From John Jay to James McHenry, 13 April 1796

To James McHenry

New York 13th. April 1796.

Sir,

The Letter which You did me the Honor to write,1 respecting the claim of the St. Regis Indians to Lands in this State together with the Report of the Secretary of State on that Subject were immediately laid before the Legislature;2 and give occasion to a Concurrent Resolution of which the enclosed is a Copy.3

But as the Chiefs of those Indians who were with You have represented to me that they are fully authorized to terminate all Questions arising from the said Claim, by an amiable Settlement with this State; it has been judged adviseable to hold a Treaty with them here and again endeavour to bring all differences to a friendly and final Conclusion.—

Permit me therefore to request that the President will be pleased to appoint as soon as it can conveniently be done, a Commissioner on the part of the United States to hold the said Treaty. A proper person may doubtless be found in Philadelphia who would immediately come on to this place— Perhaps Mr. Abraham Ogden4 of New Ark, or Mr. Elisha Boudinot of Elizabeth Town would if appointed consent to serve— We are anxious to avoid delay for as these Chiefs are now here, it is very desireable that so good an opportunity of treating with them may not be lost. I understand from them that their full powers to treat were given in Writing signed by the principal Men of their Constituents, and were left either with You or the Secretary of State.—5

Be pleased Sir to favor me with such Information on this head as you may possess. I have the Honor to be With Great Respect Sir Your Most Obedt & h’ble Servt.

(Signed) John Jay

The Honorable James Mc.Henry Esqr. Secretary of War

LbkC, N: Governor’s Lbk. 1 (EJ: 02995).

1. Letter not found.

2. JJ’s Message to the New York State Senate, 26 Mar. 1796, N.Y. Senate Journal, 19th sess. (1796) description begins [New York State], Journal of the Senate of the state of New-York. At their nineteenth session, begun and held at the City-Hall, of the city of New-York, on Wednesday, the sixth of January, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six (New York, 1796; Early Am. Imprints, series 1, no. 30871) description ends , 88; NYGM description begins State of New York, Messages from the Governors comprising Executive Communications to the Legislature and other Papers relating to Legislation from the Organization of the First Colonial Assembly in 1683 to and including the Year 1906 vol. 2 1777–1822 (Albany, 1909) description ends , 2: 376. TP wrote to McHenry on the land claims of the Seven Nations of Canada on New York State on 18 Apr. 1796 (MHi: Pickering). See also JJ’s Message to the New York State Assembly, 26 Mar. 1796, N.Y. Assembly Journal, 19th sess. (1796) description begins [New York State], Journal of the Assembly, of the state of New-York. At their nineteenth session, begun and held at the city-hall, of the city of New-York, on Wednesday, the sixth of January, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six (New York, 1796; Early Am. Imprints, series 1, no. 47862) description ends , 159.

3. The resolution introduced in the New York State Senate on 24 Mar. 1796, and passed that same day, called for an evaluation of the land claims made by the Akwesasne Mohawk. N.Y. Senate Journal, 19th sess. (1796) description begins [New York State], Journal of the Senate of the state of New-York. At their nineteenth session, begun and held at the City-Hall, of the city of New-York, on Wednesday, the sixth of January, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six (New York, 1796; Early Am. Imprints, series 1, no. 30871) description ends , 84.

4. Abraham Ogden (1743–98) of Newark, New Jersey, served in the New Jersey Assembly in 1790 and as U.S. attorney for the state from 1791 to 1798. Ogden was appointed by GW as Commissioner to negotiate with the Seven Nations of Canada in May 1796.

5. For more on New York’s treaty negotiations with the St. Regis Indians, see the editorial note “Indian Affairs under Jay’s Governorship,” above.

Index Entries

You Are Looking At

Source Project: Jay Papers
Title: From John Jay to James McHenry, 13 April 1796
Author: Jay, John
Recipient: McHenry, James
Date: 13 April 1796

Reference

Cite as: “From John Jay to James McHenry, 13 April 1796,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jay/01-06-02-0197. [Original source: The Selected Papers of John Jay, vol. 6, 1794–1798, ed. Elizabeth M. Nuxoll. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2020, pp. 452–453.]

More between these correspondents