1From John Jay to John Clarkson Jay, 25 February 1817 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter and am pleased to find it written as well as it is. A late Letter from your Papa informed me of your Sickness and Recovery— Remember Him by whose kind Providence your Life has been preserved— and be thankful— From your translating Latin into English, I conclude that you have paid proper Attention to the latin Grammar— endeavour to learn it perfectly. Your being...
2From John Jay to Eleazar Lord, 7 February 1817 (Jay Papers)
Accept my thanks for your obliging Letter of the 31 ult. and for the Pamphlets which were inclosed with it. I hope the The Institution of Sunday Schools is in my opinion calculated to do good extensively, and in various Respects. I hope they will ^I hope they will become more general.^ On the Subject of War and capital Punishments, my Sentiments do not altogether correspond with those of some...
3From John Jay to Philip Smith, 7 January 1817 (Jay Papers)
M r . Jay understanding ^presents his Comp ts . to M r . Ph. Smith—^ Being informed that M r . Ph Smith is authorized to recieve and give Certificates for Taxes on Carriages in this Town, ^M r Jay^ subjoins a List of his Carriage being the same which he had the last Year ; and sends by the Bearer the Am t . of the Taxes on them, as will appear from the Certificates he then rec d
I have rec d . your Letter of the 21 Oct r ., with your Proposals for to publish by Subscription “the History of the origin and first Ten Years of the British and foreign Bible Society—[”] agreable to your Request, they shall be laid before ^communicated to^ our Society at their next ensuing annual meeting, when it will be [?]in May next— They will ^probably^ [ illegible ] ^are not^ authorized...
5From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 5 November 1816 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 1 Inst. and am indeed sorry to learn from it that M r . G. Morris was then thought to be at the point of Death— it would be an Event which I should for many Reasons greatly regret— not having as yet heard of his Decease, there seems to be some little Probability of his being still alive, and perhaps of his being convalescent.— the next mail I presume will...
6From John Jay to Gouverneur Morris, 28 October 1816 (Jay Papers)
Having heard much of your Discourse before the New York Historical Society, it gave me pleasure to recieve a Copy of it; and to find from the Direction that I owed it to your friendly attention. It abounds in interesting Remarks— The Diction is elevated throughout— perhaps in some Instances beyond the proportion which the Topics bear to each other. In Landscape we prefer Hill and Dale to a...
7From John Jay to John Murray Jr., 12 October 1816 (Jay Papers)
Accept my good Friend tha my thanks for your kind Letter of the 22 ult and for the Pamphlets enclosed in ^with it^, which ^they^ came to my Hands on the 2 Inst. The state of my Health is such, that I can read or write but little at a Time without Fatigue; and therefore I cannot prudently venture on the Task you recommend— Whether war of every Description is prohibited by the Gospel, is one of...
8From John Jay to Cave Jones, 1 October 1816 (Jay Papers)
I have reflected on the Topics on which we conversed, and agreable to my Promise, now acquaint you with the Result— Permit me to premise, that in my opinion the newly instituted ^office^ of Provost of Columbia College, which has lately become vacant, should be discontinued; & consequently that there is no Person whom I wish to see appointed to fill it. To me it appears adviseable that the...
9From John Jay to Calvin Chapin, 2 September 1816 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 19. ult— informing me of the Time and place appointed for the next Meeting of the American Board of Commissioners for foreign Missions— Be pleased to inform me whether any Person in the City of New York has been engaged by the Board to receive Donations for them— with I am D r . Sir with Respect & Esteem Your ob t . Serv t Dft , NNC ( EJ : 08745 ). Calvin...
10From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 13 August 1816 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 9 th . Inst— on Saturday last M r . Hach [alia] h Bailey was here, & paid the Int[eres] t . that was due— He mentioned his having intended to pay the Principal, and that a Sum to the amount ^of it,^ had probably been paid to you on his acct.; but that certain Circumstances induced him to apprehend that it would be convenient to him to postpone the Payment— It...
