From John Jay to George Washington, 25 July 1787
To George Washington
New York 25 July 1787
Dear Sir
I was this morning honored with your Excellency’s Favor of the 22d Inst: & immediately delivered the Letter it enclosed to Commodore Jones, who being detained by Business, did not go in the french Packet, which sailed Yesterday—1
Permit me to hint,2 whether it would not be wise & Seasonable to provide3 a strong check to the admission of Foreigners into the Administration of our national Government, and to declare expressly that the Command in Chief of the american army shall not be given to, nor devolve on, any but a natural born Citizen.—
Mrs. Jay is obliged by your Attention, and assures You of her perfect Esteem & Regard—With similar Sentiments the most cordial and sincere I remain Dear Sir Your faithful Friend & Servt
John Jay
His Excellency General Washington
ALS, DLC: Washington (EJ: 10627). Dft, NNC (EJ: 12782). Significant excisions from the draft are noted below.
1. GW to JJ, 22 July 1787, LbkC, DLC: Washington, ser. 2 (EJ: 12662), requesting forwarding a letter to John Paul Jones. Jones did not sail from America until 11 Nov. 1787. Jones to TJ, c. 19 Dec. 1787, 12: 438.
2. Here in the draft JJ excised: “not for your opinion but consideration”.
3. Here in the draft JJ wrote “that none but natural born citizens shall be admitted into our Legislatures or our national civil Gov[ernment]t shall be administered only by natural born citizens and ^such others only excepted as have perhaps had mention of Congress^ a strong check to the admission of ^[immagrant?]^ Foreigners into the Administration of the ^our^ national Govt., and to declare expressly that the Command in Chief of the am[erican] army shall not be given to nor devolve on any but a natural born Citizen—”. For the constitutional significance of this paragraph, see the editorial note “John Jay and the Philadelphia Convention,” above, and note 11.