To John Jay from Peter Augustus Jay, 10 October 1821
From Peter Augustus Jay
Albany 10 Oct 1821
My dear father
Our prospects here grow more unpleasant The more violent members of the Convention begin to act more in a body & to gather strength. They have held at least one caucus. Upon the whole there is a good deal of bad feeling & I should not be surprized if something very violent should be attempted in relation to the judiciary. This will probably depend upon the likelyhood of its succeeding—& of this I cannot yet judge. We have had a long & latterly angry contest about the appointment of justices of the peace— The dominant party who gave up the council of Appointment with great reluctance were anxious to retain the power of appointing these magistrates at Albany, & Mr VBeuren1 proposed a plan for this purpose which he openly urged on party grounds. others very desirous that the minority should not be utterly excluded from office proposed to elect Justices by the people. This enraged the Jacobins exceedingly, who were obliged to argue in contradiction to their own principles & professions— I voted against both plans & both were lost. The contest ended in the adoption of a Scheme by which the power of appointing is lodged in the Supervisors & County court. The discussion has produced violent animosity between the followers of Mr V Beuren & the N. York delegation—& the latter seem to me to be alarmed & to be acting feebly.2 I heard yesterday from Mary who was well— I hope Nancy has by this time returned in better health than when she left you.
I went a few days ago to the cattle fair ^show^ of this County & was disappointed.3 I am much inclined to believe that William could shew on your farm as fine cattle & almost as many of them, as were exhibited. My love to him & sisters— I am my dear father Your Affectionate son
Peter Augustus Jay
John Jay Esqr
ALS, NNC (EJ: 06251). Addressed; “John Jay Esqr / Bedford / Westchester County / N.Y.” Note: “12”. Endorsed: “… ansd.— 16 octr 1821—”. HPJ, 4: 452–53. For JJ’s reply of 16 Oct., see below.
1. Martin Van Buren (1782–1862), U.S. Senator from New York, later eighth President. Van Buren headed the “Buck-tail” or “Bucktail” faction, a group of Republicans who were against DeWitt Clinton’s wing of the party. Although sometimes aligned with Tammany (hence the “bucktail” name), Van Buren’s base was located upstate. Having failed to secure a seat at the Convention in New York City and Suffolk, he got himself elected as a delegate for Otsego County. See New-York Spectator, 19 June 1821. Van Buren’s allies are what PAJ referred to as “Jacobins”.
2. For the Constitutional Convention, see PAJ to JJ, 3 Oct. 1821, above.
3. Albany County Cattle Show and Fair, held 9–10 Oct. 1821, at Lancaster School House and Washington Square, Albany, sponsored by the county agricultural society, with Stephen Van Rensselaer serving as president. The event included an address by agricultural reformer Jesse Buel (1778–1839), and dinner at Skinner’s Mansion. See Albany Argus, 5 Oct.; Plough Boy (Albany), 6 Oct.; and New-York Gazette, 15 Oct. 1821.