I must freely acknowledge the justice of Your charge against me as a bad Correspondant, for the force of Truth wou’d Convict were I to deny, and perhaps Friendship will hardly bear with paliatives but knowing well your attachment to and practice of Sincerity, I shall honestly tell you I did not like to write on political matters, and in what may be called Domestick you had constantly better information than twas possible for me to give, having also very ample employment for my time you will reflect that all these Circumstances combined to make me silent altho not inattentive or forgetfull of my Friends abroad.

I am sorry to learn that Messrs. Joyes the Bankers did not answer my expectations,1 their interested connection with Britain must account for it, and the Slender intercourse our infant Country had commenced with the Rich Citizens of Europe must give way, untill rendered more important by the Natural progress of things those interested beings shall feel their interest most advanced by that intercourse being renewed & strengthened then and not ’till then will they give us a preferance.

I have three letters from you dated the 28 May 16 Septr and 19th Novr. last2 and feel myself exceedingly indebted to that partiality which prompted you to say many Civil things, these are stamped with an unusual Value not because I suffer myself to think they are merited, but because, you thought so. We have heard more of you & Mrs. Jay than these letters tell me, and upon the whole have not found much cause to be pleased with your situation. Hers must too often have been very disagreable, the loss of the little one was truely distressing and your almost constant absence extreamly hard. But you must comfort yourselves with the Reflection that still more Cruel things might have happened had you remained in your own Country, suppose you had been with your Father when some of the Enemies Ruffians broke into the House and after satiating themselves with Plunder they had carried you my Dear Friend a Prisoner to New York, think of the Triumph of your Enemies, the distress of your Friends and what you must under such Circumstances have suffered, happy that you have escaped such an event I will not prolong the Idea of it. Upon enquiring after Francis Child I was told he had gone to settle at Richmond in Virginia and of course he must be in distress at present as the Enemy are in possession of that place Shou’d he retreat this way I will pay him the Money you desire and under such circumstances there is little doubt of its being acceptable, I told Kitty on the Reciept of your letter that I shou’d pay her twenty pounds Sterlg for the use of little Peter whenever she pleased but she has not yet taken it, She is now here and no doubt will write you every thing you can wish to know, as she commands a ready and Communicative Pen, through which flow the Sentiments of Genius, Prudence & Judgment conducted by Penetration and a well informed mind. She is my great favourite and is to be my Secretary protempore. You are very attentive to our little junto at Springetsbury, a Cursed Fever obliged me to desist last Winter; and now, with regret I say it, Public employment will not permit the Renewal of those Social parties, but still the time may come when our enjoyments shall Return with redoubled Gust. having the blessings of an honourable Peace added thereto—. Mrs. Morris is very well and ever will feel herself strongly attached to Mrs Jay and you I suppose she will write for herself either by this or some other opportunity, altho not fond of her Pen. As this letter is entirely of a private nature I do not have recourse to a Cypher, but as I shall by this or the next Conveyance write you on Public business that which you sent me the 19th Novr. must be made use of. Our Friend Governeur has acquainted you with my appointment to be Superintendent of Finance, the motives of my acceptance are purely Patriotic and I wou’d this moment give much of my property to be excused but pressed by my Friends, acquaintances, Fellow Citizens and almost by all America I could not resist, I will therefore most assiduously try to be usefull and if in this I do but Succeed my Recompense will be ample. Governeur and others have promised me the assistance of their abilities, Congress promise Support if the Legislatures and Individuals will do the same we will soon change the face of our affairs and show our Enemies that their hopes of our ruin through the Channel of Finance is as vain as their hope of Conquest.

Your Brother Sir James is here and calls sometimes to see us, he has been long in this City but I understand has not been to you a much better Correspondant than myself he desired me the other day to think of Foedy if any employment offered that wou’d suit him, this I shall gladly comply with. I wish He & H. Brockholst Livingston were with me just now if not better provided for than the views that now offer, I want Honest, Active, able Men about me.

This Campaigne as usual opens to our disadvantage, but I expect it will also as usual close favourably for us, The Vices and Follies of our Enemies may justly be counted among the Number of our Fast Friends, they never fail to work for our Relief in the hours of distress, for at those times the Pride, Insolence and Tyranny of the British Heroes are too insufferable to be borne even by the Peasantry of America. It affords me much pleasure to find the assistance I have given towards delivering supplies at Havannah is known and approved by the Ministry at the Court of Madrid3 as a favourable impression there may be serviceable to my administration of the Finances and I hope still to return more important Services in return for those I expect from them to this distressed Country Adieu my Dear Sir with Sincere affection I am your Obedient hble Servt.