I address this Letter to you both because I have not time by this opportunity to write to each separately. In a few Days I shall write you both particularly. M r . Gerards being about to sail happily prevailed upon Congress to proceed rapidly & unanimously in arranging their foreign Affairs— Young Coll Laurens is going Secretary to Doct r Franklin, and had the general approbation of Congress...
12From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 1 July 1776 (Jay Papers)
I returned to this City about Noon this Day from Eliz h .Town, & to my great mortification am informed that our Convention influenced by one of G. Morris vagrant Plans have adjourned to the White Plains to meet there Tomorrow. This precipitate ill advised Retreat I fear will be not a little injurious to the publick—The Prosecution of the Late Discoveries of Gov r . Tryons Plot will be delayed,...
13From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 13 February 1782 (Jay Papers)
Maj Franks has delivered the my Dispatches to Cap t . Manly who I hope will deliver them together with this Letter to You These Dispatches were directed to Congress because at that Time I was ignorant of your Appointment. They properly belong to your Department, and I not only authorize but desire you to treat them exactly as if they had been directed to you and not to the President of...
14From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 16 February 1782 (Jay Papers)
No Letters by the Marquis de la Fayette have as yet reached me. I had the Honor of writing to you on the 6 th . and 13 th . Instant. We were Yesterday informed, and so the Fact is, that the Castle of S t . Philip surrendered by Capitulation to the Duke De Crillon on the 4 th . Instant. There was no Breach made, nor any of the out Works taken. The Garrison are to go to England, and remain...
15From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 14 March 1779 (Jay Papers)
M r . Sands delivered me your Fav r . of the 4 th . Inst. Yesterday. It gave me much Pleasure. The Length, the Subjects and the Spirit of it pleased ^ me ^ . Dont apologize for Egotisms, for I would much rather recieve them than not. Unless the Pain my last occasioned was severe, I dont regret it. That You have deserved well of your Country is agreed, and that you became latterly a little...
16From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 19 December 1775 (Jay Papers)
How it came to pass I know not, but so the Fact is, that neither of your Letters to me came to Hand till the Day before Yesterday, when they were delivered to the President by Gen. Schuylers last Express. Mr. Duane just now accidentally told me that your Brother was about to leave this Town, and I am now retired to the Lobby, in a Hurry to say a Word or two to you. I confess I was a little...
17From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 14 June 1782 (Jay Papers)
My Letter of the 11 May mentioned my being called to Paris by a Letter from D r Franklin—our Journey thus far afforded much variety, and excepting some bad Roads, Fleas, & Bugs, was not unpleasant—both Spanish and French Biscay contain a number of romantic pretty Scenes, and I assure you we found ourselves perfectly disposed to enjoy the Beauties of this charming Season— Our Health has been...
18From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 12 December 1782 (Jay Papers)
I have already written a long Letter to you by this Vessel, and should have continued the Details of our subsequent Proceedings, had my Health admitted of the necessary application. You will receive from us a joint Letter, with a Copy of the Preliminaries. I shall therefore omit making any Remarks on them. Before I left Spain, and by Letters since my arrival here, I desired M r . Carmichael to...
19From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 7 December 1782 (Jay Papers)
On the 18 July last D r . Franklin paid me nine months Salary due on that Day— I have not taken up any money on the Bills sent by you on that account, because until the 18 Oct r . another quarter did not become due. I mentioned this more at large in a former Letter, and desired you to pay a Sum of money to M r Benson for the use of my Family at Poghkeepsie— I fear their Situation is not easy,...
20The American Peace Commissioners to Robert R. Livingston, 20 December 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : National Archives The Proposal inclosed, has been transmitted to us by Mr Bridgen, a Gentleman in London, who has been uniformly a Friend to America, and in a Variety of Ways, and at a great Expence has Served her Cause. It is a Project for introducing Copper Coins into the United States, and Seems to Us to merit the early Attention of Congress, to whom We have the Honour to recommend...
