From John Jay to Benjamin Franklin, 3 January 1779
To Benjamin Franklin
Philadelphia 3d January 1779
7 (Duplicate)
Dear Sir,
I have the Honor of transmitting to You the enclosed Copy of an Act of Congress of the 23rd Ulto.1
Being ignorant of the Gentlemen mentioned in it, and all Information respecting them, having been received by Congress prior to my Arrival, I applied to the Secretary2 for the necessary Intelligence— He this moment sent me a Note on the Subject in the following words—vizt:
“Mr: Erkelins is a Gentleman from Holland, who resides in Connecticut— He has kept up, for some time, a Correspondence in Holland, for the purpose of reconciling the People in Power to the views of America, and to prepare them for entering into commercial Engagements with America, and assisting her with a loan.3 This Correspondence he has shewn to Governor Trumbull, who has approved the same, and written several times to Congress in his favor.4 As he has not had any Advices lately, he has engaged Colonel Diricks, who is, it is said, connected with some of the first families in Holland, to go home in Order to promote his views—”5
You will also find enclosed a Copy of an Act of Congress of the 1st. Inst: on the Subject of an Expedition against Canada, a Plan for which had been before concerted, but is now deferred—6
Be pleased, Sir, to accept the Compliments of the Season, and my best wishes for your Health & happiness— I have the Honor to be Sir With great Respect & Esteem, Your most Obedt. & most Hble Servt:
John Jay
President
The Honorable Doctor Franklin—
LS (Dupl), PPAmP: Franklin Papers (EJ: 2666). Body of the letter in the hand of Henry Brockholst Livingston; signed by JJ. Endorsed. LbkC, DNA: PCC, item 14, 9 (EJ: 1198); C, DLC: Franklin Papers (EJ: 10238).
1. Act of Congress, 23 Dec. 1778, directing JJ to “mention” the name of Colonel Diriks to Franklin, , 12: 1247; C, PPAmP (EJ: 2714). For additional background, see , 11: 407, and Franklin to JJ, 2 June 1779, below.
2. Charles Thomson (1729–1824) of Pennsylvania, secretary of the Continental Congress, 1774–89.
3. Gosuinus Erkelens wrote Congress on 1 Dec. 1778. DNA: PCC, item 78, 8: 307.
4. Jonathan Trumbull wrote Congress on 16 Oct. 1778. DNA: PCC, item 66, 1: 422–25. See also JJ to Trumbull, 15 Jan. 1779, DNA: PCC, item 14, 17 (EJ: 1209).
5. Colonel Jacob Gerhard Diriks (Dircks, Diricks) served in the 9th Pennsylvania and 4th Continental Artillery. On 5 Nov. 1778 Diriks was discharged as a lieutenant colonel and given leave to return to the Netherlands. , 12: 1106. Diriks’s letter to Congress on Erkelens’s plan, 29 Nov. 1778, is in , 7: 227.
6. Act of Congress, 1 Jan. 1779, informing Franklin that the invasion of Canada would “be deferred till circumstances shall render the co-operation of these states more certain, practicable and effectual,” , 13: 11–13. A copy in the hand of Henry Brockholst Livingston and signed by JJ is in FrPMAE: CP-EU, Supplément, vol. 1 (EJ: 5098). This may be a copy JJ enclosed in his letter to the minister of France of 3 Jan. (LbkC, DNA: PCC, item 14, 8, EJ: 1196). On the cancellation of the Canadian campaign, see also JJ to Lafayette, 3 Jan. 1779, below.