James Madison autograph letter signed ("James Madison"). Two pages of a bifolium, 8" x 10", Department of State, Washington; October 21, 1801. Addressed to Rufus King. Docketed. Secretary of State James Madison writes to Rufus King concerning a complaint by American merchants against British confiscation of a ship. Letter from Secretary of State Madison to Rufus King (1755-1827), Minister Plenipotentiary to Great Britain, in London, requesting King to address a complaint by Massachusetts merchants against the British seizure of a ship and its cargo that was subsequently condemned. Madison writes, in full: "I have been applied to by Messrs. Kimball and Lord, merchants of Ipswich, Massachusetts, to recommend to your attention, their complaint for the capture of the Brigantine Atlas, which carried into Lisbon by a British cruiser, and after a ruinous detention, a sentence was passed in London, condemning the cargo on what appears to be unsound principle, viz. a contract entered into a Vigo, by the master, to deliver cargo at Seville, at his own risk, to the use of the Royal Manufactory of Tobacco. The owners will judge for themselves of the expediency of an appeal; but if any proper representation, which you can make, will aid them in the pursuit of justice, or tend to the general correction of abuses such as this case exemplifies, I request you to make it. By Mr. Williams and Mr. Erving you will be furnished with the facts." Signed, "James Madison". In this letter to Rufus King in London, Madison asks the American minister to aid Massachusetts merchants in receiving justice before the British courts. Though a relatively small matter compared with the significant issues that Madison faced during his eight-year tenure, it is indicative of a common problem for this time. During the first three decades of American independence, the British government often meddled with American trade, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars and leading up to the War of 1812. While not the case in the situation referred to in this specific letter, at this time, the British were known to target American merchant vessels in order to impress U.S. sailors to supplement their fleet in their war against France, despite United States neutrality. By 1812, the U.S. government under James Madison, infuriated by this British practice, declared war on Great Britain. The letter is accompanied by a hand-colored steel engraving of Madison by Martin, Johnson & Co. and a vignette engraving of King by G. P. Putnam. Rufus King (1755-1827), was the son of a prosperous Massachusetts merchant who grew up to be an important American founder, serving as lawyer, representative, and diplomat in his time. He was a delegate for Massachusetts at the Continental Congress and is counted among the signers of the U.S. Constitution. King then went on to serve as a Representative for New York in the newly minted U.S. Senate, a presidential nominee in the 1816 election, and ultimately Minister to Great Britain, appointed by George Washington. Condition: Small area of paper loss to blank portion of address leaf from seal removal upon opening with corresponding closed tear that just touched one letter of address. Minutely toned along bottom margin of first sheet recto. HID03101062020 © 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% on the first $300,000 (minimum $49), plus 20% of any amount between $300,001 and $3,000,000, plus 15% of any amount over $3,000,001 per lot.