To John Jay from Peter Augustus Jay, 22 November 1821
From Peter Augustus Jay
New York 22 Nov 1821
My dear Father
I have recd. your letter of the 20th. instant.1 Since I wrote to you last2 Mary’s Cough has increased & I am not without anxiety concerning it. During the first part of her confinement she was so well that she was perhaps she was not sufficiently prudent. The Child is quite hearty. I am happy that Marias Complaints are more moderate & hope she will pay us a visit.
I understand that the new constitution is not very favorably received by many of the Democrats here, but I do not learn that they mean to oppose it. They dare not seperate from their party—an open systematic Opposition by the federalists it is thought would unite the Democrats & secure its adoption. After all, it is fortunate that it is no worse. Had the same temper prevailed at the opening of the Convention which marked its close, we should have had much more reason to condemn it.
We have no news, our Merchants are charitably wishing for a war in Europe, & half angry with the Emperor of Russia for not attacking the Turks3 The Course of Exchange & of course the ballance of trade is greatly against us, & I confess I do not at present see what is ^to^ alter it.
From what I learned at Albany concerning the western Canal,4 I am led to believe it a work of still greater importance than I had before supposed. Genl. Miller5 who is Governor of the Arkansaw Territory, & Mr Trimble6 a Member of Congress from Kentucky both agreed that after it was completed, & after a communication had been opened between Lake Erie & the Ohio, which could be done by a short Canal, the whole or nearly the whole trade of the States of Ohio Indiana & Illinois, & a large portion of that of Kentuckey & Tennessee would center in this City. It was stated by Mr Young7 one of the Canal Commissioners in the Convention that the expense of transporting a ton of Goods from Albany to Buffaloe is at present from 90 to 100 Dollars, & that the expence of transporting the same goods by the Canal including tolls would be only seven Dollars.8
Except Mary, we are all of us in good Health— My love to William & Sisters I am my dear father Your very affectionate son
Peter Augustus Jay
John Jay Esqr
ALS, NNC (EJ: 06254). Addressed: “John Jay Esqr / Bedford / Westchester County / N.Y—”. Stamped: “New York / NOV / 23”. Endorsed: “… ansd. 27 Nov. 1821”. Reply not found.
1. Letter not found.
2. PAJ to JJ, 15 Nov. 1821, above.
3. This regards the Greek War of Independence (1821–29). The U.S. papers were following a possible intervention by Russia in the conflict, via British news sources. For example, see New-York Spectator, 20 Nov. 1821, “The appearances of a war between Russia and the Porte [Turkish government] have subsided.” European and U.S. merchants believed Ottoman defeat would change the balance of trade.
4. The Erie Canal. See also MJB to PAJ, 27[–28] June 1821, above.
5. James Miller (1776–1851), lawyer, brevet brigadier general in the War of 1812, governor of Arkansas Territory, and territory supervisor of Indian affairs (1819–24).
6. David Trimble (1782–1842), Representative from Kentucky (1817–27).
7. Samuel Young (1779–1850), Saratoga County Bucktail politician, Convention delegate, Erie Canal Commissioner (1816–40), and later New York Secretary of State (1842–45).
8. The Erie Canal was completed in 1825.