James Madison Autograph Letter Signed "James Madison" as Secretary of State. One page of a bifolium, 8" x 9.5" (sight), [Washington, D.C.]; March 31, 1804. A short letter to Jonathan Steele Esq., which reads in full: "I have the pleasure to inclose [sic] you a Commission as Attorney of the United States for the New Hamshire [sic] District, and am Very respectfully Sir Your most Obt Sevt." On verso has been written "Fourth President of the United States." The letter is matted and framed along with a lithograph of Madison and an information plaque to the overall size of 42.25" x 21.75". Madison was appointed Secretary of State under Thomas Jefferson in 1801. During his tenure, he helped secure the Louisiana Purchase and helped navigate the political and economic landscape of the country during the Napoleonic Wars. Steele would go on to decline the Commission, citing his resolve to step away from work for a period of time. In actuality, Steele had been overlooked by Thomas Jefferson for filling the vacancy left by Judge John Pickering (who had been dismissed from the House of Representatives), and it is likely he was distancing himself from the Republican Party out of bitterness. Condition: Flattened mail folds, with light toning and soiling at the edges. HID03101242017