James Monroe, Highland, to [?], 1826 January 5

Highland Jany 5th. 1826.
Dear Sir
I arrivd here the day before yesterday, in good health. Mr Goodwyn is expected here to day or tomorrow. As soon as our contract is carried into effect, which it cannot take long to do, I shall hasten back to Loudon. Before I came from thence, I enclosed some documents to Mr. Gouverneur, under cover to Mr Graham, open, for yours & his inspection, illustrative of the contingent expenses of the first mission, and which I wish'd to be presented to the committee before his arrival, if the state of the business before the com: should require it. Of this you would be able to form a correct opinion, and in concert with Mr Graham, act accordingly.
The papers relating to the other incident, that of the house I wishd you also to peruse, and if you thought them material, in any view whatever, to have them shewn, in the manner & extent, you might deem proper. It was natural, after one had been offerd to me, & I had rejected it, and after I had also declin'd to accept a carriage, except for a few weeks, & in returning it, had insisted on paying for its use, in the same manner, as if I had hird it of a livery stable, that I should, in the then state of affairs, adopt that measure, to remove prejudices & inspire confidence, for the purpose stated, in the despositions which I lately forwarded to Mr. Gouverneur. Those despositions were sent to me, 2 4. or 5. years ago, but were laid aside & forgotten, until lately found in seaching for other documents.
Notwithstanding the heavy losses incident to the first mission, I am satisfied, if I had not gone, on the second, but remain'd at home and attended to my affairs, I should soon have retriev'd myself from them. I had done much in that way, when the appointment was conferrd on me, and the business which was thrown into my hands, at the bar, after the expiration of my term in the govt. of the State, by one house, that of David Ross, would have aided much in it. But by throwing me abroad, five years, with my family, as special Envoy to several powers, and without a settlement any where, leaving my affrs., at home not completely restor'd, I was subjected to difficulties, from which I could never afterwards recover. Having, by a judicious investment of my patrimony, tho' inconsiderable, and profits of my profession, the few years I was engagd in it, acquird, what lands &c I wanted, in my own State, before the first mission, I was willing to sacrifice my military claim for 5.333., and even the tract of 20.000 acres in Kentucky, in the manner shewn by the late documents, & without mentioning it. But I owe it to my family, who have shar'd with me, in my burdens & cares, to escape absolute ruin if possible. And in the effort to do this, "I ask no favor, nor do I appeal to generous motives" as stated in my observations to the committee; I asked only to be dealt with as others have been dealt by; or in other words, not to be selected out as a special object of persecution and injustice. As to the salaries, they are for the office. I never held back, in the late one, from any expense incident to it, to the last moment of my service, to save money for myself, tho' advised to do it by many friends.
There is one fact which I wish to state, that I never purchased any property, by which I mean land, or real estate, while in office, nor by means of money obtaind in office: all the purchases which I made, were, made, while out of office, and by payments, and on credits, while at home, and on the presumption that I should remain at home. They were in fact made, before my first appointment abroad, except a small tact in this neighbourhood, which I purchased, for the accomodation of my afflicted brother, and with money which I borrowd of J.J. Astor, & still owe, (a large sum) a part of which I applied to the payment of a part of the sum which I borrowed of the bank of Virgn., on my return from my last mission.
With respect to the affair of govr Tompkins, altho' I fear I have already wearied you with it, I will add a few words more, knowing the interest you take in my concerns. The precedent in his case, does not bear on any claim of mine. The principle, which governd, in his, was fix'd, by the report of the committee, on which the law was pass'd, & which report, was communicated to me with the law. I remember distinctly, that I consultd the admn., on it, & that they concurrd with me, in the view now stated. I consulted also the attorney genl on that point, and according to my recollection, he gave me his opinion, officially, that I must regard, the report, as the preamble to the law. He will I presume recollect this, & if he gave it in writing, give you a copy of it. If verbally, I know well that, he will confirm it, without hesitation, provided the fact be as I state. I wish you to say nothing, on this point however, either as to the admn., or the attorney genl., in his character as such, without their sanction should it be necessary, in any view of the subject, to say any thing on it. I thought highly of the services of govr. Tompkins, at that critical moment, and as 3 pt 100 had been allowed for disbursement only, I could not hesitate to agree to the addition of 2. more, for loans, especially after the manner in which the reference was made to me by the House. I asked nothing, for any aid which I render'd, in obtaining the loan of $1,000000, or any other loans, and therefore, nothing was or could be lost or gaind, by that case, or by reference to it, further to shew, the injustice, after the allowances made to him, and others, and indeed to all our ministers, to refuse, me, what, I was otherwise fairly entitled to. If you will look, at the report, made by the dept of war, on the call of the Senators of Virgn., in regard to their claim of interest, you will find, that it is reported there, that I made this loan, and prov'd by the letters to [Bracket?] & King, & afterwards to [Mercain?], which report is printed. Mine, were in most instances, rather loans, than disbursements, and informal, rather than formal loans, no money, not one cent, ever came into my hands, & in borrowing, I directed, its application, or rather borrowd for certain specified purposes, such as the coast or western country. In speaking of this service in my observations, I say, that I had a great agency in obtaining loans, & in applying the money for the purposes, for which obtaind. I speak of it, in delicate terms—If an attempt has been made, or shall be, to underrate that service, I think, that, in justice to me, a call should be made, on the dept of war, to shew in what instances & to what extent, I had had such agency. The dept will than I doubt not make a report, correspondent with my note on the subject.
My earnest desire is, to excite no unfriendly feeling any where; peace with all, is my desire, and I shall cultivate it, on honorable conditions, wherever the disposition is manifested, but without concession, to such, as I have a right rather to expect it from—
very sincerely your friend
James Monroe