John Jay Papers
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From John Jay to Benjamin Rush, 24 March 1785

To Benjamin Rush

New York 24 March 1785

Sir

Such has been the State of my official Business, & of that which arose from my long neglected private affairs, that ever since the Removal of Congress to this Place, I have been obliged to trespass on my usual Punctuality in private Correspondences. Hence it happened that I have so long denied myself the Pleasure of replying to your friendly Letter of the 16 Jany.—1 Accept my warmest acknowledgmts. for the kind and very obliging manner in which you mention my Services abroad;—and permit me to congratulate you on the ^Success of the^ application to Congress on Behalf of Carlisle ^Dickenson^ College, which you appear zealously to patronize.2 I consider Knowledge to be the Soul of a Republic; and as the weak and the wicked are generally in alliance, as much Care should be taken to diminish the Number of the former as of the latter. Education is the way to do this, and nothing should be left undone to afford the Ranks of People the means of obtaining a proper Degree of it, at a cheap and easy Rate.

I thank You for the pamphlet you sent me—3 there is good Sense and Just Reasoning in it—I wish to see all unjust and unnecessary Discriminations every where abolished; and that the Time may soon come when all our Inhabitants of every Color and Denomination shall be free, and equal partakers of our political Liberty—I am Sir with great Respect & Esteem Your most obt. & very h’ble Servt.

John Jay

Dr Rush—

ALS, PHi (EJ: 2611); Dft, NNC (EJ: 9450).

1Benjamin Rush to JJ, 16 Jan. 1785, ALS, PCarlD (EJ: 2699).

2Rush petitioned Congress on 16 Jan. 1785 on behalf of the Dickinson College trustees for the college’s use of Carlisle’s public buildings, DS, DNA: PCC, item 42, 2: 307–10. On 7 Feb. 1785, the congressional committee pronounced the endeavor “laudable” and meriting “public attention,” and authorized the lease of the buildings “on reasonable rents.” DNA: PCC, item 20, 2: 179; JCC, description begins Worthington C. Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1904–37) description ends 28: 44.

3Not found.

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