1To Alexander Hamilton from Gouverneur Morris, 26 March 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
By unavoidable Incidents this Letter is delayed beyond the usual Time for which I assure you I am extremely sorry. Your Favor gave great Pleasure as well to the Committee as to several Members of the House who are much pleased with your judicious Caution to distinguish between what you sport as your private Opinion and the weighty Sentiments of the General. No Circumstance could have more...
2To Alexander Hamilton from Gouverneur Morris, 11 May 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
[ Kingston, New York, May 11, 1777. On May 12, 1777, Hamilton wrote to Morris: “I have received the pleasure of your favour of yesterday’s date.” Letter not found. ]
3To Alexander Hamilton from Gouverneur Morris, 16 May 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
I had the Pleasure of your two Favors within two Days of each other and am very happy to find that our Form of Government meets with your Approbation. That there are Faults in it is not to be wondered at for it is the Work of Men and of Men perhaps not the best qualified for such Undertakings. I think it deficient for the Want of Vigor in the executive unstable from the very Nature of popular...
4To Alexander Hamilton from Gouverneur Morris, 24 May 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
Kingston [ New York ] May 24, 1777. Has no news of the destruction of stores at St. Johns. Speculates on future course of the war and discusses need for maintaining health of troops. ALS , Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress. This letter was written by Morris in his capacity as a member of the New York Committee of Correspondence.
5To Alexander Hamilton from Gouverneur Morris, 4 July 1777 (Hamilton Papers)
Your Letter gave me the Pleasure of knowing with Certainty what might be depended upon among the numerous Reports circulated Thro the Country with Relation to the Several movements of the Enemy. That Howe wishes to draw you to a General Action is highly Probable because certainly he hath no other Means of conquering the Country, but the time when he wishes to Engage must depend upon a General...
6To Alexander Hamilton from Gouverneur Morris, [18 July 1777] (Hamilton Papers)
[ Saratoga, New York, July 18, 1777. On July 22, 1777, Hamilton wrote to Morris: “Your favour of the 18th ⟨from Saratoga reached me⟩ yesterday.” Letter not found. ]
7II. Gouverneur Morris to William Helmsley, 30 April 1783 (Jefferson Papers)
In compliance with your request I will now throw together a few ideas on the subject of a new coinage. For the greater clearness they shall be classed under five heads. 1. Reasons why a coin should be struck. 2. The denomination of such coin. 3. The quantity of fine silver in such denomination. 4. The expence of a coinage. 5. The different peices of coin proposed. First then I take the liberty...
8To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 3 January 1780 (Jay Papers)
You will doubtless be glad to hear News from this Quarter. Your Friends are all well. Our Army are hutted in the Vicinity of Morris Town except a Detachment consist. of the North Carolina & Virginia Troops who are on their March to the Southward three thousand — The Don on the Part of the Governor of havannah did lately propose to Congress to assist in the Reduction of Florida .— They have...
9To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 16 August 1778 (Jay Papers)
We are at Length fairly setting about our Finances and our foreign Affairs. For the latter particularly I much wish you were here. Many Persons whom you know are very liberal of Illiberality— Your Friend Deane who hath rendered the most essential Services stands as one accused. The Storm increases and I think some one of the tall Trees must be torn up by the Roots. I have not heard from you in...
10To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 3 August 1776 (Jay Papers)
If you play Truant thus, Le tout est perdue . How do you expect that your unruly Horses can be kept in Order by a Whip and a Spur. They want the Reins. On Tuesday next it is to be determined as to the Seat of our General. Unless &c a . &c a . I would not give a Fig for your Resolution. This is not the worst of it make haste, Yours ALS , NNC ( EJ : 6959 ). Address mutilated. Endorsed....
11To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 1 February 1778 (Jay Papers)
Congress have sent me here in Conjunction with some other Gentlemen to regulate their Army and in Truth not a little Regulation hath become necessary. Our Quarter Master and Commissary Departments are in the most lamentable Situation. Opportunities have been neglected last Campaign which were truly Golden ones but omnipotent Fatality had it seems determined that the american Capital should...
12To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 30 June 1775 (Jay Papers)
Our House are about to send you their Plan of Accomodation and I think myself bound to say Something on the Subject for Reasons you will presently see the second third fourth sixth and seventh ^ & eighth ^ Articles form a short Plan which I drew in the Committee excepting that in the eighth the word Assemblies in the third Line was altered to Colonies. The first Article was moved debated...
13To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 10 March 1782 (Jay Papers)
I have received and now acknowlege your Letter of the tenth of November which arrived by Captain Jackson a few Days since. The Enclosure of that Letter shall be properly made Use of. The Letter you mention to have written to me in September I never received. To explain what appears misterious in one of my Letters as to a Gentleman who wondered you did not write to him I say only that from his...
14To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 20 March 1780 (Jay Papers)
The Disaster you met with and the Delay occasioned by it will make all my Letters old before you see them— Your Note from Martinique the Day after your arrival shuts my Mouth as to any Thing worth your knowing. This Letter will go by a circuitous Rout but I trust a safe one. I shall therefore mention that Congress have anvilled out another new System of Finance the Plain English of which is a...
15To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 31 March–1 April 1781 (Jay Papers)
I will enclose you the Copy of a Letter from Green to Congress if I get it in Time, which I expect. Should the Returns be omitted (which I am led to suspect) I will subjoin to this Letter so much of them as I have heard. Green’s Reasons for fighting will not appear nor the relative Numbers & Force. For the latter take this Sketch. Cornwallis about from 3000 to 3500 well disciplined and...
