John Jay Papers
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From John Jay to George Clinton, 12[–13] June 1783

To George Clinton

Passy 12 [–13] June 1783—

Dr. Sir

It would give me great Pleasure to be certain that this Letter will be delivered to you at your Home in the City of New York, but it is even doubtful whether orders to evacuate it have as yet been dispatched. What motives enduce this Delay can only be conjectured, perhaps it may be designed ^by some of the british Cabinet^ to stimulate our doing more for the Tories than ex than they otherwise expect—for my own part I think we should cautiously avoid saying or doing any thing for ^about^ or concerning their Pretensions until every british Soldier shall be removed. It would ill become us to take that Matter under Consideration with a Rod over our Heads, and it would be much more agreable to my Feelings to see our remaining houses burnt, than than be driven into that or any other Measure. Whatever we may do for the Tories shd. be the result of ^flow &^ appear to be the ^flow^ spontaneously result of flow ^from^ our ^Justice^ Benevolence & Humanity, & not ^neither be nor seem to be^ expressed from us by the Pressure ^weight^ of external Influence either on our Hopes or Fears—I suspect that [illegible] good will predominate is not decided1

Doctr. Bancroft who goes from hence to England, & from there probably in a Packet to New York, will be the Bearer of this Letter.2 This Gentlemans Services to ^has been useful to^ his Country and friendly to me, and I recommend him to you as one whom I esteem and by whom I have been obliged. I am dear Sir with great Regard & Esteem, Your most obedt. Servt.

P.S. 13 June 1783 Mr. Hartley this Moment informed me that orders to Evacuate the United States were actually sent to the british Commander in Chief at New York.3

Dft, NNC (EJ: 7627).

1For JJ’s views on treatment of the Loyalists, see the notes to William Livingston to JJ, 21 May 1783, above.

2On letters of introduction for Bancroft, see JJ to Elias Boudinot, 11 June 1783, above. For Bancroft’s report on British attitudes on trade concessions, see his letter to JJ of 12 Aug. 1783, below.

3See Fox to Hartley, 10 June 1783 (two dispatches), in Giunta, Emerging Nation description begins Mary A. Giunta et al., eds., The Emerging Nation: A Documentary History of the Foreign Relations of the United States under the Articles of Confederation, 1780–1789 (3 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1996) description ends , 2: 146–50. In the first, Fox informed Hartley that the king had ordered “the speedy and complete evacuation of all the Territories” of the United States, and instructed him to communicate this information to the American commissioners. Hartley complied in his letter to the American Peace Commissioners of 14 June, below. The British evacuated New York on 25 Nov. 1783.

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