To John Jay from Peter Augustus Jay, 15 April 1798
From Peter Augustus Jay
New York April 15th 1798
Dear Papa
I had the pleasure of recg: your Letters of the 6th, 7th, & 9th. inst on Friday, & another which accompanied the Pardon for Mr. Meeks’s Man yesterday—1 I shall immediately attend to the different directions contained in them— Most of the Prints are already very neatly boxed; the Cases containing Copies of the U. S. Laws I have put on board Bleeckers Sloop (the same in which Maria came down) & taken the enclosed Receipt— She is to sail tomorrow— I will be obliged to you to mention which of the Books are to be left with me in Order that I may have Boxes made accordingly—Ruckel is waiting to fill up more Lots, but wishes to proceed with those he has already undertaken before he fixes upon the Terms, I shall however endeavor to bring him to some Agreement—
I feel much disappointed about Popes House— There is only one Applicant & he refuses to give more than £30 unless a back building is to be added this Summer in which Case he would pay £40— I see Bills on the doors of a great many Houses near it—
Mr. Munro has found the original of the Affidavit you mention; inclosed is a Copy—2
The Committee appointed to promote your Election had framed & signed a circular Letter in answer to that published by their Opponents—3 But after reconsidering the Measure, they determined that it was unnecessary & that their Triumph would be greater to succeed without it having descended to any Altercation, & therefore suppressed— This was told me by Mr. Cruger, who is a Member of the Committee & who differed in opinion from his Colleagues—
Capt: Brett arrived yesterday & brought Maria a Letter from Mamma.4 His Sloop did not come up to the dock till Night, so that I have not yet got the trunks from on Board— My Love to Mamma Sisters & William— I am your Affectionate Son
Peter Augustus Jay
Govr. Jay
ALS, NNC (EJ: 06063). Stamped: “New York / April / 16.” Endorsed: “… recd: & and. 15 19 ap. 1798”. Dft, NNC (EJ: 10034). Enclosures not found.
1. JJ to PAJ, 6 Apr., ALS, NNC (EJ: 90216). Letters of 7 and 9 Apr., and one relating to a pardon for Mr. Meek’s man, not found. In his letter of 6 Apr., JJ informed PAJ that there was a bill before the state assembly that would probably pass to rent out Government House, the public residence in which JJ and his family lived before moving to the new capital at Albany in September 1797. Many of the family belongings remained in their former house, and JJ directed PAJ to prepare to empty the premises. For the legislative decision on 5 Apr. to rent out Government House, see , 130, 140; , 323–24.
2. On the affidavit JJ requested in his letter of 6 Apr., see Joshua Purdy, Ezekiel Halstead, and Daniel Horton to the Public, 5 Apr. 1792, , 5: 388–89; and, for the background, see the editorial note “The Disputed Election of 1792”, , 5: 353–59. For the relevance to the 1798 campaign, see the editorial note “John Jay Wins Reelection as Governor in 1798,” above.
3. On the committee to support JJ’s election of which Nicholas Cruger was a member, and on the circular letter of RRL’s supporters, see the editorial note “John Jay Wins Reelection as Governor in 1798,” above.
4. No letter has been found from SLJ to Maria Jay dating from early 1798.