To Alexander Hamilton from Edward Jones, 30 March 1795
From Edward Jones
Philadelphia March 30th. 1795
Dear Sir,
Your favor of the 18th. instant1 has been duly received and the several requests therein contained immediately complyed with. Dupatty’s Travels2 were not among the books you left with me to distribute.
I now send you another parcel of the documents required in your first letter of the 8th.3 and which notwithstanding all my exertions will I am apprehensive (with what I sent to you last week) form the whole of what I shall be able to procure. I wrote a letter to Judge Wilson4 on the subject of your manuscript some days since, but as yet have received no reply. The badness of the Weather for these several days past has prevented me from calling on him, I will do it however, very shortly.
A man of the name of Hogan has applyed to me for four dollars, being as he says, your subscription for a book containing the Trial of John Nicholson the late Comptroller General of Pennsylva.5 He says that you directed Mr Meyer (whose name is on the subscription list)6 to subscribe for you. Puglia has also reminded me, that you subscribed for six Copies of his Federal Politician.7 These matters are mentioned in order to learn, whether it is your wish that I should pay claims of this nature when brought forward.
Inclosed is a letter for Mrs. Hamilton; the outside cover of which was opened by Mr. Wolcott. There was under the same cover a note in the same hand writing directed to Mrs. Craig. This note I have retained from an idea that the person for whom it is intended resides in Philada. but, as there are several of that name I will thank you for the necessary information.
There is a great dearth of Foreign news at the present moment. From the returns of those Districts in Virginia which have come to hand; it appears that Mr. Clopton is the only new member chosen. He comes in the room of Mr Griffin.8 From No. Carolina we have already heard of three changes, but whether for the better is not known.9 The approaching election for Governor in your state, must of necessity engage the attention of all those who feel themselves interested in the result. It would be very unfortunate however, if Mr. Jay should be chosen and not arrive in time to take upon him the Government.10
I shall just add, that altho’ absent you are not forgotten; even Mr. Bache,11 sometimes mentions you in his paper. Accept of my best wishes for your prosperity and believe me to be
Dr Sir Your Most Ob. Servant
Edward Jones
Alexander Hamilton Esquire
ALS, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress.
1. Letter not found. On February 18, 1795, however, H sent Jones a check for three hundred and fifty dollars (DS, sold at Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc. April 23-27, 1981, Sale No. 4583E, Lot 57).
2. Charles Marguerite Jean Baptiste Mercier Dupaty, Travels through Italy, in a series of letters written in the year 1785 by the Abbé Dupaty, Translated from the French by an English Gentleman (London, 1788).
3. Letter not found, but H had undoubtedly written to Jones to request material for use in the preparation of his “Defence of the Funding System” July, 1795. H endorsed this letter: “Edward Jones. Finance papers.” See Jones to H, March 21, 1795.
4. James Wilson was an associate justice of the Supreme Court.
5. Edmund Hogan, The Pennsylvania State Trials: Containing the Impeachment, Trial, and Acquittal of Francis Hopkinson, and John Nicholson, Esquires … (Philadelphia, 1794). H had testified at Nicholson’s trial. See “Testimony During Impeachment Proceedings Against John Nicholson,” March 5, 1794.
6. John Meyer, a clerk in the Treasury Department, is listed as a subscriber on page xi at the end of the volume.
7. James Puglia, The Federalist Politician (Philadelphia, 1795).
8. In March, 1795, John Clopton of New Kent County, Virginia, was elected to the House of Representatives, replacing Samuel Griffin ([Philadelphia] Gazette of the United States and Daily Evening Advertiser, March 28, 1795).
9. North Carolina had elected five new Congressmen to the Fourth Congress: Nathan Bryan, Dempsey Burgess, Jesse Franklin, James Holland, and Absalom Tatom. In the Senate Timothy Bloodworth replaced Benjamin Hawkins.
10. The Federalists had nominated John Jay for governer of New York while Jay was in London. Jay did not learn of his nomination until after the election had taken place. On May 28, 1795, when he returned to New York from abroad, the votes were still being canvassed. The results, announced on June 5, 1795, showed that Jay had defeated Robert Yates, chief justice of New York (Dunlap and Claypoole’s [Philadelphia] American Daily Advertiser, June 9, 1795).
11. Benjamin Franklin Bache, grandson of Benjamin Franklin and editor of the [Philadelphia] Aurora. General Advertiser, was a leading Republican journalist.