sold President James Madison Calls a Cabinet Meeting During the War of 1812

The James Madison Autograph Letter Signed in the third person as President, Washington, November 7, 1814, to his Attorney General, Richard Rush, calling a cabinet meeting. "J. Madison requests a Consultation with the Heads of Depts. tomorrow (Tuesday) at one O’clock, & that they remain to dinner."

He has dated this "Monday Novr. 7," and has addressed the integral address leaf to the Attorney General. Rush has written a docket on the address leaf that gives the year of this note as 1814.

The President and his cabinet had much to consider at this date. Peace talks to end the War of 1812 were underway in Belgium, but they had stalled because of the terms the British were then demanding. Military action against England was still necessary, and Andrew Jackson had been ordered to New Orleans.

The government was also rebuilding the city of Washington, which the British had invaded and burnt just three months earlier. At the same time it faced an economic crisis as it lacked sufficient funds to continue the war. Meanwhile, dissident New Englanders had called the Hartford Convention to meet in December with some participants planning to suggest that New England secede from the Union.

In addition to these ongoing problems, some very important news had just arrived from Europe and may have been the immediate cause of the meeting. After the downfall of Napoleon, the Congress of Vienna was called to settle the myriad issues generated by two decades of continent-wide war, and to create a balance among the powers to maintain peace and stability on the European continent.

The Congress opened October 1, 1814 and all heads turned towards its deliberations. With the trans-Atlantic crossing taking about five weeks, dispatches concerning the opening would have just reached the U.S. and demanded the government’s attention.