271To John Jay from Lafayette, 1 May 1787 (Jay Papers)
I Have But a Little time to write to America, and Am taken Up from Morning Until late in the Night By the Business of our Assembly—I Have Some days Ago Given Some Account of it to C ol Hamilton to Whom I Refer You as Well as to Mr de S t jean. The Archbishop of Toulouse a Man of the Finest Abilities and Great Honesty Has at last Been put at the Head of the finances—We are Now Collecting our...
272To John Jay from John Adams, 8 May 1787 (Jay Papers)
I am honoured with your Letter of April 2 d , and am happy to receive the Resolutions of Congress, inclosed in it, especially those of the twenty first of March 1787. The Convention at Phyladelphia, is to consist of Members, of Such Ability, Weight, and Experience, that their Result must be beneficial to the United States. The Settlement of So many great Controversies Such as those between the...
273To John Jay from Lafayette, 30 May 1787 (Jay Papers)
Had I Been Sooner Acquainted With Mr Forest’s departure I Would Have Given You More Particular Accounts of the later part of our Session—But Have only the time to inclose the Speeches that Were Made By the Heads of the Several Corps—Not that Such Etiquette Speeches are Any Way interesting on the other Side of the Atlantic, But Because You Will in the Same Book find that of the Archbishop’s de...
274To John Jay from William Bingham, 19 July 1787 (Jay Papers)
From the period of July 1776, when I first arrived in the French west Indies untill the month of February 1778, I found all their Ports open for the admission of Lumber, Salted Fish & Live Stock, & indeed for all the Productions of America, (even those that entered into Competition with the Articles that France could furnish her Colonies with) but this was only a temporary Indulgence, arising...
275To John Jay from George Fox, 13 August 1787 (Jay Papers)
I have it in direction, from the Society for Political Inquiries, to invite you to become an honorary Member of that Institution. For your information with respect to the principles upon which it has been established, I hand you a Copy of its Laws, & can not but express to you the hopes they entertain that you will permit them to associate you with them in so laudable a design. I have the...
276To John Jay from William Livingston, 11 September 1787 (Jay Papers)
I received your Letters of the 6 th & 7 th at the same time, & am obliged to you for transmitting M r Kempes by the Packet, as it will be of real importance to him if he receives it before the commissioners he mentions have finally reported relative to his confiscated property in the State of New Jersey. I am also obliged to you for your promise of paying me a visit on my return to Elizabeth...
277To John Jay from John Adams, 22 September 1787 (Jay Papers)
Yesterday, I was honoured with yours of the thirty first of July, and the Instructions of Congress and other Papers enumerated in it. This Packet comes at a very fortunate Moment: and altho there is no Act of the great States of Virginia and South Carolina in consequence of the circular Letter of Congress of the thirteenth of April, there are Proceedings of so many others as to furnish...
278To John Jay from John Adams (private), 22 September 1787 (Jay Papers)
Your private Letter of the twenty fifth of July is very friendly and obliging as usual. give yourself no concern about my apprehensions of your Want of Attention. I know too well your constant and assiduous applications to the Duties of your public offices, as well as to the just concerns of your private friends, ever to suspect you of failing in either.—I shudder when I think of your next...
279To John Jay from Joel Bordwell, 2 October 1787 (Jay Papers)
May it please your Excellency to accept a Line from us as a Token of Respect from me . Methinks your exalted Character will not forbid you to be glad to hear from the poor Clergyman & Family with whom in Times of Tribulation you & your D r . Lady sojourned for a short Time. Our Family are Well—Children in Number eight—The three eldest Women grown—shall Remember your Kindness to us—S r . we are...
I had the honor of writing you on the 19 th . of Sep. twice on the 22 d . & again on the 24 th . the two first went by the packet, the 3 d by a vessel bound to Philadelphia. I have not yet learned by what occasion the last went. in these several letters I communicated to you the occurrences of Europe as far as they were then known. Not withstanding the advantage which the emperor seemed to...
