121To John Jay from John Adams, 9 March 1785 (Jay Papers)
Permit me to congratulate the United States upon the Acquisition of a Minister of foreign Affairs, whose long Services have so justly acquired their Confidence and whose experience as well as his Talents, so fully qualify him for this important Trust. The joint Dispatches of their Ministers here will inform Congress of the slow Progress of the Negotiations entrusted to their care. These delays...
122From John Adams to John Jay, 24 November 1785 (Adams Papers)
I Should have added in my Letter of this day, that Shelbourne professes to be steady to the Principle, which he adopted at the Peace, and if he were to come in, he would do something if he could: but as an Irishman he is hated both by the English and scotch Nobility, as Marquis of Landsdown he is envied for his Elevation over older Families and he seems to have no sufficient Connections to...
123From John Adams to John Jay, 10 June 1785 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday the ninth of the Month, I was presented to the Queen by my Lord Aylesbury, her Lord Chamberlain, having been attended to his Lordship and introduced to him by the Master of the Ceremonies. The Queen was attended by her Ladies, and I made my Compliment to her Majesty in the following Words. Madam Among the many Circumstances which have rendered my Mission to his Majesty, desireable to...
124To John Jay from John Adams, 22 February 1786 (Jay Papers)
On Monday Evening another Conference was held with the Tripolitan Ambassador, attended with his Interpreter Benamor who is a decent Man, and very ready in the English as well as Arabick and Italian. The Foreign Ministers here say it is the Custom of all the Ambassadors from Barbary to be much connected with Jews to whom they are commonly recommended. It may be supposed the Jews have interested...
125From John Adams to John Jay, 9 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
I went to Court Yesterday Morning, if not in despair, with very faint hopes of ever receiving an Answer to any Letter or Memorial of mine to the British Ministry.— I went early, but found three of the foreign Ministers before me. The Rule is to admit them to his Lordship in the order in which they arrive. in my Turn I was Shewn into his Lordships Appartement received very politely as usual,...
126John Adams to John Jay, 31 January 1785 (Adams Papers)
Last Night, I had a visit from the Marquis, whom I was glad to see, for a variety of Reasons: his Representations of the Commerce, the Union, and the other Circumstances of our Country are very flattering and as he has so lately seen so many Parts, he was able to give more Information, than the generality of other Travellers. His views are now opening, at least in confidence to me, and his...
127To John Jay from John Adams, 11 November 1785 (Jay Papers)
There is no better Advice to be given to the Merchants of the United States, than to push their Commerce to the East Indies as fast and as far as it will go. If Information from Persons who ought to know may be depended on, the Tobacco and Peltries as well as the Ginseng of the United States, are proper Articles for the China Markett, and have been found to answer very well, and many other of...
128From John Adams to John Jay, 10 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
The Arret of the King of France, in his Council of the Tenth of July, has a Preamble which deserves to be well considered in America. The increasing Liberality of Sentiment among Philosophers and Men of Letters, in various Nations, has for Sometime given Reason to hope for a Reformation , a Kind of Protestantism , in the Commercial System of the World; but I believe that this Arret is the...
129From John Adams to John Jay, 16 June 1787 (Adams Papers)
Inclosed is a Copy of the Translation from the Dutch into English, of the Contract, entered into by me in behalf of the United States by Virtue of their Full Power for a Million of Guilders. This Measure became absolutely neccessary, to prevent the total Ruin of their Credit, and the greatest Injustice, to their former Creditors, who are possessed of their Obligations: for the failure in...
130From John Adams to John Jay, 21 January 1786 (Adams Papers)
On Wednesday, the Chevalier De Pinto informed me that he had written to Lisbon, for Explanations from his Court upon certain Points: that he expected an Answer, in a few days, and that as soon as he Should receive it, he would call upon me and proceed in the Negotiation. That in the meantime he would not disguise from me, the Solicitude of his Court to Send a Minister, to Congress. Ettiquette...
131From John Adams to John Jay, 10 April 1787 (Adams Papers)
The Public Councils of this Country, as far as they regard America, remain So exactly the same as to afford nothing new to communicate to Congress. The Members of Parliament, have been so long irritated and tormented on that subject, that they detest to hear the Name of America mentioned, and the political System and national humour Seems to be, neither to Speak nor think of it.— a seemingly...
132From John Adams to John Jay, 19 April 1787 (Adams Papers)
I do myself the Honour to inclose the New Act of Parliament for regulating the Trade between the Territories of the United states of America and the Dominions of the King of Great Britain, by which Congress will see that the Same System continues, and is fortified with fresh Provisions. Provisions & Lumber, the Growth or Production of the United States are now, prohibited, from any foreign...
133From John Adams to John Jay, 26 March 1788 (Adams Papers)
I have only Time to introduce to you and Mr s Jay, my Daughter Smith and to recommend her to your Patronage and M rs Jays Friendship. I shall embark in Six or Eight days. I am just returned from a cold Journey to the Hague and Amsterdam, where I met M r Jefferson very unexpectedly. He has persuaded me, to open another Loan, which he will transmit to Congress. I am very anxious least it should...
134From John Adams to John Jay, 2 September 1785 (Adams Papers)
M r Temple is gone out as Consul General: whether he will be received or not in that Character, before a Treaty of Commerce is made, I know not. if he Should not and Should not be provided with Credentials as Minister he will probably wait for farther Instructions. I have not made any Proposition to the Ministry, as is customary, to Send a Minister Plenipotentiary to America, and I Shall not...
