To John Jay from Timothy Pickering, 23 January 1797
From Timothy Pickering (private)
Philadelphia Jany. 23. 1797.
Sir,
You will have seen the President’s message to Congress relative to French affairs.1 The letter to Mr. Pinckney to which the President refers, I now do myself the honor to inclose.2 I have taken the liberty to use your name in the investigation of the French claims to our gratitude—and your sentiments also; sometimes quoting, but in other cases not distinguishing by the usual marks; the selection I was making not easily admitting of it: this you will excuse.—3 I have long thought that our transactions with the French at the commencement of our revolution—during its continuance—and at its close, ought to be made known by authentic documents, for the purpose of repelling unjust demand, detecting imposture and establishing truth. I therefore seized with eagerness the present opportunity of giving to our citizens at large some information concerning them: but the subject requires a history. I have the honor to be with sincere respect sir, your most obt. servant,
Timothy Pickering
His Excellency / John Jay Esqr.
1. For JJ’s response to this letter, see JJ to TP (private), 31 Jan. 1797, below.
2. On 20 Jan. 1797, GW wrote both houses of Congress about Franco-American relations. GW directed TP, his secretary of state, to draft an open letter to Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, the minister plenipotentiary to France, explaining and defending American foreign policy, including the controversial Jay Treaty. GW submitted a copy of TP’s letter of 16 January 1797 with his address to Congress. Both GW’s address and TP’s letter were printed in newspapers throughout the country, and subsequently in pamphlet form. ASP: FR, 1: 559–76. For an example of newspaper publication of this material, see Gazette of the United States (Philadelphia), 21 Jan. 1797; for pamphlet publication, see A letter from Mr. Pickering, secretary of state, to Mr. Pinckney, minister plenipotentiary at Paris, in answer to the complaints communicated by Mr. Adet, minister of the French republic, against the United States of America (Richmond, 1797; Early Am. Imprints, series 1, no. 33064), and A letter from Mr. Pickering, secretary for the Department of State of the United States—to Mr. Pinckney, minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, at Paris (Stockbridge, 1797; , series 1, no. 33065).
3. For TP’s discussion in his letter of the alleged American ingratitude to France, and French motivation for aiding the U.S. during the Revolution, he quoted or paraphrased many of JJ’s comments on French conduct during the peace negotiations in 1782; see ASP: FR, 1: 569–73. On deteriorating relations with France, see the editorial note “John Jay and the Response to the XYZ Affair in New York,” below.