To John Jay from the Committee of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (William Rawle, Benjamin R. Morgan, and Charles J. Ingersoll), 10 February 1826
From the Committee of the Historical Society
of Pennsylvania (William Rawle, Benjamin R. Morgan,
and Charles J. Ingersoll)
Philad. Feb. 10. 1826
Sir.
The interest which has lately been taken by so many in the question whether the valedictory address of the venerable Washington was his own composition or the work of another, has extended to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania which has appointed us a Committee to make enquiries on the subject.1
May we take the liberty to ask of you, Sir, whether you would favor us with any information in your possession not improper for publication?2 We have the honor to be Sir Your most obedient servants
W. Rawle
Benjn: R Morgan
C. J. Ingersoll
Honorable John Jay
ALS, NNC (EJ: 13071). Endorsed: “…10 Feby 1826— / ans. 18 Do. recd. / 21. Answer 1826”.
1. William Rawle (1759–1836), lawyer and first president of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Benjamin R. Morgan (1765–1840), and Charles J. Ingersoll (1782–1862), both lawyers and founding members of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. They were appointed a committee to investigate the authorship of GW’s Farewell Address and wrote to JJ, RP, John Marshall, and Bushrod Washington. Their findings were published in the Memoirs of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
2. JJ replied to this letter on 21 Feb., 1826, Dft, NNC (EJ: 08802), referring the committee to his 29 Mar. 1811 letter to RP, above. See also, RP to JJ, 21 Feb., and JJ to RP, 3 Mar. 1826, both below. For JJ and the disputed authorship of Washington’s Farewell Address, see the editorial note “Jay, History, and Memory,” above.