From John Jay to John Vaughan, 1 December 1787
To John Vaughan
New York 1 Decr. 1787
Dr. Sir
I thank You for your obliging Letter of the 24th. Ult:,1 inclosing a Paragraph respecting me in Mr Oswalds Paper of the same Date—2 You have my authority to deny the Change of Sentiments it imputes to me, & to declare that in my opinion, it is adviseable for the People of America to adopt the Constitution proposed by the late Convention—If you should think it expedient to publish this Letter, I have no objections to its being done.3
I congratulate your brother on his Return to this Country, and regret that it was not with Design to remain in it—make my Compts. to your Father & to him, and assure them both of my constant & best wishes for their Happiness.
Your Letter found me much indisposed—I am so still—but the Doctr. tells me the Violence of my Complaint is broken, and as my Feelings accord with his opinion, I hope by Degrees to regain the Blessings of Health—I am Dear Sir Your obliged & obt. Servt.
John Jay
Mr John Vaughan
ALS, PPAmP: BV 462 (EJ: 2566). Addressed: “Mr. John Vaughan / mercht. / Philadelphia.” Franked: “John Jay”. Endorsed: “… recd. 5th.” Dft, NNC (EJ: 8166).
1. Not found.
2. For the false report in Philadelphia’s Independent Gazetteer, 24 Nov. 1787, see “The Federalist” (editorial note), above.
3. Vaughan placed an extract of this letter in both the Independent Gazetteer and the Pennsylvania Packet of 7 Dec. The extract was subsequently widely reprinted. See, for example, the Carlisle Gazette, 12 Dec.; the Daily Advertiser (New York) and the New-York Morning Post, 13 Dec.; the New-York Packet, and the New-York Journal, both 14 Dec.; Independent Journal (New York), 15 Dec.; the Albany Gazette, the New Haven Gazette, the Independent Chronicle (Boston), and the Norwich Packet, all 20 Dec.; the Massachusetts Centinel (Boston), 22 Dec.; the American Herald (Boston), and the Middlesex Gazette (Middletown, Conn.), both 24 Dec.; Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, Mass.), and Country Journal (Poughkeepsie), both 26 Dec.; Newport Herald, 27 Dec. 1787; Worcester Magazine (Worcester, Mass.), 10 Jan. 1788. By 18 Jan. 1788, a total of 28 newspapers outside New York had reprinted the extract. See 19: 306. In most but not all of the printed extracts of JJ’s denial, the clause beginning “it is adviseable” is italicized. In the New-York Morning Post, the phrase is also italicized, but the expression is changed to “it is admissible”. See also the call for JJ’s contradiction of the allegation that he opposed the constitution by “D” in the Daily Advertiser (New York), 12 Dec. 1787.