John Jay Papers
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From John Jay to Robert Morris, 2 December 1776

To Robert Morris

Fish Kills 2d. Decr 1776

Dear Sir

Your Letter to Mr. Duane relieved me from much Anxiety.1 The miscarriage of the Generals Letter made me feel for the Fate of those I transmitted thro’ him to You.2

If I believed you suspected my Sincerity, I should for the first Time in my Life be displeased with you, but I assure you I entertain no such unfriendly Ideas. every Chair in the Congress Room will acquit me of the Charge of Adulation—

I am exceedingly hurt at the wicked attack made on Mr. Duane—Envy Hatred Malice and all Uncharitableness must have conspired in producing it. Whatever Suspicions some Folks might entertain of his political Conduct from his opposition to certain Men & Measures, I am convinced he has maintained no Correspondence with the Enemy—were he in their Interest or Confidence he never would have acted the Part he has, & still continues to do. Nay if I even suspected his Integrity, I should have too good an opinion of Prudence to believe he would ever put himself in the Power of a Servant.3 Such a Tale, can neither gain Credit or Currency, but with men, who may wish his Ruin, & be capable of adopting any Means, however base, to accomplish it. but such I believe have cursed every Age and Country, and I heartily wish some American St. Patrick would arise, and cleanse these fair Abodes of Liberty, not only of Vipers Toads & noxious Reptiles; but also of Parricides, Traitors, and insidious dark designing Iagos, more to be feared than all the Venom of the whole brute Creation.

In a few Days I shall do myself the Pleasure of writing to you again. Be pleased to present my Complimts. to my old Friends at Congress I congratulate those from Maryland on the Gallant Behaviour of their Troups, in whose Fame I really feel myself particularly interested—God bless you, and give the Congress Grace to remain at Philadelphia till the very last Extremity. My best respects to Mrs. Morris I am Dear Sir with great Sincerity your Friend & h’ble Servt.

John Jay

ALS, NNGL (EJ: 90544). Addressed: “Robert Morris Esqr. / General Congress / Philadelphia.” Endorsed in the hand of Robert Morris.

1Letter not found.

2On the transcriptions of letters from Silas Deane that JJ feared had been intercepted, see JJ to Morris, 6 Oct. and 19 Nov., above.

3After Duane’s valet, James Rattle, was revealed to have delivered information to New York’s royal governor, William Tryon, Duane was investigated for possible complicity in his activities. On allegations that Duane had warned Tryon of congressional calls for his arrest, see JJ to Robert R. Livingston, 25 Feb. 1776, above, and Morris to JJ, 12 Jan. 1777, below. Sir James Jay, among others, repeated the charges in political attacks on Duane in 1781. See Gouverneur Morris to JJ, 17 June 1781, ALS, NNGL (EJ: 90530) and NNC (EJ: 6969); Robert R. Livingston to JJ, 22 July 1781, Dft, NHi: Livingston (EJ: 810); Silas Deane to JJ, 26 Sept. 1781, LbkC, CtHi (EJ: 2885); Alexander, James Duane description begins Edward P. Alexander, A Revolutionary Conservative: James Duane of New York (New York, 1938) description ends , 116–18n, 147–50.

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