From John Jay to Benjamin Vaughan, 30 November 1784
To Benjamin Vaughan
Pha. 30 Nov. 1784
Dr Sir
A sufficient No. of members to form a Congress not having arrived at Trenton, I passed on to this place ten Days ago to visit my old Friends. I found your Family well and am happy in this opportunity of cultivating their acquaintance.1
They seem not yet to have concluded on entirely on the Place of their Residence, and therefore I have ob there is still Room for me to hope it may be not be far Distant from mine.
Your obliging Letter of the 5 Augt. lately came to Hand.2 I am gr Accept my thanks for it and for the Pamphlets enclosed with it. The account given in one of them of cast Iron covering for Houses pleases me; and I think I shall try the Experiment by covering with it ^it on^ a Stable which I purpose to build with next Spring—if it succeeds, I shall think of no other Roof for my House. If my only doubt it ^is^ whether the [illegible] ^will^ make the Experiment.
The Policy of Britain respecting this Country is so repugnant to common Sense that I am some times tempted to think it must be so, and the old adage of quos Dius vult perdere prius dementat3 ^&c.^ always occurs to me when I reflect on the Subject
The India Business never appeared to me a difficult one— Do Justice & all is easy—cease to treat those unhappy nations as Slaves, and be content to trade with them as with other independent nations Kingdoms—on such an Event advantageous tho fair Treaties might be made with them, and you might leave ^with their Consent^ Force sufficient in circumscribed Limits to be stipulated for to secure the Benefits & Observance of them. Your Tribute indeed wd. be ant at an End, but it ought not to have had a Beginning, and I wish it may ever prove a Curse to those who impose and exact it in any Country.
Our Affairs are in such a State as all Circumstances considered might naturally have been expected—far better that many represent them to b tho not so well as they ought to be.
Congress is convened at Trenton and I join them Tomorrow.4 In the Course of six or Eight weeks a Judgmt may be formed of their prevailing Sentiments and Views.5
It is certain that we are trading at at a wild Rate, and it is no less true that your People are giving most absurd Peop Credits to many who neither have or ought to have any at Home— This Delirium cannot last—
Mrs. Jay and my little Family are ^well^ at Eliz. Town. the youngest has been extremely ill, but at present fast re free from all Complaints—6 My best wishes & Compts. to Mrs. Vaughan. adieu my dear Sir yours sincerely—
Dft, NNC (EJ: 8141). Endorsed: “ . . . in anr. to 5 Augt. last”.
1. On 25 Nov. 1784 Sarah Vaughan, one of Samuel Vaughan’s daughters, wrote Catharine W. Livingston from Philadelphia: “We have seen your Brother Mr. Jay. . . .he dines here to day, many dinners happening this week we were unfortunate enough to find some of his friends pre-engaged. Perhaps he may be a greater favorite of mine from the knowledge of his and my brothers attachment to each other, but be that as it will he stands very high in ^all^ our opinions.” ALS, MHi: Ridley (EJ: 4706).
2. See Vaughan to JJ, 5 Aug., above.
3. Quos Deus vult perdere dementat prius: “Whom the Gods would destroy, they first make mad.”
4. Although Congress was scheduled to convene at Trenton on 30 Oct., it had not reached a quorum from 1 to 28 Nov., but did so on 29 Nov. JJ took his seat on Monday, 6 Dec. , 27: 641–47, 661; , 22: 6–7n1.
5. JJ gave his “judgment” on Congress in his letters to BF, 13 Dec. 1784, below, and to Lafayette, 19 Jan. 1785, Dft, NNC (EJ: 6767).
6. For Maria’s illness, see SLJ to JJ, 10 Dec. 1784, below.