21From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 22 April 1783 (Jay Papers)
I wrote to you so lately by M r Mason and there is such a Dearth of news that I now write less to give you Information, than as a mark of Attention. There are several of your Letters which on acc t . of their Length, the Importance of their Subjects, and the Manner in which those Subjects were treated, demanded of me more minute answers than my Situation admitted of. M r Hartley is not yet...
22From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 13 August 1782 (Jay Papers)
Almost ever since my arrival here I have had and still have a sick Family. The epidemic Disorder which has spread throughout the northern parts of Europe, has been severe upon us. I am free from it at present, but it has taken from me some Flesh & much Strength. M rs Jay has frequent attacks of an intermitting Fever, and our little Girl is not yet quite wholly out of Danger. Your Letter of the...
23From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 6 February 1782 (Jay Papers)
The Secretary of the Minister of State sent me Yesterday Morning your Favor of the 13 th . December last marked N o . 3. accompanied by a Duplicate of your Letter of 28 th . November marked N o . 2. Copy of a Resolution of Congress of 30 th . Oct r . & 2 d . November, . . . stating Quotas of Money. . . . of 23
24From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 25 June 1782 (Jay Papers)
My letters from Madrid, and afterwards a few lines from Bordeaux, informed you of my being called to this place by a pressing letter from Dr. Franklin. The slow manner of travelling in a Carriage through Spain, M rs . Jay’s being taken with a Fever & Ague the Day we left Bordeaux, and the Post Horses at the different Stages having been engaged for the Count du Nord, who had left Paris with a...
25From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 29 May 1776 (Jay Papers)
The Pleasure I expected from meeting ^ a Junction of ^ our little Families at Bristol has vanished. Doct r Bard tells me the Waters there are not adapted would be injurious to Mrs. Jays Complaints, so that I shall again take a solitary Ride to Philadelphia whenever the Convention who have directed me to abide here till their further Order, shall think proper to dismiss me. I wish I could have...
26From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 18 September 1782 (Jay Papers)
I send you herewith enclosed a Copy of a Translation of an important Letter*. The Original in French I have not seen, and at present is not accessible to me, though I shall endeavor to get a Copy of it, in Order the better to decide on the Correctness of the Translation. I am not at Liberty to mention the manner in which this Paper came to my Hands. To me it appears of Importance that it...
27John Jay’s Draft of the American Peace Commissioners to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston) … (Jay Papers)
We have had the honor of receiving by Capt. Barney your two letters of the 21 & 25 Ap. last, with the Papers referred to in them. We are happy to find that the provisional Articles have been approved and ratified by Congress, and we regret that the manner, in which that business was conducted, does not coincide with your Ideas of Propriety. Your Doubts on that Head appear to have arisen from...
28From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 14 December 1782 (Jay Papers)
From our Preliminaries and the Kings Speech the present Disposition and System of the british Court may in my opinion be collected. Altho’ particular Circumstances constrained them to yield us more than perhaps they wished, I still think they meant to make (what they thought would really be) a satisfactory peace with us— In the Continuance of this Disposition & System too much Confidence ought...
29From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 11 April 1783 (Jay Papers)
I wrote you a short Letter on the 7 th . Ins t . certain Intelligence has since arrived from England, that the Duke of Portland is first Lord of the Treasury, M r Fox & L d . North Secretaries of State, and L d . John Cavendish Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is also said that Lord Stormont is Presid t . of the Council and the Duke of Manchester Embassador to Versailles. I hear that M r ....
30From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 20 July 1783 (Jay Papers)
The Delays which have unexpectedly postponed the Completion of the definitive Treaty, have hitherto prevented my trying the Effect of the Waters of Bath for a Pain in my Breast, which has continued in different Degrees for a Year past. Were I much longer to neglect that only probable Chance of restoring my Health, my little Family might have much Reason to complain. I fear that the fluctuating...
