James Madison, James Monroe and John Quincy Adams

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1887 Excerpt: ... Miami River, but for the first time in his life he crossed the Alleghanies to the site of old Fort Duquesne, then Fort Pitt, now Pittsburg. He gained new ideas of the future of the Great West, and it was upon his motion that Congress appointed a committee to report upon the proper division of the territory acquired. There were many committees and many reports and many long debates before, July 13th, 1787, after Mr. Monroe had ceased to be a member of Congress, the great ordinance was adopted by which the question of slavery was for a time compromised, and its northern boundary fixed at the Ohio River. Before going to the Virginia Assembly Monroe had had a dream of travel in Europe, and had even gone so far as to provide himself with letters of introduction; but he had given it up to enter upon his new career. Now he had another such dream, and corresponded about it, among other matters, with Jefferson. The latter wrote to him in June, 1785: The pleasure of the trip will be less than you expect, but the utility greater. It will make you adore your own country--its soil, its climate, its equality, liberty, laws, people, and manners. My God! how little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy! I confess I had no idea of it myself. The horrible evils of all kinds which led him to the use of language so vehement were the causes which made the French Revolution inevitable and the Reign of Terror possible. The responsibilities pressed upon Mr. Monroe during the year 1784 were not altogether legislative. There was a dispute between the States of New York and Massachusetts concerning a boundary line, and he was selected one of a board of nine men to whom, as judges, the decision of...