11John Jay’s Draft of the American Peace Commissioners to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston) … (Jay Papers)
We have had the honor of receiving by Capt. Barney your two letters of the 21 & 25 Ap. last, with the Papers referred to in them. We are happy to find that the provisional Articles have been approved and ratified by Congress, and we regret that the manner, in which that business was conducted, does not coincide with your Ideas of Propriety. Your Doubts on that Head appear to have arisen from...
12From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 1 June 1783 (Jay Papers)
I have had the honor of rec g your Favor of the 4 th . of Jan y . last. The Cypher you mention to have enclosed, is missing—my letter by Cap t . Barney affords an answer to the greater part of your Enquiries. Business here goes on heavily. The dutch & English are not yet agreed and some points remain still to be adjusted between the latter and the french and Spaniards. M r . Hartley has an...
13From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 30 May 1783 (Jay Papers)
It cannot in my opinion be long before Congress will think it expedient to name a minister to the Court of London. Perhaps my Friends may wish to add me to the number of Candidates for that office— If that should be the Case I request the Favor of you to declare in the most explicit Terms that I view the Expectations of M r Adams on that head, as founded in Equity & Reason, & that I will not...
14From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 22 April 1783 (Jay Papers)
I wrote to you so lately by M r Mason and there is such a Dearth of news that I now write less to give you Information, than as a mark of Attention. There are several of your Letters which on acc t . of their Length, the Importance of their Subjects, and the Manner in which those Subjects were treated, demanded of me more minute answers than my Situation admitted of. M r Hartley is not yet...
15From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 11 April 1783 (Jay Papers)
I wrote you a short Letter on the 7 th . Ins t . certain Intelligence has since arrived from England, that the Duke of Portland is first Lord of the Treasury, M r Fox & L d . North Secretaries of State, and L d . John Cavendish Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is also said that Lord Stormont is Presid t . of the Council and the Duke of Manchester Embassador to Versailles. I hear that M r ....
16From John Jay to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston), 7 April 1783 (Jay Papers)
After the Preliminaries had been settled and ratified, the Spanish Embassador informed me that his Court was ready to recieve me not only in Form, but “tres honnêtemont”. He then expected full Instructions relative to the proposed Treaty. The Marq s . de la Fayette in his Journey thro’ Madrid manifested great Zeal to serve us there. A Copy of a Letter from him to the Minister will be sent you...
17The American Peace Commissioners to Robert R. Livingston, 20 December 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : National Archives The Proposal inclosed, has been transmitted to us by Mr Bridgen, a Gentleman in London, who has been uniformly a Friend to America, and in a Variety of Ways, and at a great Expence has Served her Cause. It is a Project for introducing Copper Coins into the United States, and Seems to Us to merit the early Attention of Congress, to whom We have the Honour to recommend...
We have the honour to congratulate Congress on the Signature of the Preliminaries of a Peace between the Crown of Great Britain & the United States of America, to be inserted in a definitive Treaty so soon as the Terms between the Crowns of France & Great Britain shall be agreed on. A Copy of the Articles is here inclosed, and we cannot but flatter ourselves; that they will appear to Congress...
19The American Peace Commissioners to Robert R. Livingston, 14 December 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : National Archives; AL (draft): Massachusetts Historical Society; copies: American Philosophical Society, Library of Congress, Massachusetts Historical Society; transcript: National Archives We have the honour to congratulate Congress on the Signature of the Preliminaries of a Peace between the Crown of Great Britain & the United States of America, to be inscribed, in a definitive Treaty...
20From John Jay to Robert R. Livingston, 14 December 1782 (Jay Papers)
From our Preliminaries and the Kings Speech the present Disposition and System of the british Court may in my opinion be collected. Altho’ particular Circumstances constrained them to yield us more than perhaps they wished, I still think they meant to make (what they thought would really be) a satisfactory peace with us— In the Continuance of this Disposition & System too much Confidence ought...