John Jay Papers

From John Jay to John Adams, 13 December 1784

To John Adams

Trenton 13 Decr. 1784

Dear Sir

One of these Days I shall devote a Leisure Hour to forming a Cypher,1 and will send it to You by the first good Conveyance that may afterwards offer. At present I am engaged on many Committees, so that my attendance on them and on Congress, keeps me fully employed. I observe with Pleasure that in this Congress there appears to be good Talents & good Dispositions.2 None of their more important Measures are as yet matured, but I flatter myself they will act wisely.

The Marqs. returns well satisfied—he has recd. many Marks of Respect, and I believe very sincere ones. I think his Representations will be fair and honest; and I wish his Court may never recieve any advices respecting us but of that Description. I find that the Chevr. de la Luzern stands well here, and is esteemed—it is to be hoped that his Successor may be a man who will think it his Interest as well as his Duty to deserve well of both Countries.3

I am happy that the interfering Claims of Massachusetts and NYork are in a way to be settled—we shall then coalesce, and be more and more assimilated— Your Delegation is a good one—4

My Compts. to your Lady & Family— Mr Laurens is gone to Carolina—present my Respects to Mr Jefferson—5 I am Dear Sir Your afft. & obt. Sert

John Jay

His Exey Mr Adams—

ALS, MHi: Adams (EJ: 6416). Dft, NNC (EJ: 7457).

1A 660-element nomenclator code would subsequently be exchanged, the Jay-Adams code (WE013), to be used between the two when JA was minister plenipotentiary to Great Britain. See Weber, U.S. Codes and Ciphers description begins Ralph E. Weber, United States Diplomatic Codes and Ciphers, 1775–1938 (Chicago, 1979) description ends , 89–93; and “John Jay’s Use of Codes and Ciphers” (editorial note), JJSP, 2 description begins Elizabeth M. Nuxoll et al., eds., The Selected Papers of John Jay, Volume 2, 1780–82 (Charlottesville, Va., 2012) description ends : 7–13.

2For JJ’s election to Congress on 26 Oct. and his activities in that body during the final weeks of 1784, see “Homecoming” (editorial note) on pp. 585–87.

3On La Luzerne’s return to France and the resultant changes in France’s diplomatic staff in the United States, see Barbé-Marbois to JJ, 2 Aug. 1784, above.

4For JJ’s involvement in the settlement of the New York-Massachusetts boundary controversy, see “John Jay’s Role in the New York-Massachusetts Western Lands Dispute” (editorial note) on pp. 631–34.

5For JA’s family and Thomas Jefferson, see JJ to JA, 27 Apr. 1784, above; and BF to JJ, 15 Sept. 1784, note 2, above; and Adams, Diary description begins Lyman H. Butterfield et al., eds., Diary and Autobiography of John Adams (4 vols.; Cambridge, Mass., 1961) description ends , 3: 156n. The former fellow commissioner Henry Laurens returned to the United States in the summer of 1784, debarking at New York nine days after JJ. Laurens sought to report to the Committee of the States and to seek permission to retire from public service, but the committee adjourned before he arrived. After settling his accounts and waiting at Trenton until November for Congress to convene, he decided on account of ill health, the lateness of the season for travel, and the need to attend to his private affairs, to leave for South Carolina before Congress managed to secure a quorum. Although on 10 Feb. 1784 Laurens had been elected a South Carolina delegate to Congress, he departed on 17 Nov. without serving as a delegate, and retired to his Mepkin plantation. See JJ to JA, 13 Dec. 1784, and notes, above; JCC description begins Worthington C. Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1904–37) description ends , 27: 646, 647n.; PHL description begins Philip M. Hamer et al., eds., The Papers of Henry Laurens (16 vols.; Columbia, S.C., 1968–2003) description ends , 16: 486–87, 493–94, 503–5, 518–19, 522–24.

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