To John Jay from Gouverneur Morris, 3 January 1780
From Gouverneur Morris
Phila: 3d Jany. 1780.
Dr Jay.
You will doubtless be glad to hear News from this Quarter. Your Friends are all well. Our Army are hutted in the Vicinity of Morris Town except a Detachment consist. of the North Carolina & Virginia Troops who are on their March to the Southward three thousand— The Don on the Part of the Governor of havannah did lately propose to Congress to assist in the Reduction of Florida.—1 They have given every proper Assurance of their good Intentions, more they cannot do. You will be pleased to hear that the continental Money is on the mending Hand. This is the Case so much that Gold which a Fortnight ago was scarce at forty five is now plenty at Thirty five as I am told. Among other Causes this may partly be attributed to the Loquacity of drawg. on you for one hundred thousand pounds Sterling & Lawrence as much.—2 I hope you are in Spain and doing well. Young Lawrence hath resigned his Secretaryship. Lovell in nominn with six votes.3 About a Week ago a british Fleet of Transports sailed from the Hook with about six thousand Troops. We have had since two tremendous Storms one of which now rages. Rely on it that European money is absolutely necessary for us— We begin to œconomize which is a good Sign. I would advise to send a Squadron of twelve of sixty guns Some Frigates and men down to new York to arrive there the first of June—that City wd. fall, and of consequence halifax—on this last depends new found land—perhaps Canada—the Squadron might careen at Halifax victual them to Chessapeake and take in provision by the first of October. Whatever may be the Fate of the Floridas this Winter they would certainly fall the next and perhaps all the british Islands. The Destruction of Portsmouth would injure Great Britain but the Loss of her Islands would almost ruin her. Peace will I beleive soon be necessary for all Parties. Adieu Remember me to my Friends & beleive me most sincerely yours
Gouv Morris
ALS, partly in code, deciphered by JJ, NNC (EJ: 12510). Encoded in Gouverneur Morris’s book code based on Entick’s New Spelling Dictionary (1777). See “John Jay’s Use of Codes and Ciphers” (editorial note) on pp. 9–10. Addressed: “Honle. Mr. Jay Minister plen: of the united States/of North America/at/Madrid.” Endorsed: “. . . Recd. 16 May 1780.” DftS or FC, FU.
1. The governor of Cuba, Diego Joseph Navarro Y Valladares, acting under the authority of José de Gálvez, sent Don Juan de Miralles, a Cuban businessman, to the United States as an unofficial observer in November 1777. Jean Baptiste de Ternant, a Frenchman serving as a Continental army officer, was sent to Havana to coordinate joint operations with Navarro, but he discovered that the governor was “utterly ignorant” of any such plan. See Ternant to JJ, 26 Feb. 1780, below; , 71–74; , 99, 114–25. On Miralles’s request that the United States act on previous plans to conquer St. Augustine, see , 14: 274–76; “Congress Appoints John Jay Minister to Spain” (editorial note), : 712–13.
2. Gouverneur Morris had long considered foreign loans essential for stabilizing the Continental currency and finances. See 118–19. On the bills of exchange, see Committee for Foreign Affairs to JJ, 11 Dec. 1779, above. For a contrary opinion about the impact of this decision on the value of the Continental currency expressed by Miralles, see , 1: 13.
3. Congress had appointed John Laurens as secretary to the American mission in France on 29 Sept., but he had declined on 6 Dec. 1779. , 15: 1128, 1366. Gouverneur Morris and James Lovell were the leading candidates to replace him, but the position was never filled at the level Congress originally intended. See , 14: 271, 276, 277–78, 280, 291.