11From John Jay to John Sinclair, 8 August 1816 (Jay Papers)
I have recieved the papers which you was so obli[ging as to send] me— accept my Thanks for them. Gratitude is due to thos[e who employ their] Time and Talents in promoting the common Welfare. Y[our exertions to improve] agriculture, and render it more productive, are known and [acknowledged. The] Paper on “Mildew in Wheat” I have sent to New York, to be pub [lished. The] multitude of...
12From John Jay to Jacob I. Griswold Jr., 5 August 1816 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter——July last, and have read the Proposals for “a grand national Institution,” and also the Pamphlet ^explaining^ it which were inclosed within Whether, (if I may use the Expression) the public Mind is prepared to give competent Support to an Institution so comprehensive; and whether provision can be made for ably doing the Business assigned to each of its numerous...
13From John Jay to William H. Sackett, 29 July 1816 (Jay Papers)
M r . Jay presents his Comp ts . to Doct r . Sackett— Dick went lately to N. York in the Expectation of being rec d . and cured in the Hospital— The Doctors there, finding his Complaints to be a Fistula and an infection of the Lungs, were of the opinion— that if the Discharge from the Fistula was dried up, the other Disorder ^complaint in his Lungs^ might prove fatal;— that his Lungs ^and...
14From John Jay to John Brodhead Romeyn, 12 June 1816 (Jay Papers)
Your Letter of the 1 st . Inst., informing me that I had been elected one of the Vice Presidents of the American Bible Society, arrived by the last mail— I rejoice in the Institution of that national Society, and assure the Board of managers, that I am very sensible of the Honor they have done me, in thus connecting me with it.— The Events and Circumstances under which such Societies have been...
15From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 23 April 1816 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 15 Inst: and am glad that your legislative Labors are terminated— some good has been done, and more might have been. I hope your Health continues unimpaired— if there be even any Doubts of this, let not professional Business tempt you to neglect it, and thereby render yourself more and more unable to endure the Fatigue of applying closely to such Affairs.— It...
16From John Jay to Eleazar Lord, 22 April 1816 (Jay Papers)
I rec d . last week your Letter of the 2 d . Inst., with the Pamphlets mentioned in it. Such has long been the State of my health, that I can neither read nor write much at a Time without Fatigue. the Subject of these papers being interesting, I shall peruse them gradually. Whether I shall be able to do more is at present uncertain. Be pleased to present my acknowledgm ts . to the Author of...
17From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 18 March 1816 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 10 Inst:, but am yet uninformed whether mine of the 27 ult: to Maria, has come to her Hands. The Continuance of her Head Aches gives me the more Concern, as they render the Success of the Doctor’s Plan less certain than I had supposed— I think the Doct r . should be apprized of it, that he may alter or add to his Prescriptions, as he may think it adviseable....
18From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 12 March 1816 (Jay Papers)
My last Letter to you was dated the 5 Inst— William rec d . one from you last Saturday, and I had one from Maria of the 5 th . Inst.— I wrote to Maria last Week on the Subject on which she had requested my advice. I hope she has rec d . it— One or other of us write weekly to you or Maria— Tell ^her^ that M r . Silkman having already taken a Boy, has no occasion for another— at present I do not...
19From John Jay to Maria Jay Banyer, 27 February 1816 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 19 th . Inst:— The Question you propose is not entirely free from Difficulties but this ^as^ you are apprized of these, they need not be enumerated — Various Considerations and Circumstances, too apparent & well known to require being specefied, made it just and proper that the Provision for you should not have been parsimonious. Whether this Error was...
20From John Jay to Samuel Bayard, 5 February 1816 (Jay Papers)
I rec d . ^by the^ last mail the circular Letter of ^the^ 17 Jan y last ^ult^ from the Presid t . of the New Jersey Bible Society to ^me as Presid t of^ the one in this County, proposing that ^a meeting^ of Delegates from all the Bible Societies in the U.S. be held at ^the city of^ NYork on the second Wednesday in May next, to consider ^of^ and devise a Plan for ^rendering^ the Cooperation of...
