John Jay Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jay/01-03-02-0064

From John Jay to Robert Morris, 13 October 1782

To Robert Morris

[Paris, 13 October 1782]

My dear Sir

Wherever and however occupied, I remember my Friends, and always find my own Satisfaction promoted, when I have Reason to think that I am conducing to their’s— This has led me to make you[r] Sons1 the Subject of this Letter— It is an interesting one to you, & therefore not indifferent to me—

On my arrival here I found them plac’d in a Pension at Passey— My Nephew & Daughter were ill with a hooping-Cough, & lest your Sons shd. catch it, we denied ourselves the pleasure of having them with us, ’till after that obstacle had ceased. I have frequently seen them at Doctr. Franklin’s as well as at my own House—they had promised to dine with us every Wednesday but Mr. Ridley prolong’d it to every other Wednesday. They are fine Boys & appear to possess a full share of natural Talents. I am told that they have made a Progress in French proportionate to the Time they have been learning it— Of this I am not an adequate Judge myself, & therefore must depend on the Judgment of others— The Pension at which they are has been so far well enough—but I think with Mr Ridley that a better is to be wish’d for, & to be sought. He is at present making the necessary Inquiries, & I have every Reason to believe that the Trust you have reposed in him will be conscientiously & faithfully executed.2

Mr. Ridley finds it difficult to decide on the Expediency of carrying them to Geneva, & from what I have heard, I think he has Reason to entertain Doubts on that Head; as I have no materials to judge from, but the Report of others, & those perhaps not altogether well founded, it is difficult for me to form a decided opinion on the Subject. I can only say that I have heard more against than for it.—3

My opinion may perhaps seem singular & the more so as it cannot properly be explain’d in the Compass of a letter—4 but I think the Youth of every free, civilized Country should if possible, be educated in it, & not permitted to travel out of it, ’till age has made them so cool & firm as to retain their National & moral Impressions— Connections founded at School & College have much influence,5 and are to be watched even at that Period— If judiciously formed, they will often endure and be advantageous thro’ Life— American Youth may possibly form proper & perhaps useful Friendships in European Seminaries, but I think not so probably as among6 their Fellow Citizens with whom they are to grow up, whom it will be useful for them to know, and be early known to, & with whom they are to be engaged in the business of active Life; and under the Eye and Direction of Parents, whose Advice ^Authority^ & Example7 are frequently of more worth than the Lessons of hireling Professors particularly on the Subjects of Religion Morality Virtue & Prudence—

The fine & some of the Useful Arts, may doubtless be better acquired in Europe than in America, and so may the living European Languages; but when I consider that a competent Knowledge even of these may be gained in our Country, and that almost all of the more8 Substantial & truly Valuable Acquirements may in my opinion with more facility & Constancy Certainty be attained there than here, I do not hesitate to prefer an American Education—

I fear that the Ideas which my Countrymen in general conceive of Europe are in many Respects rather too high.9 If we shd ever meet again you shall know my Sentiments very fully on this Head—

But your Sons are here & what is to be done? Mr. Ridley is about doing what I think with him is the best thing that at present can be done vizt. to put them in one of the best Pensions that can be found,10 & to give them the Advantages of such extra Tutors as may be requisite—11

Perhaps further Information may place Geneva in a more favorable Light— You shall have frequent Letters from me on this Subject, and while I remain here, you may be assured of my constant Attention to these promising Boys—[Be] pleased to present our Compts & best wishes to Mrs Morris I am dear Sir with sincere Esteem & Regard Yr Affte. Friend & Servt.12

John Jay

The Honble Robt. Morris Esqr

LS, in the hand of SLJ, DLC: Robert Morris. Addressed: “The Hon’ble / Robt. Morris Esqr / Philadelphia—”. Endorsed in the hand of Robert Morris: “ . . .respectg my Sons”. Dft, NNC (EJ: 9328). Endorsed by JJ. JJ substantially reworked his Dft, heavily crossing out major excisions which can only be partly ascertained. Major substantive changes are reconstucted below to the extent possible.

1Ridley, who was supervising the education of Robert Morris’s two eldest sons, Thomas and Robert Morris Jr. in Europe, noted in his diary that he and the boys had tea with JJ on this date. See PRM description begins E. James Ferguson et al., eds., The Papers of Robert Morris, 1781–1784 (9 vols.; Pittsburgh, Pa., 1973–99) description ends , 3: 55–60; and “Ridley’s Diary,” description begins Herbert E. Klingelhofer, ed., “Matthew Ridley’s Diary during the Peace Negotiations of 1782,” WMQ 20 (1963): 95–133 description ends 119.

2For Ridley’s reports of 6 and 12 Oct. 1782 on the arrangements made to date, see PRM description begins E. James Ferguson et al., eds., The Papers of Robert Morris, 1781–1784 (9 vols.; Pittsburgh, Pa., 1973–99) description ends , 6: 511–12, 574–76.

3In the Dft JJ substituted “as I have . . . me to form” after excising a largely illegible passage of about two lines: “so much so that I dare not [illegible] for the late Revolution there may [illegible]”. Because Geneva was experiencing political disturbances, Ridley informed Morris on 12 Oct. that he could hardly find anyone who recommended it. PRM description begins E. James Ferguson et al., eds., The Papers of Robert Morris, 1781–1784 (9 vols.; Pittsburgh, Pa., 1973–99) description ends , 6: 575.

4Here in the Dft JJ originally wrote “My ideas of education may perhaps be singular— They cannot be fully explained in the Compass of a letter”.

5In the Dft JJ substituted the previous three words for “are important”.

6In the Dft JJ substituted the previous two words for “within our Country [nor?] among those with many [illegible]”.

7In the Dft JJ wrote “Advice and Authority & sometimes Example,” followed by one line of text that is heavily crossed out and cannot be reconstructed.

8In the Dft JJ substituted the previous five words for “Religion, Morality”.

9JJ substituted this word in the Dft for a heavily excised illegible passage of several words.

10In the Dft JJ substituted the remainder of this paragraph for a heavily excised illegible passage of about one line.

11Here in the Dft JJ heavily excised a passage of approximately six lines, not all of which can be reconstructed: “Conformity to [their?] Matter of Religion is indispensible to admission into one of the ^a^ university here, and ^but as that would be assuming the garb of^ External Conformity in my opinion is only proper in Cases of ^without^ Mental Conformity. It is otherwise so like Hypocrasy that I am persuaded you would not chuse that your Sons shd be educated in a university on those Terms”.

12This letter was carried to America by General Duportail, who sailed on the Danaé. See John Jay’s Diary of the Peacemaking, 12–29 Oct. 1782, above. For the reply, see Morris to JJ, 3 Jan. 1783, below.

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