To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 20 October 1781
From Robert R. Livingston
Philadelphia 20th. Octer. 1781.
Dear John,
You will receive with this an official Letter informing you of my appointment to the Secretaryship for foreign affairs.1 If there is any thing peculiarly pleasing to me in this appointment to compensate for the difficulties with which it is attended it must be found in that new bond by which it unites our publick, as a much earlier and more agreeable one has our private characters. My publick Letter will keep you fully informed of our news & our politicks my private correspondence shall be consecrated to such matters as are important to ourselves only & those effusions of the heart which I wish to indulge till care or age render me incapable of them.
Before I left the State I called to see your father I found him chearful & serene as ever tho’ labouring under all the infirmities of age. He took peculiar pleasure in brin[g]ing our children together conversed with some vivacity with Mrs. Livingston about them, & in your promising boy seemed in some measure to console himself for your absence.
Your Brother Peter retains his health, & all his affection for you, most ardently wishing your return. Having but this day qualified I am not yet let in to the arcana of politicks nor have I even seen your last letters, some members having taken them out of the hand of the committee. I shall correspond with you in Mr. Thompsons cypher sent by Mr. Franks as we have heard of his arrival in Cadiz— I could wish you to be as particular as you think prudent in your publick Letters, & to venture even upon imprudencies in your private ones, as I think you may rely upon your cypher— Let us know every thing that passes in Holland our Minister there is zealous & laborious but i will not answer for his prudence. truly his display of his public character, when every thing was against it can not be accounted for on principles that will do him honor. But I am sliding into politicks contrary to my determination, we have both too much of them— Let me remind you that you are in my debt for a Letter written two months since—2 offer my compts. to Mrs. Jay & the Gent. of your family & believe me to be most sincerely your Friend & hum: Servt
Rob R. Livingston
The Honble John Jay Esqr
ALS, NNC (EJ: 6866). Partly in code, not decoded. Code is that lost with William Palfrey; illegible to JJ. See “John Jay’s Use of Codes and Ciphers” (editorial note) on p. 11. Decoded passage taken from Dft. Addressed: “The Honble / John Jay Esqr / Madrid”. Endorsed: “ . . . Recd. under Covr from / Marq de la fayette: 24 Feb. 1782 / not decd.”. Dft, partly encoded, NHi: Robert R. Livingston (EJ: 811). E (of encoded passage), NN: Bancroft: R. Livingston Papers (EJ: 4636).
1. Enclosure not found. JJ’s account book of letters sent and received, 15 Nov. 1781–1 Oct. 1782, NNC, describes it as “copy Entry of Mr. Livingstons appt. 10 Augt. 1781.” On the appointment, see , 21: 852–53. RRL took his oath of office on 20 Oct. In a letter to Vergennes of 1 Nov. 1781, La Luzerne commented that while RRL enjoyed a great reputation, he was entirely unfamiliar with the type of affairs with which he was charged. La Luzerne reported that RRL was fully aware of the role the French minister had played in his election, that he had received a bare majority of the votes (seven), and that his opponents would be on the watch for any private meetings between them. Finally, he described RRL as a man from whom the French would have nothing to fear. See FrPMAE: CP-EU, 19: 170r–171v.