed 20 me that he dA not believe that the cot
tes plantations would continue 10 be very productive,
an more than hoe OF rice or grain. There was con,
sdcrab failure Of the wheat crop last yra' tne sa'")
RI he spoke with uarasness Of lis prospects this year
Soon alter onr arrival Mrs. Nadiso, taes ~ lIAO Nc
7oom he occupies dung the day. and from iAaI ,h'e
missed the greater pa-i Of three days at his s'de listen
i.,g TO his con yersaon He is very inhrm-egaty-hTe
years old last Nlarcl-neTrr strong and Is no" *
1rmely cnac!ate and feeble Longacle pietaTe gives
perfect likeness Of 5 whu! aprcarancei MUGS Better,
should say than SlewGrts DID, which is tAe pest
portrait Of him as he was loFHery tie canaot Ell up
rxcept le xhis now and then, TO rest from 7'cS.n-
inc on a snfa and at FIRST when ] saw hi!a he wore
gloves which laid aside, however as The "ealh9F
became waIm We found him unwcu than usual,
and with difficulty OF breathing, wnicA a!,eGts ny
sneccb so that Mrs Madison told lus must talk, aas
mo-, let him Bn as wanted to listen, and he appear,
ed 10 grow better every day, our "nas
! without, faguing him. Though nothing woSl1 Rave
induced ne 10 injnre him, yet found Iin so Fes "i
! communications tia, heard great deal more man
now- ty eight since it happcncd-l shall perhaps DC
able 10 recoIlrcl precisely But It Ii deeply aSea ID
memory tenacious from strong impression o' It's ln'e-
rest aud III cry 10 be accatae IN Inc mrmofd"uui'
! of il before the impression ladies'. w
! Mr. hIaLison is man Of medium, the middle way
avoiding oil eslrcmes and perhaps iona OF CHECKS anu
balances; bat lee is in grain genuine hePno"cA' 80"
ne,cpye directly that Mr.. Jefferson ID Tue g"u OF h's
dnalry; and Ie ne Acknowledges the
and NC ef his FIRST great antagonist, Alexander i'a'
milton YET when told him That frnce lailryraho, !"
euIopiziDr NJ Thisrs 30 American genih cAa,
| raccrizsd him the Hamilton OF irahce' tts, .'"
Mr. NJ, Ialleyra"d e,eat doboe1 in stocks III;
H., TIA, he dsparaues GrnsIal Hamilton, 10 whose aul'
I;,; 49, ,oe, :,sI+:: and iadrtd he speaks Ill OF no
"ne br:ng lasidousy measured in his language cad
aLs.mloas fo,n personalities; but he has 70 ESQ tbas
! Hamilton The author OF the fundag system = 10 We
classed with those country genlIenira Ike "a'Aihg"h'
ersun and himself whose foundations we've IN me
mohc, earth. and nho held stocks, scrip, an" such
ephemcral and decisive things, in s1c"l dse5cem-
! Air. Jehrrsons portraits, by S'e*S1', by h"scius-
90 and Others his relics end his recol!ections are
! all aLoat NJ. Maiisons apartments. When he men
toned Sir Nsnros. be called him Monroe, os vas natu-
rail- My an.,'e aaYing served under HIM. but when he
spoke of tr. Jefferson, he called him Hr JeheTson as