John Jay’s Address upon His Arrival in New York, [28 May 1795]
John Jay’s Address upon His Arrival in New York
[New York, 28 May 1795]1
Fellow-Citizens, those marks of your attention to me are highly grateful— I can never forget them—and the recollection of them will give a new motive to do, what shall be agreeable to you, and conducive to the general welfare. I thank you for your kind reception, and am happy to be again in my own country, and in the midst of you, my friends and fellow-citizens.2
PtD, Greenleaf’s New York Journal, 30 May 1795. JJ’s speech, with varying accounts of his arrival, was printed in the following: Weekly Museum (New York), 30 May; Dunlap’s American Daily Advertiser, and Gazette of the United States (both Philadelphia), 30 May; Columbian Centinel (Boston), 3 June; New-Jersey Journal (Elizabethtown), 3 June; Washington Patrol (Salem, N.Y.), 3 June; Carlisle Gazette, 3 June; Political Gazette (Newburyport), 4 June; Rising Sun (Kingston), 5 June; Impartial Herald (Newburyport), 6 June; Boston Gazette, 8 June; Western Star (Stockbridge), 9 June; American Spy (Troy), 9 June; Medley or Newbedford Marine Journal, 12 June; and North-Carolina Journal (Halifax), 15 June 1795. For reports of JJ’s arrival, without his speech, see Connecticut Courant (Hartford), 1 June; American Telegraph (Bridgeport), 3 June; Litchfield Monitor, 3 June; Hampshire Gazette (Northampton), 3 June; Catskill Packet, 6 June; Oracle of the Day (Portsmouth), 9 June; Georgia Gazette (Savannah), 18 June; and Augusta Chronicle, 20 June 1795.
1. This report of JJ’s address was preceded in Greenleaf’s New York Journal under a 30 May dateline by the following account of JJ’s arrival:
THE ship Severn, Capt. Goodrich, in 49 days from Bristol, and the ship Joseph, Capt. Stone, in 61 days from Liverpool, arrived at this port on Thursday, between twelve and one, P. M. JOHN JAY, Esq. Chief Justice of the United States, late Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of Great-Britain, and candidate for the chair of Governor of the state of New-York— and Mr. WILLLAM CONSTABLE, merchant of this city—came passengers in the Severn. Reports having been made, that Mr. Jay was in the Severn; a number of citizens hurried down to the wharf to welcome his arrival, who escorted him to his house in Broad-Way, amid repeated acclamations of joy. At 6 o’clock the bells were rang, and the battery and ship guns were fired to his honor.
Mr. JAY, on his arrival, made the following speech to the citizens who were assembled to welcome his arrival on Thursday:-
2. The address is followed in Greenleaf’s New York Journal by the following commentary:
There is every appearance, from the complexion of the canvass, that Mr. Jay will be elected Governor; in which view his arrival at this juncture is considered as peculiarly happy; debates on the indefinite expressions, in case of absence, will be then avoided. Mr. Jay leads the Southern district with a majority of 988 votes—this, however, does not decide the election, for Orange, Ulster, Columbia, Washington, Clinton, Saratoga, and Montgomery, will give decided (though indefinite) majorities for Mr. Yates, and it is possible Mr. Jay will yet lose his election.
Accounts of British spoliations upon American property disseminated throughout America, from authentic documents, are truly melancholy— The treaty to prevent which will probably be made known after the 8th of June next.
For the final election results, see Report on the Address of the Committee of Canvassers to John Jay and his Reply, with a Copy of the Certificate of his Election, 8 June, and notes, below.
Various newspapers also reported a meeting of the Union Society on 28 May at Hunter’s Hotel, at which
in consequence of the happy arrival of their much respected fellow citizen JOHN JAY, Esq. and considering this event as connected with the peace happiness and best interest of their country, they proceeded to celebrate the occasion by adjourning the ordinary business of the society, and drinking the following toasts: 1st. Health, prosperity and general esteem to our valuable fellow citizen and firm patriot JOHN JAY. 2d. Peace throughout the world. 3d. Moderation and firmness to all councils of the American Union—May her sword reluctantly drawn be the terror of the unjust. 4th. Switzerland, Holland, and free Republics. 5th. The United States, and the steady friends of its excellent continuation. 6th. Free elections and fair canvassing. 7th. Success to the honest citizens of France in their glorious struggle to obtain a free efficient and republican government. 8th. Distraction to the internal enemies of France who under the mask of patriotism destroy the freedom of opinion and promote measures of anarchy and terror. 9th. Destruction to the external enemies of France who under the mask of Religion Humanity and the love of order, pursue plans of piracy, invasion, cruelty and blood. 10th. The Liberty of the Press—May public virtue awe its licentiousness. 11th. May all who retire in free governments from exalted stations; retire with the plaudits and the laurels of an Alexander Hamilton. 12th. All citizens who associate to cherish the pure spirits of republicanism and social order. 13th. President GEORGE WASHINGTON.
See American Minerva, and New-York Advertiser, 29 May; Herald: a Gazette for the Country, New-York Gazette, and Daily Advertiser (all New York) 30 May; Argus, Greenleaf’s New Daily Advertiser (New York), 1 June; Gazette of the United States (Philadelphia), 1 June; Dunlap’s American Daily Advertiser (Philadelphia), 2 June; Federal Intelligencer (Baltimore), 6 June; Impartial Herald (Newburyport), 6 June; and Richmond Chronicle, 7 June 1795.