To John Jay from Robert Morris, 19 May 1785
From Robert Morris
Philada. May 19th. 1785
Dear Sir
On my return here I find your obliging letter of the 13th. which arrived during my absence.1 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 Mrs. Jay, but I was detained by business untill there was danger of losing my passage in the Waggons from Paulus Hook to Elizabeth Town, therefore when the business was finished, I was obliged to push off without calling for Mrs Jay’s letter, and after all, I lost the passage & was obliged to hire the Ferry Boat to carry us to Eliza. Town point2 I saw Kitty the next morning, well & in good Spirits and passed the Evening with the Governor at Trenton.
Our Ship from China does tollerably well for the Concerned & she has opened new objects to all America A Mandarine, Signs a pass port for all European Ships directed to the Commanders of Two of the Emperors Forts on the River of Canton, nearly in the following Words, “Permit this Barbarian Boat to pass She has Guns & 3 Men, consequently can do the Emperour no harm” If the Government of America could concentre the Force of the Country in any one point when occasion required, I think our Mandarin’s might grant similar pass ports to the rest of the World—I beg my Compliments to the Ladies & am with warm attachment Dr Sir Your obedt & hble Servant
Robt Morris
Honble John Jay Esqr. New York
ALS, NNC (EJ: 7020). Addressed: “Hon’ble / John Jay Esqr. / New York”. Franked: “Free”. Endorsed: “… No 35”.
1. Letter not found.
2. The occasion for Morris’s trip to New York and Elizabeth was the arrival of the Empress of China, the first vessel flying the American flag to trade at Canton, and its owners’ concerns about disposal of the cargo of a second ship freighted by Shaw and Randall, the Pallas, sale of which they feared would reduce the value of the Empress’s cargo. See Morris to JJ, 27 Nov. 1783, 3: 524; 226–28; and, for the background, “Americans Engage in the China Trade” (editorial note), below.
3. Spaces left blank in ms. The reference here is to the “Grand Chop,” a document that indicated that the ship had paid its duties. It also recorded its destination, the number of men and weapons, and the amount of ammunition on board; cleared the ship for departure; and protected it against further interference from Chinese authorities. See 261–62.