From John Jay to Elbridge Gerry, 18 November 1780
To Elbridge Gerry
Madrid 18 Novr. 1780
Dr Sir
I have had the Pleasure of recieving your Favor of the 10th. July,1 and am much obliged to you for informing us of the Situation of our Friends in Jersey when you passed thro’ it.
Should Mr Warren visit Madrid you may rely on his recieving from me every Mark of Attention due to an American, and to the Son of a General whose Posterity & memory have strong Claims to the Attachment and Regard of our Country—2
From the Letter written by your Convention to their Constituents on the publication of your Constitution, I have been led to entertain high Expectations of your Form of Government, and therefore request the Favor of you to send me a Copy3 by some Vessel bound to Spain. I lately recieved some news papers and Journals by the Way of France, and had forty six mexican Dollars to pay for the Postage, tho they came by post only as far as Bilboa, and were brought from thence by a private Hand.
My Letter to the President4 will tell you more of Politics than you may perhaps be pleased to hear— I shall therefore avoid that Subject at present.
Mrs Jay desires me to present her Compliments to You, and permit me to assure you of the Regard and Esteem with which I am Dear Sir Your most obedient Servant
John Jay
The Hon’ble E. Gerry Esqr.
1. Letter not found.
2. This was Joseph Warren (1768–90), eldest son of Major General Joseph Warren (1741–75), who fell at Bunker Hill, leaving four children and virtually no estate. As a memorial to the Patriot hero, Congress on 8 Apr. 1777 resolved that “the eldest son of General Warren . . . be educated, from this time, at the expence of the United States.” , 7: 243.
3. JJ is inquiring about An Address of the Convention of March 1780 urging ratification within three months of the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, for which see Oscar and Mary Handlin, eds., The Popular Sources of Political Authority: Documents on the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 (Cambridge, Mass., 1966), 434–72. See Gerry’s reply, 20 Sept.–9 Oct. 1781, and JJ’s response of 9 Jan. 1782, both below. Gerry penned the draft of his reply at the bottom of this text.
4. JJ to the President of Congress, 6 Nov., above.