The Count de Moustier, minister plenipotentiary from the court of Versailles to the United states, will have the honour of delivering you this. the connection of your offices will necessarily connect you in acquaintance: but I beg leave to present him to you on account of his personal as well as his public character. you will find him open, communicative, candid, simple in his manners, & a...
282To John Jay from John Adams, 9 October 1787 (Jay Papers)
France appears at this Moment, in the Light of a Simple People Sincerely disposed to Peace, benevolence and Humanity, and judging of the dispositions of others by her own. She Seems by her late Glory and Prosperity to have been Soothed into a Security and Tranquility, out of which it is Scarce possible to awaken her. England on the other hand appears, like a Nation Smarting under her Wounds,...
283To John Jay from Lafayette , 15 October 1787 (Jay Papers)
The present State of Politics Having Been laid Before Congress, I shall the Less intrude on their time with Repetitions, as the late transactions in Holland Have Nothing pleasing to dwell Upon —That the Republican party Have Been disunited in Many Respects and Blinded in the Choice of a General that Our Cabinet Have Been treacherously deceived are true, But insufficient Apologies—the Ottomans,...
284To John Jay from Lafayette, 15 October [1787] (private) (Jay Papers)
I Have Been just Now writing an official letter to You which Count de Moustier will take With Him, and while He Carries Introductory letters to You, I Shall only add that I think His temper, and His Mind Will insure to Him the Esteem of the public, and Your Particular Regard. His Sister in law, the Countess de Brehan, Goes out With Him, and is Very desirous to Be Acquainted With Mrs jay. I...
285To John Jay from C. W. F. Dumas, 26 October 1787 (Jay Papers)
Votre Exc e . verra par la Gazette ci jointe, combien l’on m’en veut ^ ici ^ , & par le vague des Expressions, qu’on n’a rien d’illicite contre moi à alléguer, encore moins à prouver.—Mais avec la populace, qui n’exige pas des preuves, on n’en est pas resté là: on lui a fait faussement accroire, que j’ai donné de l’argent au ci-devant Corps franc bourgeois de La haie, que j’ai tenu des armes...
286To John Jay from Thomas Jefferson, 3 November 1787 (Jay Papers)
My last letters to you were of the 8 th . & 27 th . of October. in the former I mentioned to you the declaration of this country that they would interpose with force if the Prussian troops entered Holland, the entry of those troops into Holland, the declaration of England that if France did oppose force they would consider it as an act of war, the naval armaments on both sides, nomination of...
287To John Jay from Thomas Jefferson (private), 3 November 1787 (Jay Papers)
I shall take the liberty of confiding sometimes to a private letter such details of the small history of the court or cabinet as may be worthy of being known, and yet not proper to be publicly communicated. I doubt whether the administration is yet in a permanent form. the Count de Monmorin & Baron de Breteuil are I believe firm enough in their places. it was doubted whether they would wait...
288To John Jay from John Adams, 30 November 1787 (Jay Papers)
I do myself the Honour to inclose the Kings speech at the Opening of Parliament as it has been transmitted to me from the Marquis of Carmarthen: and the Morning Chronicle of the 28, which contains, not the debates for there were none, but the Panegyricks upon it. I have long Seen Sir, in Silent astonishment and Grief the negligent and imprudent Conduct of a deceased French Minister of foreign...
In your letter, inclosing the Morocco signals, you desire them to be delivered to American masters of vessels. The council have interpreted this expression to mean masters of American vessels; that is, of vessels belonging to American citizens. They seem justified in this construction, by the Morocco treaty itself. One instance only of granting these signals has occurred; and the captain was...
290To John Jay from Matthew Ridley, 6 December 1787 (Jay Papers)
A few Lines I wrote you, crossed your esteem’d favor of the 5 th : Aug t : Want of health, which has not been a little encreased by Disappointments, has occasioned my long silence—I was glad to learn by Sister Susan that your Family were again restored to Health—Mine, excepting self, have all been happy in that way—As to my Dear Kate, she has been better than for years past. Sometimes she...
