1From George Washington to John Jay, 19 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of the 8th instant from Albany, was duly received; but not before arrangements for many nominations (amongst which that for the Naval Office in New York was one) had been made. From the character of Mr Remson, I have a very good opinion of his abilities and worth; but as his name was not among those which had been handed to me for this office, and as there seemed to be a concurrent...
2To John Jay from Rufus King, 6 February 1797 (Jay Papers)
I thought it probable that the Directory after refusing to receive General Pinckney would have permitted him to remain at Paris till they should have received News from America of a date so late as to give the Result of the Election for President. I have been mistaken; whether the information already received on that Subject, which I presume has not been satisfactory, or the Elevation that has...
3To John Jay from Richard Lawrence, 27 January 1797 (Jay Papers)
Thine of 23 d ins t . forwarded by the Mayor I have just received, with the warrant for 1000 Dollars and a Copy of the Act, and in observing the Contents am induced to make the following remarks— I am Sensible of the propriety of thy observation on the necessity of economy in the distribution of this Money; and shall therefore carefully observe the same; and assure thee it is not an Object of...
4To John Jay from Timothy Pickering, 23 January 1797 (Jay Papers)
You will have seen the President’s message to Congress relative to French affairs. The letter to M r . Pinckney to which the President refers, I now do myself the honor to inclose. I have taken the liberty to use your name in the investigation of the French claims to our gratitude—and your sentiments also; sometimes quoting, but in other cases not distinguishing by the usual marks; the...
5To John Jay from Jedidiah Morse, 14 January 1797 (Jay Papers)
Soon after I had the honour of receiving your Letter wh[ic]h accompanied the Laws of N York, I wrote you by a vessel bound to N. York & accompanied my Letter with a Sett of the last Edit[io] n of my Geog[raph] y . in boards for your acceptance. It was as long ago as October last. I hope they reached you safely. The hint you dropped when I last saw you, relative to my undertaking to write the...
6To John Jay from Rufus King, 10 January 1797 (Jay Papers)
You probably will have heard before this Letter gives you the information, that the Directory have refused to receive General Pinckney, who on presenting his Letter of Credence was informed by La Croix in behalf of the Directory, “qu’il ne reconnoitra et ne recevra plus Ministre plenipotentiaire des Etats unis jusqu’apres le redressement des Griefs demandé au Gouvernment Americaine, et que la...
7To John Jay from John Trumbull, 16 December 1796 (Jay Papers)
I had the honour of writing to you on the 7 th Sept r by D r . Edwards, since when I have received none of yours. The Official communications of the American Commissioners conveyed by this Ship, state that Objections have been made on the part of this Government, by their Agent, to the Jurisdiction of the Board in certain cases:— And they explain the Nature and Extent of those Objections: as...
8To John Jay from Dirck Ten Broeck, 14 December 1796 (Jay Papers)
I have the honor to acquaint your Excellency that I have procured two rooms in the house of M r . Rooseboom, for your accommodation in this place this winter, and am in hopes the exertions of the family will contribute much to your ease, and comfort, both M r . & M rs . Rooseboom asuring us that nothing shall be wanting on their part to make every ^thing^ agreeable to you. I shall be highly...
9To John Jay from Daniel Coxe, 30 November 1796 (Jay Papers)
I take the Opportunity of the Viscount d’Orleans sailing for New York, to acknowledge the receipt of your favor by M r . Gore, to whom, from having been out of Town the Summer, and but very lately returned to it, I have not yet been able to pay him all that attention which your introduction entitles him to,— that pleasure I expect soon to have. The stay of the Viscount d’Orleans will, I...
10To John Jay from Rufus King, 12 November 1796 (Jay Papers)
I take the Liberty to introduce to you M r . Macdonald and M r . Rich the british commissioners in the Debt Questions; the former is a Barrister of Eminence, and M r . Rich, who has for many years past resided in Holland, is a merchant of irreproachable Character— both are Esteemed to be men of fair & honorable Reputation— That such Characters are appointed on this Occasion may be considered...
