1To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 21 March 1801 (Jay Papers)
THE Chief Justice having transmitted to me a copy of your letter of the 18th instant, addressed to the Chancellor, Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court, on the subject of a difference of sentiments that prevails between your Excellency and the other members of the Council of Appointment, I regret that my distance and the state of my health does not permit me to consult the Judges of...
2To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, [11 May 1794] (Jay Papers)
The Chancellor presents his comp[liment] s . to the Chief Justice of the US:— Tho’ political differences have excited a Coolness ^between them^ perhaps inconsistant with the liberality of both— The Chancellor is not so unmindful of past friendship as not to be sincere in wishing the Chief Justice a safe passage a happy return to his friends & a successfull issue to his mission. — AL , NHi :...
3To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 27 December 1786 (Jay Papers)
I received yours covering the papers from Maryland this day. And enclose an answer which I must pray you to forward I have accepted the appointment principally induced thereto by your being my colleague You have heard of the issue of our Massachusetts business But you may not have heard that while we were meeting at Hartford their Commissioners were treating with the Indians for the purchase...
4To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 10 September 1784 (Jay Papers)
A report which prevailed here of your having determined to resume the practice of the Law induced me to write to you on the subject of my suit against Hoffman. I find by yours of the 18 th Ul t . that you have not yet resolved on your plan many reasons weigh with me to fix you here, but as they may be too much influenced by my wishes I will not urge them against your acceptance of the office...
5To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 26 August 1784 (Jay Papers)
I can hardly my dear friend compute the time since I last heard from you, this is the fourth Letter for which you are my debtor. I extremely regret that the circumstances mentioned in my last have hitherto prevented & still prevent my seeing ^ you ^ at New York But as I persuade myself that you will not think the time ill employed that is spent in visiting the many friends you have on the...
6To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 30 July 1784 (Jay Papers)
Permit me my dear friend to congratulate you on your return to your native shore, & to the friendly embraces of those who love you in every situation, in which you have been, or can be placed. My impatience to see you led me to New York about three weeks since, where from the time you had set for sailing I thought it probable that you must have arrived before this An unfortunate accident which...
7To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 25 January 1784 (Jay Papers)
Your Brother is just returned from Rie, & informs me that he left your Brother & sister there in health, & as comfortably situated as they could expect, tho not quite so well as they could wish. The season was too far advanced on their removal to admit of all the repairs that were necessary in the house. The quiet which in my last I mentioned to have prevail’d here, still continues with very...
8To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 29 November 1783 (Jay Papers)
I am two letters in your debt & am conscious that I shall make an ill return for them in offering you this product of a midnight hour after a ^ day ^ spent in the fatigue of business & cerimony that our present situation exacts— But having just been informed by M r Plat that he sails tomorrow morning I can not permit him to go without offering you my congratulations on an event to which you...
Congress were yesterday pleased to pass the enclosed Resolutions on the subject of the payment of British Debts— The language they speak requires no Comment— I complained in my last of your long Silence, or rather laid before you the Complaint of Congress. These I think receive additional force from Intelligence I have since had, that the Negotiations are still going on, and that important...
10Robert R. Livingston to the American Peace Commissioners, 31 May 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Massachusetts Historical Society; AL (draft): New-York Historical Society; transcript: National Archives Congress were yesterday pleased to pass the enclosed Resolutions on the subject of the payment of British Debts— The language they speak requires no Comment— I complained in my last of your long Silence, or rather laid before you the Complaint of Congress. These I think receive...
By the direction of Congress, contained in the enclosd resolutions, I have the honor to transmit you the Correspondence between General Washington & Sir Guy Carlton, together with minutes of their Conference, when, in pursuance of the invitation of the first, they met in Orange-County. Nothing can be a more direct violation of the 7 th: Article of the Provisional Treaty, than sending off the...
12Robert R. Livingston to the American Peace Commissioners, 28 May 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Copies: Massachusetts Historical Society, South Carolina Historical Society; AL (draft): New-York Historical Society; transcript: National Archives By the direction of Congress, contained in the enclosed resolutions, I have the honor to transmit you the Correspondence between General Washington & Sir Guy Carlton, together with minutes of their Conference, when, in pursuance of the invitation...
13To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 1 May 1783 (Jay Papers)
Your public & private Letters have remained long unanswered, owing to the stagnation of commerce here on the prospect of peace, & the delay occasioned by M r . Jeffersons disappointment who was charged with both for you. I have now before me your Letters of the 13 th . Aug t (which M r Wright did ^ not ^ deliver till about a fortnight ago) & the 7 th . & 14 th Dec r . I immediatly wrote to...
Upon the receipt of the provisional Articles & a subsequent account brôt by a Vessel dispatched by Count d’Estaing, I wrote the Letter N o. 1. to S r. Guy Carleton, & N o. 2. to Admiral Digby: to which I recieved the Answers N o. 3. & 4. You will find them cold & distant— Those they wrote to the Minister of France, in answer to similar Communications made by him, were still more so, and...
15Robert R. Livingston to the American Peace Commissioners, 21 April 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Massachusetts Historical Society; ALS (draft): New-York Historical Society; transcript: National Archives Upon the receipt of the provisional Articles & a subsequent account bro’t by a Vessel dispatched by Count d’Estaing, I wrote the Letter No. 1. to Sr. Guy Carleton, & No. 2. to Admiral Digby: to which I recieved the Answers No. 3. & 4. You will find them cold & distant— Those they...