21From John Jay to William Miller, 24 November 1815 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 12 th . of this Month. Having for more than a Fortnight, been ill of the Cold or Influenza, which prevails this Season very generally; I find myself feeble, and unable to write or read much without Fatigue. I cannot however let Garret return, without committing to his Care a few Lines in answer to yours.— You are right in supposing that at your age much...
22From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 16 October 1815 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of this morning, informing me of the Death of S r . James. This event excites Feelings & Reflections too natural not to be obvious. The Temper respecting me, in which he died should extinguish Resentments on our part, and lead us to a conciliatory Deportment toward his Family.— The Bearer I suppose will set out early in the morning— and I write this in some haste,...
23From John Jay to Maria Jay Banyer, 14 June 1815 (Jay Papers)
Sally is still here and quite as well as when she came; so that her Jaunt to NYork has been postponed, and we have not as yet concluded when it shall take place. On Saturday she rec d . a Letter from you; from which it appears that you had rec d . mine which contained certain Hints in the Propriety of which you agree in opinion with me. Whether it would be adviseable to make the Propositions...
24From John Jay to Richard Peters, 14 March 1815 (Jay Papers)
On reading your interesting Letter of the 19 th . of Jan y . I observed with particular pleasure, from the matter and manner of it, that notwithstanding the winter of Life and Snow falling on your Head, you endure like an Evergreen. Your Impression that “we should e’re long have Peace,” has been verified. If I remember right, you had heretofore an Impression that Spain, altho’ her case was...
25From John Jay to Jedidiah Morse, 14 February 1815 (Jay Papers)
On the 4 th . Inst. I rec d . by the Mail from New York, your interesting Letter of the 17 th . ult.— I have read the Pamphlets communicated to me by M r Grant; and derived from them the only Knowledge I have of the Transactions noticed in them. It would not be easy to introduce into my Mind Doubts of your Rectitude— my opinion of it has undergone no alterations. You are drawing Consolation...
26From John Jay to Richard Peters, 9 January 1815 (Jay Papers)
It is a great while since any Letters have passed between us— perhaps some of them have miscarried. The Season reminds me that I have survived the last year, and that I have left with it a great number who enjoyed more Health and Strength. Many friendly wishes have as usual been reciprocated on this occasion, but it seems to be questionable, whether an average proportion of them will be...
27Exegesis of Genesis, Chapter 1, Verse 3 [c. 1813] (Jay Papers)
Men have universally and in all Ages agreed and concurred in ascribing Light to the Instrumentality of the Sun Moon and Stars, and yet Moses assures us that Light was made before any of those Luminaries were created— How is this contradictory apparent contradiction to be reconciled to Truth? I never doubted the Fact as asserted by Moses— the Difficulty was how to account for it— If a...
28From John Jay to Horatio Gates Spafford, 20 October 1813 (Jay Papers)
I have had the pleasure of recieving your Letter of the 22 r . Ult, and also the Copy of your Gazetteer which you was so obliging as to leave with my Son for me; and for which I thank you. On hearing that it was published, I had a copy purchased for my own use— I shall place one in our Town Library, and dispose of some others in the manner most likely to excite attention. As yet I have rather...
29From John Jay to Noah Webster Jr., 11 May 1813 (Jay Papers)
I have lately rec d . a Set of the Panoplist— and in the fifth volume have found, and for the first Time read, an address from you to the Friends of Literature; and also a Prospectus of your new Dictionary, in which a Subscription to that work is proposed. I had heard of the proposed Subscription, but not of the Circumstances and Reasons which appear in the address— Be pleased to inform me,...
30From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 4 May 1813 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 30 Ult: but none from Albany. The Sums to be paid to S r . James and M rs . ^F. Jay^ were I think 58–25, to each of them— Your Letter says 58–21— perhaps the Error was in my Letter to you— but it is not very important— Altho there is a Ballance due to me from your uncle Peter, yet I wish to close the Account in Question— pay therefore to M r . Munro for him,...