11To John Jay from Philip Schuyler, 11 November 1796 (Jay Papers)
Your favor of the 11 th ult which I received soon after its date, was mislaid, and It did not Occur to me until two days ago that I had not answered It— I believe the appointment of M r Smith to the Sheriffs Office in Washington was a prudent Measure, and will probably afford general satisfaction. From the best information I can procure, neither of the two characters, whom you mention, as...
12To John Jay from Christopher Gore, 24 October 1796 (Jay Papers)
I have the pleasure to inform you, that we have begun our operations, under the treaty with this country— It is impossible to prophecy, with any certainty, what will be the temper, and disposition, with which some points will be met. To decide causes, that have been determined by the Lords Commissioners of appeal, & perhaps reverse their decisions, will affect the sensibility of some men— To...
13To John Jay from Christopher Gore, 26 September 1796 (Jay Papers)
Since my arrival in this country, your letters have procured me many civilities & attentions— From the Lord Chancellor I have received very markt & pleasing attention— And both he, & Lady Loughborough are very particular, in their enquiries after your health & happiness— You will have learnt before this reaches you, that your late Secretary is the fifth commissioner— After it was understood...
14To John Jay from John Trumbull, 7 September 1796 (Jay Papers)
I returned to this Country a few days since, from an Excursion which was protracted to a much greater length than I at first intended or foresaw:— It will I am sure, give you pleasure to know that there is every probability of my being tolerably rewarded for the trouble I have had. On my Arrival here, I had the pleasure to find, among many Letters from my friends, your several favors of the 10...
15To John Jay from Thomas Pinckney, 25 August 1796 (Jay Papers)
In compliance with the request contained in your favor of the 18 th . of June by M r King I inclose an acknowledgement of my having received from you the sum of £1185..16.0 towards the fund for prosecuting the claims of our Citizens in cases of capture. I have likewise to acknowledge the receipt of your favor by M r . Gore; & while I express my satisfaction in the appointments which have...
16To John Jay from Rufus King, 25 August 1796 (Jay Papers)
All that I have yet seen here, corresponds with the information you gave ^us^ respecting the temper and inclinations of this Government— My own experience authorises no conclusions— The Commissioners on the part of G[reat]. B[ritain]. in the Capture Questions are as unexceptionable as we could have expected— they are both esteemed enlightened, candid, and honorable, men— our Commissioners are...
17To John Jay from Benjamin Rush, 2 August 1796 (Jay Papers)
Permit me to request your Acceptance of a Copy of a medical Work which I have just published. It contains some new proofs of the domestic Origin of the yellow fever in our Country, and of Course cannot fail of being interesting to the first Citizen of the state of New York. Until the domestic Origin of the yellow fever in the United States be admitted, we shall always hold, the health,...
18To John Jay from John Trumbull, 21 July 1796 (Jay Papers)
Your Favor of the 12 th . December, is the last I have had the Honour to receive from you, this I received and answered on the 6 th . March;— I have since received a number of Letters from America, through M r Pinckney, which convince me that I have not been so entirely forgotten by my friends as I supposed. I embark this Afternoon for the North, having terminated the Business which has kept...
19To John Jay from Timothy Pickering, 16 July 1796, enclosing Timothy Pickering to Alexander Hamilton, 16 July 1796 (Jay Papers)
Some doubts having arisen on the mode of executing the 5th article of the British treaty, relative to the river S t . Croix, I wrote this morning a letter to Colonel Hamilton on the Subject, and requested him to converse with you. But he may chance to be absent; and as M r . Howell will in the course of two or three days be returning to Rhode Island through your city, I thought it expedient to...
20To John Jay from Benjamin Rush, 9 July 1796 (Jay Papers)
The bearer of this letter is Caleb Lownes—a respectable Merchant of our city, and a gentleman to whom the science of Morals, and humanity owe great obligations.— He visits your city in Order to impart to the Commissioners for building your penitentiary house, the result of his experience in the Construction and government of our own. Your station, but what are more, your principles & feelings...
