From John Jay to the President of Congress (Richard Henry Lee), 2 September 1785
To the President of Congress (Richard Henry Lee)
Office for foreign Affairs 2d. Septemr. 1785
Sir
The English Packet which arrived the Day before Yesterday, brought me no Letters from Mr. Adams, which I impute to its being a Mode of Conveyance to which nothing very important can prudently be trusted.—
Some private Intelligence by that Vessel, leads me to consider the Surrender of our Posts as being more problematical, than it has lately appeared to be.—
I hear that the Circumstance of Congress having ordered some Troops to be raised, excited the Attention of the british Ministry, and induced them to order two Regiments to embark for Quebec—A Packet was preparing to sail for that Place on the first Wednesday in last Month with Dispatches, which perhaps it was not thought expedient to convey there through our Country.—
The Loyalists at the different Posts are computed to amount to between six and seven thousand, and I am assured that they are provided with Arms and Rations by Government.—
An Attempt has been made to prevail on the Ministry so to alter the Government of Quebec, as to render it more consonant to that of England; and one Objection made to that Change was, that then it would be more difficult to collect and direct the Force of the Province than it now is under its present Government.—
What Degree of Credit is due to this Intelligence is not in my Power to ascertain. It nevertheless comports with certain Reports which have lately reached us from the Frontiers, Vizt. that Encouragement was given by the Government of Canada to our People, to settle Lands in the Vicinity of the Posts; and that a considerable Number of Persons from among us, had been seduced by their Offers to remove thither.—
I think it my Duty to lay these matters before Congress, and at the same Time to observe that in my opinion they should for the present be kept secret.—
Permit me Sir also to hint, that there may be Occasions when it would be for the public Interest to subject the Post-Office to the Orders of your principal executive Officers.1 I have the Honor to be with great Respect and Esteem Your Excellency’s Most obt. & very hble: Servt.—
John Jay
His Excellency The President of Congress2
LS, DNA: PCC, item 80, 1: 373–75 (EJ: 135). Endorsed by CT: “… Read 5.— / Ordered to be kept secret”. Dft, NNC (EJ: 5764). Endorsed by Remsen. LbkC, , 1: 436–38 (EJ: 1759).
1. For the congressional response, see CT to JJ, 8 Sept., below.
2. JJ wrote two additional letters to the President of Congress of this date. The first forwarded Vergennes’s letter of 20 June and Barbé-Marbois’s note of 30 Aug. related to the appointment of Otto to replace Barbé-Marbois as chargé d’Affaires, LS, DNA: PCC, item 80, 1: 365 (EJ: 133); LbkC, , 1: 434 (EJ: 1755). Congress referred them back to JJ to report the appropriate responses. See JJ’s letter to Vergennes of 6 Sept., below; and his report of 7 Sept. containing drafts of two letters to Barbé-Marbois, : 29: 675–78. The second forwarded a letter from Lafayette of 18 Apr., and one from Mons. Barri (or Barre), of 29 June, with a statement of his case, in French with translations. LS, DNA: PCC, item 80, 1: 377 (EJ: 136); LbkC, , 1: 436 (EJ: 1758).