51To John Jay from Peter Augustus Jay, 30 March 1820 (Jay Papers)
Mary has rec d . a charming letter from Sister Nancy. She desires us to make Inquiries concerning Jenny who has run away, & we will do all we can to discover what has become of her. I regret very much to learn that Maria has lately been worse. Hers has been for a long time a life of suffering. Little Maria too Nancy writes, is thin & delicate. I am truly sorry for this both on her Account &...
52From John Adams to John Jay, 18 March 1822 (Adams Papers)
I have received with more pleasure than I can express and with something too much like envy which I detest, your well-known correct exact hand writing of the 11 of this month and with equal gratitude your noble present of the journal of Debates &ca the N.Y State convention. Although this respectable volume is printed in a so small a type that it will be impossible for me ever to read it I will...
53To John Jay from Gurdon S. Mumford, 20 October 1824 (Jay Papers)
Born in the land of Steady habits I take great delight in dwelling on the Soil and on the far fam’d liberal institutions of my native State My Father was one of those persons whom the Tories denominated a “ Flaming Son of Liberty ” he had the Honour (not by intrigue, it was not practized in those Days) to be for a long period one of the Hon’ble Council of that great and good Man Governor...
54To John Jay from Charles G. Haines, 17 November 1818 (Jay Papers)
I do myself the pleasure, to send you my publication, concerning the Western and Northern Canals, in this State, written and published at the request of the New York Corresponding Association, for the promotion of Internal Improvements. In doing this, I cannot but congratulate a Statesman, so distinguished and venerable as yourself, among the Fathers of our Republic, that you have lived to see...
55To John Jay from John R. Hudson, 10 May 1822 (Jay Papers)
I trust the following explanation of my motives in addressing you, will offer a sufficient excuse for an intrusion on your time, and your public and private engagements, which as a Stranger I should not under other circumstances ^have^ presumed on; I shall not therefore tresspass on your indulgence by any labored apology.— A short time since I accidentally heard that some property of the late...
56To John Jay from Peter Augustus Jay, 19 November 1824 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your letter of the 16 Nov. Inst. & thank you for the direction it contains concerning John. I ought before to have thanked you for your kind directions concerning old Mary. but I really think that it would be unreasonable to put you to any expense on her account. I consider her as appertaining to the Rye farm & mean to take good care of her— She boards with Silvia of her own...
57To John Jay from Richard Peters, 25 November 1820 (Jay Papers)
Every occurrence in which you have shared, or originated, seems by some strange perversion to be misunderstood, or misstated, by the present generation, when some favorite individual, or topic, induces the obliquity. Although I give M r Adams his full share of merit in the affair of the Compte de Vergenne’s maneuvring with the british administration on the subject of our treaty of 1783; yet I...
58To John Jay from Peter Augustus Jay, 30 October 1818 (Jay Papers)
Maria & Nancy arrived in town yesterday & are not the worse for their ride. I have rec d your letter of the 26 th . ins t which they brought & have the one to Lord Amherst to the Post Office to go by the packet. I shall observe your Directions concerning the Lisbon Wine. I was sorry I could see so little of William when he was here during the whole time that he was in town & indeed ever since...
59To John Jay from Peter Augustus Jay, 3 December 1818 (Jay Papers)
Since I wrote to you last some of the Committee of M r Freys Congregation have called on me for the purpose of buying ground on which to build a Church— I have asked them $7000 for three lots on Walker Street, & I have told them a part of the money must be paid down & that the Residue must be secured not only by a Mortgage on the premises, but also by personal Security, so that it may not be...
60From John Adams to John Jay, 6 March 1821 (Adams Papers)
The sight of your hand writing and your name is to me a cordial for low Spirits. I wish I could give you a specimen of mine as beautifully written; but a pen will not obey the command of my paralytick nerves—The 5th Vol: of Dr. Franklin’s works, mentioned in your kind letter of 27th February, I have never seen, nor any preceding Vol: except the first. What the Editor Mr: William Temple...
61To John Jay from John Adams, 6 March 1821 (Jay Papers)
The sight of your hand writing and your name is to me a cordial for low spirits. I wish I could give you a Specimen of mine as beautifully written; but a pen will not obey the command of my paralytick nerves. The 5 th Vol: of D r . Franklin’s works, mentioned in your Kind letter of 27 th . February. I have never seen, nor any preceding Vol: except the first. What the Editor M r . William...
62From John Adams to John Jay, 31 March 1821 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your favour of the 20th. your letter to Mr Duane comprehends every thing necessary to be said upon this occasion, and I presume will remove all difficulties— I congratulate you on the firmness of your nerves fully demonstrated by your hand writing, the beauty and firmness of which is equal to the best of your former days mine are so debilitated that I can neither write—or...
63From John Adams to John Jay, 19 June 1821 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your kind favour of the 11th. which I have this moment received, and Soon determined that an acknowledgement of it should not be So long delayed. You have done, with dignity and propriety all that can be done. A publication of your letters to Mr Duane and his Answers would place him in a ridiculous light. But Duane Cobbet and Calender are Such excentric Characters that it Seems...
64To John Jay from Richard Peters, 21 February 1826 (Jay Papers)
I am recovering from a long spell of our fashionable Influenza which is leaving me debilitated; but not materially injured. Generally, thro’ a long pilgrimage, I have had no ^durable^ ill health or disease, chronic or temporary. So that it would be ingratitude to a kind providence, in me to complain. I often think of the few old friends left behind the multitudes who are gone to that...
65To John Jay from Beverly Robinson, 19 January 1823 (Jay Papers)
Knowing as I think I do my own heart, and the Impression which an Act of kindness has never failed to make upon it, I am utterly at a loss to account for my long silence to you upon a subject on which I should have spoken many years ago— Month after Month and Year after Year have I intended to visit you, and express an Obligation, which, I lament to say, you have every reason to suppose I...
66To John Jay from Peter Augustus Jay, 18 March 1819 (Jay Papers)
I have rec d . your letter of the 16 th . inst. & am truly concerned that Maria’s Health is again worse— Augusta has I suppose returned to day. Yesterday the Weather was so severe that I advised her to remain. I will subscribe for you to the American & Columbian. The former I find is pretty generally disapproved. M r Eddy this morning sent for me & shewed me a letter from the Governor saying...
67To John Jay from John Adams, 30 April 1821 (Jay Papers)
I must beg your pardon for delay^i^ng so long the acknowledgement of your kind favour— you have done all that is necessary to be done with M r Duane— The sume of the matter I suppose is— he has ploughed the Son of the Heifer in the Secretary of States Office— and procured copies of some of your communications to Congress— My letter to Jonathan Jackson, which was unfortunately and absurdly laid...
68To John Jay from John Adams, 13 May 1821 (Jay Papers)
I received, last night your kind favour of the 7 th . Your design of writing to M r Duane for Copies of our “very Short journals” as he calls them, is judiceous, and all that is necessary. I am under no concern about M r Duane’s Extracts or Copies, because Congress has ordered our Journals to be printed and they are in a course of publication. Although I am ashamed of mine, yet I know that...