21To John Jay from William Henry Clinton, 20 June 1796 (Jay Papers)
From the ill state of my Fathers Health, (whom I have since had the Misfortune to lose) I was introduced by Colonel Stevenson to M r Pinckney to state to him some Claims of my Father for Property in the State of New York, & which was said to be confiscated by that State. I gave to M r Pinckney some Memorandums, which he obligingly promised me he would communicate to your Excellency, as you was...
22To John Jay from Timothy Pickering, 4 June 1796 (Jay Papers)
In the last Article of the British Treaty, concluded between you and Lord Grenville on the 19 th : of November 1794, it is agreed that there shall be added to it other Articles which for want of time and other circumstances could not then be perfected. As it is intended to authorize M r . King to enter into further negotiations with Great Britain, I shall feel myself greatly obliged by your...
23To John Jay from Samuel Bayard, 16 May 1796 (Jay Papers)
Your favour of the 25. March reached me on saturday last (the 14 th . ins t .). It came I presume by the packet—or it would probably have been accompanied by the “printed papers” you were so obliging as to propose sending me— Every information from the U. States is exceedingly interesting at all times—but peculiarly so when our national affairs are in so critical a posture as they were when at...
24To John Jay from John H. Remsen, 14 May 1796 (Jay Papers)
When You appointed me your Private Secretary You honored me very unexpectedly, & altho’ it was a flattering distinction, I sincerely confess it was not without some reluctance, for the reason hereafter mentioned, that I accepted the Appointment. Shortly before, the Directors of the Bank of the United States committed to my Charge their Law and Notarial Business, the duties of which combined...
25From George Washington to John Jay, 8 May 1796 (Washington Papers)
You judged very right when in your letter of the 18th Ulto you observed I “can have very little time for private letters.” But if my friends will put up with the hasty and indigested ones I can write, under such circumstances, there are a few of them (among whom allow me the gratification to place you) with whom I should feel very happy to corrispond: and while I hold my present Office, to...
26To John Jay from Walter Robertson, 15 April 1796 (Jay Papers)
Mr Walter Robertson presents his respects to the Governor & begs leave to inform him that he is very desirous of having his portrait, for the purpose of being engraved as a comparison to two prints of the President and Co l . Hamilton. M r Robertson has already sketched the Governors features from an unfinished portrait of M r Stewart’s and now takes the liberty of requesting to know at what...
27From George Washington to John Jay, 31 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
Accept, my dear Sir, my thanks for your note of the 25th Instant—enclosing a copy of Mr Bayards letter to you. The purport of it is pleasing; but the conduct of the British armed Vessels in the West Indies, is intolerable beyond all forbearance. My answer, given yesterday, to the House of Representatives’ request of Papers, will, I expect, set a host of Scribblers to work: but I shall proceed...
28To John Jay from George Washington, 31 March 1796 (Jay Papers)
Accept, my dear Sir, my thanks for your note of the 25 th . Instant— enclosing a copy of M r . Bayards letter to you.— The purport of it is pleasing; but the conduct of the British armed Vessels in the West Indies, is intolerable beyond all forbearance. My answer, given yesterday, to the House of Representatives’ request of Papers, will, I expect, set a host of Scribblers to work:—but I shall...
29To John Jay from Grenville, 17 March 1796 (Jay Papers)
I cannot let M r Liston go without taking the occasion of his departure to recommend him to you, and to express my hope that his character & conduct will be found well calculated to continue & promote that harmony which it was the object of our labours to establish. I have, since you left us, taken one occasion to renew to you my assurances of the sincere esteem & friendship with which your...
30To John Jay from John Sinclair, 14 March 1796 (Jay Papers)
Your favor on the use of Salt as a Manure, & on an extraordinary Sort of Apple, was read to the Board of Agriculture at its last Meeting. The Communication was deemed very valuable, particularly the experiments on Salt, which seems in various Cases to have had a decided effect. Should any farther information on this, or similar Topics occur to you, we shall be very happy if you would, at your...