135From John Adams to John Jay, 20 February 1786 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday the Tripolitan Ambassador Sent a Message by a Doctor Benamor, an English Jew most probably, who has formerly resided in Barbary, and Speaks the Arabic Language as well as the Italian and Lingua Franca, to inform me, that he wished to return his Visit, in the Same friendly and respectfull manner, and that as he had much at heart a Treaty between the Barbary and American States, he...
136From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 17 June 1785 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honour of addressing you on the 11th. of the last month by young Mr. Adams who sailed in the packet of that month. That of the present is likely to be retarded to the first of July if not longer. On the 14th. of May I communicated to the Count de Vergennes my appointment as minister plenipotentiary to this court and on the 17th. delivered my letter of credence to the king at a...
137To John Jay from Elias Boudinot, 1 November 1783 (Jay Papers)
I was honored by your several private favours, recommending M r . Vaughan and some other Gentlemen, to whom I have endeavoured to pay every civility in my power— Also one enclosing my Nephew’s Letter from Madeira, for which I am much obliged to you. Congress has thought proper to appoint him their Commercial Agent at that Island. He is a deserving young American, who I doubt not will do honor...
138From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 13 August 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed letter from Mr. Barclay, and one from Mr. Carmichael, of which I send you extracts, are come to hand this morning, which is in time for them to go by the same gentleman who carries my letter of the 11th. I observe what Mr. Carmichael says on the subject of the Portuguese treaty, and am sorry it meets with difficulties. I doubt however whether he ascribes them to their true cause,...
139To John Jay from James Duane, 27 August 1784 (Jay Papers)
I feel the disappointment in being deprived of the pleasure of your own and M rs . Jays Company! I now send my Judgem t in M rs Rutgers’s Cause, & entreat you to peruse ^ it ^ and to give me your candid opinion whether the publication of it is likely to produce any politick advantage and whether my decisions will stand a Scrutiny— Yours most respectfully & Affect ly ALS , NNC ( EJ :
140From Benjamin Franklin to John Jay, 30 March 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Columbia University Library Yesterday late in the Evening arrived here an Express from Congress with the Definitive Treaty ratified, which I enclose with the Resolutions, Proclamation, and the President’s Letter. The Congress anxious that the Ratification should arrive within the Term stipulated, dispatch’d it seems three Expresses, by different Vessels, with authenticated Copies. This...
On the intimation contained in your first letter of the 2 d . Congress have been pleased to pass an Act of which the enclosed is a copy, vesting you with the necessary powers. It is the desire of Congress that this be kept as secret as the nature of the case will admit; for which reason I have not entrusted it to the inspection of any of the young men in my Office. In consequence of a report...
142To John Jay from David Hartley, 2 March 1784 (Jay Papers)
I return you my best thanks for your much esteemed favour of the 22 d of february last and particularly for those very friendly sentiments w h you are so good as to express towards me. I assure you that similar sentiments are most sincerely reciprocal on my part. Your public & private conduct has impressed me with unalterable Esteem for you as a public and private friend.— I shall be very...
In your letter, inclosing the Morocco signals, you desire them to be delivered to American masters of vessels. The council have interpreted this expression to mean masters of American vessels; that is, of vessels belonging to American citizens. They seem justified in this construction, by the Morocco treaty itself. One instance only of granting these signals has occurred; and the captain was...
144From Benjamin Franklin to John Jay, 15 September 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library; press copy of ALS : American Philosophical Society I have just seen in the English Newspapers that you and your Family are safe arrived in New York, which gives me great Pleasure. I send you herewith some of our latest News Papers. Mr Hartley is at length recall’d, having remain’d here Six Months without doing or proposing any thing towards the Commercial Treaty....
145To John Jay from Robert Morris, 19 May 1785 (Jay Papers)
On my return here I find your obliging letter of the 13 th . which arrived during my absence. I was unfortunate in not having the pleasure to meet you either at Elizabeth Town or at New York, and it vexed me much that I could not perform a promise made to M rs . Jay, but I was detained by business untill there was danger of losing my passage in the Waggons from Paulus Hook to Elizabeth Town,...
146From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 27 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
In my letter of the 12th. inst. which goes by the same packet, but was delivered to a private hand, I had the honour of inclosing to you letters from Mr. Carmichael, Mr. Barclay and Mr. Lambe on the Barbary affairs. Others came to hand last night which are now copying, and will be inclosed to you by the post of this day as far as they can be copied. The whole cannot possibly be in readiness...
147To John Jay from John Adams, December 1785 (Jay Papers)
I am anxious to convey to you, if I can, in as Strong a light as that in which I see myself, the Impossibility of our doing any thing satisfactory with this Nation, especially under this Ministry, that the States may neither neglect nor delay any Measure, which they would judge necessary or expedient, upon the certainty that England will not alter her Conduct. In order to do this, I must be...
I received your very kind Letter of the 16th, congratulating me on my safe Arrival with my Grandsons, an Event that indeed makes me very happy, being what I have long ardently wish’d, and considering the growing Infirmities of Age, began almost to despair of. I am now in the Bosom of my Family, and find four new little Prattlers, who cling about the Knees of their Grand Papa, and afford me...
149To John Jay from James Duane, 20 December 1788 (Jay Papers)
I set off in a hurry which alone prevented my calling upon you for which I had a variety of motives. One was to explain the reasons which induced me to transmit to you a State of facts on a subject which I thought somewhat interesting, and the more so as it ^had^ produced a Visit from three reverend Doctors the evening before I commenced my Journey— Their object was to prevent a flame which...
150From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 22 September 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
The letters of which the inclosed are copies, are this moment received, and as there is a possibility that they may reach Havre before the packet sails, I have the honor of inclosing them to you. They contain a promise of reducing the duties on tar, pitch and turpentine, and that the government will interest itself with the city of Rouen to reduce the local duty on Potash. By this you will...