John Jay Papers
Documents filtered by: Author="Livingston, Robert R."
sorted by: date (ascending)
Permanent link for this document:
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jay/01-03-02-0047

To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 17 September 1782

From Robert R. Livingston

Philadelphia 17th. Sepr 1782

Dear Sir

I have at length been favored with a private Letter from you which gives me great pleasure not only because it assures me of your health & that of Mrs. Jay but because it is expressive of that friendship which I should be sorrey to see lost in the ocean of politics in which we have both launched our barks.1

I am sorrey for the ill health of my little god daughter but as the disorders she complains of are such as must necessarily be visited upon all the children of our Epicurian Grand mother I hope she bore them with becoming fortitude & that she is happily freed from them before this— I thank you for the interest you have given me in her & am not without prospect of being able e’er long to return you the compliment— I have not heard for some time from your family. Sir James I suppose you know is in Europe, I mentioned his misfortune in having been taken & carryed into New-York what adds to that misfortune is that many people here attribute it to design— I for my part acquit him of every thing but imprudence— His going to England has given more credit to the assertions of his enemies—2 The State of New York has made it the ground of a resolution for vacating his seat—& electing Mr Duane to it—

Benson has refused to take a seat in Congress has lost his election in Dutches & is attentive to improve his fortune in the line of his profession Hamilton has be[en] elected in his place3 & leaves for it the Law which he was just beginning to practice & a snug sinecure place under Congress— I will not venture to descede or degne the palm of wisdom to either in preference to the other—4 I am just about to pay a visit to the banks of the Hudson but have a thousand things to do first—the length of my journey must therefore shorten my letter tho it will enable me to lengthen my next by enabling me to speak of your friends—5 adieu my dear Sir remember me affectionately to Mrs. Jay & believe me to be what I sincerely am Your with an Undiminished friendship

RR Livingston

The Honble: John Jay Esqr.

ALS, NNC (EJ: 6868). Addressed: “The Honle / John Jay Esqr / Paris—”. Endorsed: “ . . . Recd 5 Novr.—” Dft, NHi: Robert R. Livingston (EJ: 832). Endorsed: “ . . . private.”

1. Letter not found.

2. For RRL’s reports on Sir James Jay, see his letters to JJ of 9 and 22 May 1782, JJSP, 2 description begins Elizabeth M. Nuxoll et al., eds., The Selected Papers of John Jay, Volume 2, 1780–82 (Charlottesville, Va., 2012) description ends : 788, 794.

3. James Duane and Alexander Hamilton were elected to one year terms as New York delegates to Congress on 22 July 1782. Hamilton had accepted appointment as receiver of Continental taxes in New York on 17 June 1782, was admitted to practice as an attorney before the Supreme Court of New York in July, and as counsel in October. Duane served in Congress from 1 Aug. to 27 Nov. 1782, and Hamilton from 25 Nov. 1782 to 11 Mar. 1783. See LDC description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds., Letters of Delegates to the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (26 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1976–98) description ends , 19: xxii; PAH description begins Harold C. Syrett et al., eds., The Papers of Alexander Hamilton (27 vols.; New York, 1961–87) description ends , 3: 93–94, 108, 122, 189; Votes and Proceedings of the [New York] Senate, &c. At the first Meeting of the Sixth Session [8–25 July 1782] (Early Am. Imprints description begins Early American Imprints, series 1: Evans, 1639–1800 [microform; digital collection], edited by American Antiquarian Society, published by Readex, a division of News-bank, Inc. Accessed: Columbia University, New York, N.Y., 2006–11, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/ description ends , no. 44239), 91.

4. In the Dft, RRL wrote: “I will not pronounce between them or say who best deserves the palm of wisdom.”

5. Congress approved a leave of absence for RRL on 16 Sept. He left Philadelphia by 20 Sept. and returned by 29 Oct. 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: 480n.

Index Entries

    You Are Looking At

    Source Project
    Jay Papers
    Title
    To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 17 September 1782
    Author
    Livingston, Robert R.
    Recipient
    Jay, John
    Date
    17 September 1782

    Reference

    Cite as
    “To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 17 September 1782,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jay/01-03-02-0047. [Original source: The Selected Papers of John Jay, vol. 3, 1782–1784, ed. Elizabeth M. Nuxoll. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2013, pp. 153–154.]

    More between these correspondents