To John Jay from Peter Augustus Jay, 3 May 1799
From Peter Augustus Jay
New York 3d May 1799
Dear Papa
Yesterday ended the best contested Election I ever remember to have seen in this City the Federalists who till within a few Days were perfectly passive were at length roused by a full Knowledge of the Manhattan Scheme,1/ & by some well written Publications which appeared in the Papers— The Merchants for the first Time have acted with vigor & used all their Influence with the Cartmen— Indeed both Sides have exerted themselves to the utmost & produced their whole Strength— The Issue has been fortunate; The fœderal Senators have a Majority of 675 And it is supposed our whole Assembly Ticket is carried by near 300. The Mortification of the Democrats is extreme & visible— They feel it the more as they had been confident of Triumph—2
Mr. Morris has not sent the Partition Deed to Mr. Rutherfurd having received Letters from him mentioning his Intentions of being in New York—3 His Journey hither is now postponed ’till the 11th. instt. so that it is not improbable that you may meet him. I do not regret this little Delay, as the Deed may now be acknowledged as soon as executed— My Love to all the Family— I am your Affectionate Son
Peter Augustus Jay
Govr. Jay
ALS, NNC (EJ: 06083). Addressed: “His Excellency / Governor Jay / Albany.” Stamped: “New York / May 3”. Note: “17”. Endorsed: “… ansd. 9 May 1799”. Dft and Tr, NNC (EJ: 09965). JJ’s reply of 9 May not found.
1. The Manhattan Company was established as a water company in response to the yellow fever epidemic, which was attributed in part to impure water. However, when seeking the charter from the state legislature, AB, a New York assemblyman, inserted a clause permitting other uses of the surplus funds invested in the company. The measure passed the legislature with bipartisan support. AB used the clause to establish a bank and maneuvered to ensure that bank directors were mostly Republicans and drawn from all three Republican factions, Clintonians, followers of RRL, and Bur-rites. This increased party unity and political strength. Once awareness of AB’s role inserting the clause so as to establish a bank rivaling the Bank of New York became known, opponents to the plan charged that the corporation was “hijacked” for partisan gain. The Bank of New York and BUS declined loans to Republicans, and Federalist merchants enlisted the political support of workers dependent on them for employment to win the 1799 legislative election in New York by a wide margin. Republicans subsequently depicted the banks as having behaved like “bullying menaces,” and went on to win a majority of seats in the 1800 state legislative elections. See Brian P. Murphy, “‘A Very Convenient Instrument’: The Manhattan Company, Aaron Burr, and the Election of 1800,” WMQ 65 (April 2009): 233–66, quotes on 254 and 265; “Mentor”, in American Citizen (New York), 8 May 1801; PAB, 1; 399–403; Murphy, Building the Empire State, 78–107. See also the editorial note “John Jay and the Yellow Fever Epidemics,” , 6: 354–55.
2. On Federalist gains during the state’s 1799 legislative elections, see Hudson Gazette, 14 May 1799.
3. For Rutherfurd and JJ’s transactions regarding the Chenango tract, see JJ to PAJ, 12 Apr. 1799, note 4, above. The “Morris” mentioned here is most likely a member of the Morris family of Morrisania.