I am now to acknowledge the favor of your joint Letter by the Washington, together with a Copy of the preliminary Articles —Both were laid before Congress— The Articles have met their warmest approbation, and have been generally seen by the People in the most favorable point of view. The steadiness manifested in not treating without an express acknowledgment of your Independence previous to a...
17Robert R. Livingston to the American Peace Commissioners, 25 March 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Two copies: Massachusetts Historical Society; AL (draft): New York Public Library; transcript: National Archives On the morning of March 12 Congress learned from the hand of Joshua Barney, captain of the packet General Washington , that the American peace commissioners had signed conditional preliminary articles with Great Britain on November 30, 1782. In addition to delivering the provisional...
18To John Jay from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 4 January 1783 (Jay Papers)
I have before me your dispatches of the 4 th . & 18 Sep r last, & the 13 th . of October. It gives me much uneasiness to find by them that your health is not yet confirmed particularly as the extreem shortness of your Letters compared with the importance of the matter, give me reason to fear that it has suffered more than you would have us believe— I am under some anxiety relative to the fate...
19To John Jay from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 23 November 1782 (Jay Papers)
I have before me your letters of the 25 th . & 28 th June— I congratulate you on your safe arrival at Paris—where I venture to hope your residence will on many accounts be more agreable than it was at Madrid, nothing can be more agreable to us than your determination to write very frequently, since I am sorry to say that we have not yet been favored with such minute on many points of...
20To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 17 September 1782 (Jay Papers)
I have at length been favored with a private Letter from you which gives me great pleasure not only because it assures me of your health & that of M rs . Jay but because it is expressive of that friendship which I should be sorrey to see lost in the ocean of politics in which we have both launched our barks. I am sorrey for the ill health of my little god daughter but as the disorders she...
21To John Jay from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 12 September 1782 (Jay Papers)
We yesterday received Letters from M r Adams by Capt Smedley, who brought out the goods left by Commodore Gillon— these were the first advices that had reached us from Europe since your short note of the 14 th . of May— You will easily believe that this neglect is borne here with some degree of impatience, particularly at this interesting period when we learn that a negotiation for a peace has...
22To John Jay from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 8 August 1782 (Jay Papers)
Your Letter of the 28th April was received by Major Franks, when the Contents were communicated to Congress . The repeated Slights and Neglects you have experienced excited their warmest Resentment. Several Members feeling that our Obligations to Spain were extreamly Small; that our affairs here and in Europe gave us a Right to think as an independent People were for entering into Resolutions...
23To John Jay from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 6 July 1782 (Jay Papers)
Since my Letter of the 23 d . ult o . Congress have passed the enclosed resolution; my Letter had already anticipated it, so that it will only serve to shew that I was warranted in the observations I had made, & am sorry to add that my prediction that the Troops taken by Spain would be sent to serve against us seems to be confirmed by an account received from Charlestown of a number of...
24To John Jay from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 23 June 1782 (Jay Papers)
The only letter, I have recieved from you, since that of the 6 th . of February last, was a few lines which covered an account of the surrender of Fort S t . Phillips, this success is important, as it not only weakens an Enemy, and operates against their future resources, but as, it gives reputation to the Arms of a Nation, that have our sincerest wishes for their prosperity, notwithstanding...
25To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 22 May 1782 (Jay Papers)
The express who is to carry my public letter waits while I hastily write this. These express having private & public Letters for you have been carryed to New York tho’ as I beleive the Letters were destroyed I learned of this opportunity so late that I cannot send you a duplicate of the Letters.— I most sincerely condole with you on the death of your father an event which you must too long...
26To John Jay from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 9 May 1782 (Jay Papers)
Your letter of the 6 th . of February, with a duplicate of that of August last, directed to the President has been received and read in Congress— I am extremely surprized to find from that and yours to me that so few of my letters have reached you, since no Vessel has sailed from this, or indeed from any of the neighbouring ports without carrying letters or duplicates of letters from me—the...
27To John Jay from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 28 April 1782 (Jay Papers)
You will receive with this, a letter dated yesterday, reasons which need not be explained induce me to make this a separate Dispatch . I beleive with you, that the Court of Madrid does not wish to enter into engagements with us during the war—influenced, as I presumed not only by the reasons you suggest, which our late success must have weakened, but by another, that alarms me more. They...
28To John Jay from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 27 April 1782 (Jay Papers)
I informed you in my Letter of the 16 th . inst. that yours of the 3 d . of October had been received & submitted to Congress during my absence, and, (as I had then reason to think) that it would be answered by them, this I wished because I was persuaded it would express their approbation of your conduct, & afford you that intimate knowledge of their Sentiments, which the delicacy of your...
29To John Jay from Robert R. Livingston, 20 April 1782 (Jay Papers)
It gives me extreme pain not to have rec d a single line in answer to my public or private Letters to you tho’ no vessel has sailed from this or any of the nieghbouring ports for any part of Europe France or Spain ^ since Oct r . ^ without being charged with one or the other for you not because I infer therefrom the least neglect on your part I have too much confidence both in your punctuality...
30To John Jay from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 16 April 1782 (Jay Papers)
Returning from an excursion to the State of New York, I found your letter of October, which on account of my absence had been committed to a Committee of Congress. They have shewn me their report, it will try their sentiments on a very interesting point, if it goes thro’, but ^ as ^ they may not suddenly come to a Resolution, and I have just heard of a Vessel will sail in two hours for Cadiz,...