31From John Jay to Sarah Louisa Jay, 4 May 1813 (Jay Papers)
The last mail brought no Letters for either of us from You or your Sister. Nancy returned Yesterday from Rye, where she found and ^left^ our Friends as well as they usually are. Effy was from home, on a visit to her Family in Jersey. Nancy took Clarinda with her, to see her Sister Mary, who had passed the winter there— They had not seen each other for a great many Years. Augusta writes to...
32From John Jay to Joseph McKean, 14 April 1813 (Jay Papers)
I rec d . on Saturday last the interesting Letter which you did me the Favor to write on the 31 Ult. together with the two Pamphlets which you was so obliging as to send with it. Marks of Respect to the manners ^characters^ of such Men as Doct r . Eliot, not only tend to console their afflicted Relatives, but also to cherish the Virtues by which they were distinguished. Unhappily there is too...
33From John Jay to Maria Jay Banyer, 30 March 1813 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 22 d . Inst:— we are happy to learn that the Fever spread no further in your Family, and that you and Sally continue as well as usual. I hope a Trip to this place will conduce to the Health of you both— the most pleasant Season for it would you know be between the Middle of May and the middle of June. I wish you may have some person with you, to whom the...
34From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 30 March 1813 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 26 Inst.— You observe that you had rec d . and paid for the Christian Observer sent by D r . Morse— I presume it must be the Panoplyst. — In answer to S r . James’s Question “when he first sent me some of his invisible Ink?” tell him that I cannot recollect the Time exactly, but that I think it was as early as 1773 or 1774. The Impression on my mind is, that...
35From John Jay to William Miller, 30 March 1813 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 6 th . of last month— It gave us pleasure to learn from it, that ^you had regained^ your Health now re-established , and that M rs . Miller and all the Family were well. M r . Benson has been elected a Member of Congress; but your Intelligence that Peter was also elected, is not so correct. I understand that there was a small majority against him, but that the...
36From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 22 March 1813 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 19 th . Inst:— Care must be taken to make adequate Provision for my Expenses here, which are not inconsiderable— when the monies payable to S r . James, and to Nicholl, are deducted, the Ballance remaining will not be great— M r Felch lately wrote a Letter to the Vestry signifying that he could not continue in their Service for less than $500 a Year— They...
37From John Jay to Peter R. Livingston, 9 March 1813 (Jay Papers)
I rec d . by the last mail, your Letter of the 26 Ult. informing me of the Death of Chancellor Livingston.— This Event awakens ^combined with^ the Recollection of past Days & Incidents which Together ^and^ with the his having expressed the Sentiments of me that ^that^ you mention, excites Feelings too ^which (being^ obvious and natural) to need Description need not be described May He who...
38From John Jay to Mary Stansbury, 16 February 1813 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your obliging Letter of the 9 th . Inst— In my opinion th ey ^Ladies^ who suggested and established the orphan asylum, merit great commendation. It gave me pleasure to learn that much good was already resulting from that ^benevolent Institution—^ May it long continue to recieve, not only the Blessings of those who are ready to perish! but also of Him , who commands us to relieve...
39From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 9 February 1813 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 5 th . Inst— and considered the Question stated in it.— To me it appears probable that the Leading Men among your Electors, and others in different parts of the State, desire and Expect a Petition to Congress. —If so— Can a satisfactory Reason from for declining it be given? or would it be discreet to be, and appear to be, passive and indifferent. If such...
40From John Jay to Maria Jay Banyer, 2[–3] February 1813 (Jay Papers)
Altho’ I have nothing interesting to communicate, yet I will not let the Mail go without a few Lines to you. I have rec d . your Letter of the 25 ult.— I feel very sensibly the affliction with with our Friend V. Schaack has been visited; and I greatly regret the Death of Judge Sedgwick— Such Events should make strong, but at the same time useful Impressions on our Minds. There have as yet been...