291To John Jay from John Adams, 16 December 1787 (Jay Papers)
Two Days ago, I received the Letter, you did me the Honour to write me, on the 16 of Oct r . with its Enclosures. The Approbation of my Conduct in Europe expressed in the Resolution of Congress of the fifth of October, does me honour, and demands my Acknowledgments. The Permission to return to America and the termination of my Commission in Holland, having removed all Difficulties, It is my...
292To John Jay from Pieter J. van Berckel, 18 December 1787 (Jay Papers)
Je me trouve indispensablement obligé de Vous informer, que ce matin un certain John Wessel Se qualifiant huissier de Justice (Constable) a taché de Saisir, enlever, et emprisonner un de mes domestiques; ce qu’il disoit faire en vertu de une prise de Corps donnée et Signée contre lui par John Wiley Alderman de New York. Cet Attentat sur les droits et prerogatives des Ministres Etrangeres a eté...
293To John Jay from Samuel Shaw, 21 December 1787 (Jay Papers)
Having in the letter which I did myself the honor of addressing to you towards the close of the last season, mentioned the several matters which came within my observation, relative to the commerce which the Europeans carry on with this part of the world, I have only to remark generally on this subject, that a detail of it at present, such is its uniformity, would be to involve merely a...
294To John Jay from Thomas Jefferson, 31 December 1787 (Jay Papers)
Since the receipt of the letter of Monsieur de Calonne of Octob. 22. 1786. I have several times had the honour of mentioning to you that I was endeavouring to get the substance of that letter reduced into an arrêt, which, instead of being revocable by a simple letter of ^ a ^ comptroller general, would require an arrêt to repeal or alter it, and of course must be discussed in full council and...
295To John Jay from George Washington, 20 January 1788 (Jay Papers)
Your goodness upon a former occasion, accompanied with assurances of forwarding any dispatches I might have for Europe in future, is the cause of my troubling you with the letters herewith sent. The one for the Marquis de la Fayette contains a vocabulary of the Delaware & Shawanese languages, for the Empress of Russia.— I beg leave therefore to recommend it to your particular care.—To send it...
296To John Jay from William Bingham, 29 January 1788 (Jay Papers)
I have seen various detached Numbers of a periodical Publication under the Title of the Fœderalist, which have much pleased me, as the Author has treated the Subject in a Strong masterly Manner—I have heard that it is about to be republished in the Form of a Pamphlet, in which Case I shall be much indebted to you for a Copy— The Opposition to the new Government in this State, which was...
297To John Jay from Diego de Gardoqui, 8 February 1788 (Jay Papers)
Muy Señor mio. Incluyo à V. S. la adjunta nota para el Honorable Congreso de los Estados Unidos, y suplico à V.S. se sirva presentarle con la puntualidad que acostumbra. Me aprovecho de esta ocacion para reiterar â V. S. la estimacion conque tengo la honrra de subscrivirme &ca. B. L. M. de V. S. su mas attento y obed. te Serv. or El ynfraescrito Encargado de negocios de su Magestad Catholica...
298To John Jay from John Adams, 14 February 1788 (Jay Papers)
I yesterday received M r Remsens Letter of the 14. of December, with the Journals and Gazettes inclosed. At the last Conferences at Whitehall which were last Thursday, Lord Carmarthen thought proper to express a Wish that this Country had some sort of Treaty of Commerce with the United States of America, that it might be no longer necessary to take new Measures from time to time which looked...
299To John Jay from George Washington, 3 March 1788 (Jay Papers)
In acknowledging the receipt of your obliging Favor of the 3 d . Ult, permit me to thank you for the Rhubarb seed which accompanied it.—To the growth of which, if good, a fair trial shall be given.— I have two imported female asses from the Island of Malta; which, tho’ not quite equal to the best Spanish Jennies, will serve to establish a valuable breed of these animals in this...
300To John Jay from Thomas Jefferson, 16 March 1788 (Jay Papers)
In a letter of the 13 th inst which I had the honor of addressing you from this place, I mentioned in general terms the object of my journey hither & that I should enter into more particular details by the confidential conveiance which would occur thro’ mr Adams & Col o . Smith. The board of Treasury had in the month of December, given notice to our bankers here that it would be altogether...