To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 3 May 1778
From Gouverneur Morris
York Town, 3d May 1778
Dear Jay—
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 Genl.1 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 of the Enemy. The following Clause (the Reason of which you will see) was struck out. “Your Committee &ca. that in the present Conjuncture of Affairs when the unalienable Rights of human Nature may probably become the Subject of Negotiation the Wisdom of America should be as far as possible collected and therefore that the States be called upon to send a full and adequate Representation to Congress upon the present special Occasion.”2
Sundry small Alterations were made as is the Case in Matrimony for better for worse. We have recommended an Act of Grace with Exceptions. How to make these Exceptions will be a nice Card if Gentlemen have particular Friends in the Legislature. A Word to the Wise. I do not chuse to be explicit but I shall set some Sums to our numerical Correspondent when I have Time &ca— Love to Sally. Adieu. Yours
Gouvr Morris
ALS, UkWC-A (EJ: 6). Numbered at top “No. 6”. Tr, MH: Sparks (EJ: 5313); E, NN: Bancroft (EJ: 2817).
1. On 20 Apr. 1778, Congress received from Washington a letter enclosing a copy of Lord North’s bill providing for the appointment of peace commissioners. Both Washington and Congress were suspicious of the proposal and referred it to a committee consisting of Morris, William Henry Drayton, and Francis Dana. Morris prepared a report, adopted on 22 Apr. and published by Congress, rejecting the British terms. , 10: 367, 374–80; , 101.
2. According to Edmund Burnett, “The original of the report on Lord North’s measures has not been found among the Papers of the Continental Congress, therefore it cannot be determined just what changes were made by the house.” , 3: 219n.