16To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 28 July 1775 (Jay Papers)
What shall we do with our West Chester Causes I have not hitherto given you any Notices of Trial because the Uncertainty and Inquietude of the Times in some measure prohibited me the Hope of trying them. Besides this I daily expected you in Town and wished for the Certainty of your Presence inasmuch as it would have been an improper Advantage over you while attending upon the public...
We were much surprized at your Letter to M r . Hobart as we could not perceive the Danger which would result from permitting the several Courts to appoint their own Clerks while on the other Hand great Inconveniences must arise from suffering them to be independent of such Courts and of Consequence frequently ignorant always inattentive. Neither had we the most distant Idea that a Clause of...
18To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 29 April 1778 (Jay Papers)
I won’t dispute who has written most. I have written more than twice what you acknowlege to have received but this is of no Consequence. I am sorry for your Session but I wish you had marked out what Taxes have been laid what Salaries given & a few more striking outlines of Legislation These with what I know of your Men would have enabled me to imagine proper Lights & Shades. My arithmetical...
19To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 6 August 1782 (Jay Papers)
I received your Letter of the twenty eighth of April by Major Franks. It came too late for I had already applied the Copy of a certain Correspondence in the Manner you intended when you sent it. I decyphered and read your Letter to the Minister of foreign Affairs. If I were with you or had Time to use my Cypher, I would say somewhat on it. I think that Congress will not be silent— Should you...
20To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 7[–9] May 1781 (Jay Papers)
I have received yours of the 5 th Nov r & a Duplicate of it. I sincerely thank you for this only Favor I have received. Your Laconick Style has not forsaken you. Congress have by the same Opportunity which brought this Letter of the 5 th Nov r . received some of a much later Date. I suppose it was Deane who wrote to you from France about the Loss of my Leg. This Acc t is facetious. Let it...
21To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 20 January 1782 (Jay Papers)
It is so long since I have received a Letter from you that I will not pretend to account for thi I have received but one Letter from you in a very long time and by an Inattention I can only describe and not date it. It was ^ chiefly in Cypher ^ in answer to mine announcing a certain Appointment & Part of it was copied by your private Secretary. The Cypher I shall use in this if I have Occasion...
22To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 23 July 1778 (Jay Papers)
I received yours of the 4 th some Days ago but I was in so unsettled a Situation that I could not answer it. At present I must be short for I have Company waiting. I have no Apprehension that these Money Matters can affect me . I have not taken nor would I on any Consideration have taken the Agency of the Business. Duer I trust will do what is right.— Your Caution however is useful and proper...
23To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 2 January 1781 (Jay Papers)
A Packet offers for France and I seize the Opportunity to present you the Wishes usual on ^ at ^ the present Season with that true Sincerity which you who know me cannot doubt of however you may have found Reason in your Converse with Mankind to be on the sceptic Side as to all Professions. Gratulate for me your Lady your Brother and my Friend Carmichael. If I do not write to him by this...
24To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 1 January 1783 (Jay Papers)
I have recieved your Letter of the thirteenth of October from Paris. I am daily convinced of the Necessity of writing principally in Cypher because It will among other Things tend eventually to give one’s Letters a safe Passage when it shall have been found that impertinent or designing Curiosity exercises her Talents in vain. That Part of your Letter to me in Cypher I have communicated only...
25To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 30 May 1783 (Jay Papers)
My Time will not permit any Thing more at this Time than to assure you of my Affection and to pray you will present me most warmly to M rs . Jay and your little ones— Beleive me I take a sincere Interest in all which may concern them— I could not if I would say any Thing on Politics worthy of Attention— All you friends here are well myself among the Number— Adieu always beleive me very...
26To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 17 June[–13 July] 1781 (Jay Papers)
Although I beleive myself thoroughly acquainted with you yet I cannot tell whether I ought to congratulate or condole with you on your late appointment . Ere this reaches you you will have learnt that you are on the part of this country one of five to negociate for Peace — So far you are something but when you come to find by your instructions that you must ultimately obey the dictates of the...
27To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 21 May 1782 (Jay Papers)
I write these Lines to acknowlege yours from S t . Ildefonso of the twenty eighth of September. To enclose you a short Resolution of Congress. To tell you that Col o . Livingston and your Brother James met in the Provost at New York. Livingston is with us. James is at large in New York. Your Family except one are alive and well. I am sorry to add that your Father is no more. I know how much...
28To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 28 April 1778 (Jay Papers)
This Letter is to be handed to you by Gen l . Gates. Let me recommend him to your particular Attention. Vermont you will say prevents this. Policy may have induced him to flatter those People when he wanted their Assistance. Let us take it up on that Ground. In his present Command he will want the Assistance of our State the cordial Assistance of its Rulers. I have promised this. I write to...
29To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 3 May 1778 (Jay Papers)
I shall plague you with very few Words. I congratulate you on our Alliance with France for Particulars I refer you to our Friend Robert. I enclose you a News Paper containing a Report I drew on North’s Bills which were sent us by the Gen l . I have marked in the Margin two Clauses inserted by the House you may find perhaps some Difficulty to discover how they shew the Wickedness or Insincerity...
30To George Washington from Gouverneur Morris, 15 May 1778 (Washington Papers)
Permit me to congratulate you on the passing a Resolution for a Kind of Establishment at this late Hour It is not what you wished but it may do You must pardon a little to the Republicanism of our Ideas. What is a little extraordinary there was no Dissentient State and only two Individuals Yet no Measure hath ever been more severely contested. We shall now go thro the Regimental & other...