From John Jay to William North, 25 June 1798
To William North
NYork 25 June 1798
Dr. Sir
On my arrival here the Day before Yesterday I had the pleasure of receiving your Letter of the 22 Instant, enclosing the Presidents last communication for which accept my thanks— the others which I recd. just before I left Albany being in my Trunk which I expect this morning, I cannot now answer particularly—1
In my opinion it would be both just and proper to declare the Treaty with France to be void — but I think it would be more advisable to direct Reprizals than to declare war at present, for the public mind does not appear to me to be quite prepared for it— of this however you are better informed & therefore can judge better than I can— should it be the case, the Jacobin Leaders will continue to persuade their deluded followers that the Govt. is chargeable not only with Precipitation but with a desire to prevent an accommodation which they affect to believe practicable, notwithstanding the Treatment of our Envoys &ca &ca
Whenever the mass of our People are convinced that the war would be just necessary and unavoidable, they will be content that it should be declared, and will support it vigorously— but I doubt whether that conviction however well founded, is as yet so prevailing and general as it ought to be; and as it would be, but for the arts practised to retard and prevent it. To me
there seems to be Reason to apprehend that there are characters to whom Revolution and Confiscation would not be disagreable— nothing should be omitted to frustrate their Endeavours to decieve— every thing should be done to inform the People and cause them to see Things as they are— Mr. Gerry’s remaining in France is an unfortunate Circumstance—it tends to prolong vain Hopes—to cherish old Divisions, and to create new ones. He was doubtless actuated by the best Intentions, but I think he committed a mistake.2 If both Houses should concur in opinion that a Declaration of War would be seasonable, I hope the minority against it, may not be so considerable as to give Countenance to a contrary opinion— There are attempts to make mischievous use of Talleyrands Letter—3 I am Dr Sir yours sincerely
John Jay
P.S. Ought War to be declared by such thin Houses?
The Honb. Wm North Esqr
ALS, NNGL (EJ: 90523). Addressed: “The Hon’ble Wm North Esqr / in the Senate of the U.S. / Philadelphia”. Franked: “Free”; Dft, NNC (EJ: 12772); , 4: 244–45.
1. For JJ’s appointment of William North to the Senate seat vacated by John Sloss Hobart, see JJ to North, 4 May and 7 May 1798, LbkCs, N: Governor’s Lbk. 1 (EJ: 03150, EJ: 03152); and JJ to North, 7 May, ALS, NNC (EJ: 90217); and, for the replies, North to JJ, 5 May, LbkC, N: Governor’s Lbk. 1 (EJ: 03151); 7 May, ALS, NNC (EJ: 13046). For North’s letter of 22 June, see ALS, NNC (EJ: 12773); and, for his previous letter, see North to JJ, 9 June 1798, ALS, NNC (EJ: 13014).
2. See the editorial note “John Jay and the Response to the XYZ Affair in New York,” below.
3. Possibly a reference to Talleyrand’s memoir on Franco-American relations given to the envoys on 18 Mar. 1798, a copy of which Talleyrand had sent to Benjamin Bache, who published it in the Aurora on 16 June before the government had officially received a copy. Bache also printed the envoys’ reply to Talleyrand in installments starting on 20 June. JJ’s remark may also refer to Talleyrand’s letter to Elbridge Gerry of 3 Apr. 1798, which Bache published on 23 June. It referred to the departure of Pinckney and Marshall from France and to the “obstacles which their known opinions have interposed to the desired reconciliation” and stated his desire to resume communications with Gerry. See , 119; Aurora (Philadelphia), 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 25 June 1798.