To John Jay from William Livingston, 21 May 1783
From William Livingston
Burlington 21 May 1783
Dear Sir
I embrace the opportunity of Doctor Wearing’s1 going to France (a young Gentleman belonging to South Carolina & Strongly recommended to me by President Boudinot) to send you a line, which I hope you will never receive, provided the non reception of it is owing to your having left Paris for America, when it arrives in France.
The Treaty is universally applauded; & the American Commissioners who were concerned in making it, have rendered themselves very popular by it. The Whigs in this State are however extremely opposed to admitting the refugees amongst us, & I am apprehensive of some difficulty on that account. There is still a greater difficulty that we have to struggle with. But Too many of Strong professional Whigs now openly show what I have long suspected them of, that they love their money better than their liberty by their scandalous aversion to pay the necessary taxes.2 If this reaches you in Europe, I hope I shall hear from you as soon as possible. I am Sir Your most humble Servant
Wil: Livingston
The honourable John Jay Esqr.
ALS, NNC (EJ: 6885). Addressed: “The honourable John Jay Esqr.” Endorsed: “ . . . Recd. 2 July by Capt. Barney / ansd. 19 Inst. / by Capt. Barney”.
1. Probably Dr. Richard Waring (1760–1814), son of John Beamor Waring. Joseph I. Waring, “Waring Family,” , 24 (1923), 81–100.
2. For JJ’s position on the Loyalist refugees, see his letters to George Clinton of 12 June, and to William Livingston of 19 July 1783, both below. The New Jersey legislature had received numerous petitions objecting to article 5 of the preliminary peace treaty of 30 Nov. 1782, which was considered too generous to Loyalists. The legislature had also failed to pass a tax law to raise funds to pay Continental requisitions. See , 5: 18.