31From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 23 May 1780 (Jay Papers)
Accept my Thanks, and cordial ones they are, for your friendly Letter of the 22 d . Dec r . last, which I had the Pleasure of recieving a few Days ago. It gives me no less Surprize than Regret to hear that the Letters I wrote you shortly before my Departure from Philadelphia (one of which contained a Cypher) have never reached You. I have been looking among my Papers for the Drafts, but find...
32From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 6 October 1780 (Jay Papers)
Your Favor of the 6 July came to Hand Yesterday— This & two others viz of the 6 Oct r . and 22 Dec r are all the Letters I have had from you since I left America. How could you discontinue writing because you rec d . no Letter from me while at Martinico? I am almost tempted to say it was unkind— You have seen my Letters to Congress from that Island, & can easily guess at the Number of those I...
33From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 4 September 1782 (Jay Papers)
I wrote to You on the 13 Ult. a Copy of that Letter enclosing one for your good mother, and one for M r Benson, was given last Week to M r Wright, who had appointed last Thursday for setting out to Nantes in order to embark there for America. He is still here, but leaves Paris Tomorrow. This gives me an Opportunity of writing you a few Lines more, for tho’ I daily gain Strength, yet the...
34From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 1 June 1783 (Jay Papers)
I have had the honor of rec g your Favor of the 4 th . of Jan y . last. The Cypher you mention to have enclosed, is missing—my letter by Cap t . Barney affords an answer to the greater part of your Enquiries. Business here goes on heavily. The dutch & English are not yet agreed and some points remain still to be adjusted between the latter and the french and Spaniards. M r . Hartley has an...
35From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 28 June 1782 (Jay Papers)
I had the pleasure of writing to You on the 25 th . Instant— As the Express which is to carry that Letter, will not depart ’till To morrow Morning, I have a good Opportunity of making this Addition to my Dispatches. Agreeable to the Desire of Congress, as well as my own Wishes, I have had the Satisfaction of conferring with the Marquis de la Fayette, on several interesting Subjects. He is as...
Your Letter of the 26 Instant was this Evening delivered to me. When I was called last from Convention, a Clause in the Report of the form of Government had been by a [ illegible ] very great Majority agreed to, instituting a Council for the appointm t of military and many civil Officers, including Clerks of Courts ; and tho’ I publicly advocated and voted for that Clause, you express much...
37From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 25 February 1776 (Jay Papers)
Your Letter of the 15 th : Inst. informs me that you continue indisposed and that you are nursing yourself at Home—I am sorry for both—The first alarms me, & second on acc t of your Health & the second forebodes your being long sick. Amusement & Exercise are ought to be your Objects—At Home you can have little of either, Domestic Concerns, Variety of Business & twenty things going wrong for...
38From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 25 April 1781 (Jay Papers)
I scarcely ever address you in the familiar Stile, but I am insensibly led to reflect on what Clermont & we were fifteen or sixteen Years ago—nature seems to have given me a Propensity to Reverie, and I have long found pleasure in endulging it. past Scenes recalled to view in this Species of perspective appear much softned—the lesser asperities are lost in the Distance, and the more pleasing...
39From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 19 July 1783 (Jay Papers)
our Dispatches by Barney must be ready the Day after Tomorrow. The many Letters I have written, and have still to write, together with Conferences, Company &c a . keep me fully employed. You will therefore excuse my not descending so much to particulars, as both of us indeed might wish— As little that passes in Congress is kept entirely secret, we think it prudent at least to postpone giving...
We have the honour to congratulate Congress on the Signature of the Preliminaries of a Peace between the Crown of Great Britain & the United States of America, to be inserted in a definitive Treaty so soon as the Terms between the Crowns of France & Great Britain shall be agreed on. A Copy of the Articles is here inclosed, and we cannot but flatter ourselves; that they will appear to Congress...