41From John Jay to Susan Barclay, 16 December 1812 (Jay Papers)
I have recieved my dear Madam! your obliging Letter of the 6 th . Inst: and thank you for the Pleasure it has given me.— Having often seen early Friendships fade and fall like vernal Flowers, I am particularly pleased to find that your friendly Disposition towards me, remains unchanged. The Remembrance of it has frequently excited agreable Recollections, and led me to regret, that in the Lapse...
42From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 13 October 1812 (Jay Papers)
Nancy returned on Thursday last, and to appearance as well as when she left us— I am happy to learn from your Letter of the 7th Inst . that Mary and the children had arrived in safety— We have rec d . the Rusk & c .— If the Question respecting M r . Farmer should be submitted to the Convention, inform me of the Result. Have you obtained M r . Rutherfurds opinion of the value of Pettits Farm?...
43From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 23 September 1812 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 17 th . Inst — The Details in it are interesting, and I am glad you communicated them to me so early, and so particularly— The Sentiments you express relative to them, correspond with my own— The Resolution is not sufficiently cum ^cun^ning to conceal its object and Design— I have no Hesitation in concluding and saying that if we must have either M r . Madison...
44From John Jay to Gouverneur Morris, 21 September 1812 (Jay Papers)
I rec d . on the 19 th . your Letter of the 11 th . Inst.— The Diminution of my health since I left you, leaves me very little Reason to expect a Return of such a Degree of it, as would enable me to attend to any Business like that in Question— To undertake a Task without a Prospect and probability of performing it properly, is to deviate from the Path of prudence. The last is the only week,...
45From John Jay to William Jay, 16 September 1812 (Jay Papers)
When or where you will recieve this Letter is uncertain. I shall inclose it to Maria; who will either forward it immediately, or detain it until your Return to Albany, as she may think most adviseable— I rec d . by the last Mail your handsome and affectionate Letter of the 7 th . Inst. — it is sincerely my wish that the Expectations of both Families may be realized; and nothing will conduce...
46From John Jay to Richard Bland Lee, 7 September 1812 (Jay Papers)
In your obliging answ r . to my Letter of the Feb y . last, mention is made of a work of your Brother, then in the press— viz t . memoirs of the War in the southern Departm t . The Subject and the author, naturally excited my attention and my Desire to procure a Copy— I have not learned that it has yet been published, nor seen any thing relative to it, in our public papers. I presume therefore...
47From John Jay to Peter Van Schaack, 28 July 1812 (Jay Papers)
I rec d . on Saturday last, your friendly Letter of the 20 th . Inst. No Event that is highly interesting to our Country, can be viewed with Indifference by good Citizens; and there are certain occasions when it is not only their Right, but also their Duty to express their Sentiments relative to public measures. As the War has been constitutionally declared, the People are evidently bound to...
48From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 28 April 1812 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letter of the 24 th . Inst.— Blake refused to have a doct r . and is again well— The attack was violent, but I doubt its having been by the prevailing Fever— Its having abated, and not hearing of any new Cases, I sent for W m .; who was importunate to return— he arrived on Saturday last— The late and present cool weather has produced new Cases of Fever— I heard Yesterday of...
49From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 24 March 1812 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . a Letter of the 20 Inst: from you; but from William none arrived by the last mail. The Ballance due to your uncle Peter will be somewhat less than $500— he may repay me the Difference. Your Cousin W m . L. Watkins has sent me his acc t . and according to it I owe him $43.63.— I presume it is right— ask him for a Copy of it, and pay him the Ballance— Nancy is again much better—...
50From John Jay to Peter Augustus Jay, 18 March 1812 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your Letters of the 6 th . and 13 th . Inst: — The woman procured by W m . appears to be desirous to give Satisfaction, but is in some Respects deficient in Qualifications for her place— I am glad however that she was sent— the other went to Sinsing last Saturday, not a little mortified and disappointed. As W m . has rec d . Bismuth from Albany, Nancy will not want a further...