To John Jay from Peter Augustus Jay, 26 April 1798
From Peter Augustus Jay
New York 26 April 1798
Dear Papa
I have this Afternoon put on board Capt Lansings Sloop 15 Barrels of Wine, 1 Case of Flasks with do Nine Boxes of Prints & Pictures & small Articles of Glass & China & one small black trunk— I have sent you all the wine except two Barrels whose hoops appeared too insecure to be trusted— I will send you a List of the Contents in a Letter by Capt. Lansing—1
I have just returned from the Society for free Debate & tho’ it is very late, I cannot forbear to mention the Occurrences that have just happened there— This Society was lately instituted, in all probability with the intention that it should be converted into a Jacobin Club. A Committee of Managers was appointed consisting with only one or two Exceptions of Violent Democrats: These preside in Rotation— Every Person who will pay a Shilling becomes for that evening a Member—2 The Chairman for this Meeting happened to be John Swarthout,3 one of the Antifederal Candidates as Assemblyman— Upon going into the Room almost by Accident I found it entirely filled by a great Croud of People who were listening to a Discussion of this Question “Is it ^most^ expedient under existing Circumstances to lay an Embargo, or to arm our Vessels in Defence of our carrying Trade?” A Mr. Davis, One Butler an irish Shoemaker, & Dr. Smith brother to the late Chief Justice of Canada, supported the propriety of an Embargo in long & inflammatory Speeches,4 and were answered by Mr. Brown a sensible Quaker, McDougal a Painter and a young but really eloquent Man of the name of Howe, a Student at Princeton College—5 It was easy to perceive from the Applauses & Hisses bestowed upon the Speakers that tho the Question had been chosen with a View to influence the Election & a great number of Democrats were present, that a vast Majority were Federalists & would decide in favor of Arming— The Chairman was in many instances evidently partial, & in all of them overruled (tho’ not without much Noise & Riot) by the Society— Finding how Matters were going, he proposed that on account of the lateness of the hour, the final Decision should be deferred until the next Meeting; this being negatived he took the Question on a Motion for Adjournment which being also lost, he by Virtue of a power which he said was vested in him by the Constitution adjourned us— The Society nevertheless nevertheless remained & directed the Constitution to be read which was found to confer no such Authority— The Chairman was then obliged to resume the Chair & put the final Question which was carried in favor of arming by at least five to one— Having pronounced the Decision with an Appearance of extreme mortification & anger, he refused to hear any other Motion & again left the Chair— Mr. Howe then moved that a Committee should be appointed to form an Address from the Meeting to the President & Congress of the U.S. approving of the Measures which have been pursued with Respect to France & expressing a determination to support them— Col: Morton being placed in the Chair the Motion was carried And Mr. Cozine, Col: Morton Mr. Evertson Col: Stevens & Mr. Hoffman appointed the Committee—6 And then after a fruitless attempt by Peter R. Livingston7 to call another Meeting to consider the Address which might be reported, & after three Cheers the Society separated—
This Circumstance induces me to give more Credit to the Assertions of our Friends who are confident that the whole of the federal ticket will be carried in this City— I am your Affecte. Son
Peter Augustus Jay
Gov. Jay
ALS, NNC (EJ: 06065). Addressed: “His Excellency / Governor Jay / Albany”. Stamped: “New York / Apr. / 27”. Endorsed: “P. A. Jay— / 26 apr. 1798—“. E, , 4: 238–40.
1. Letter not found. For more on shipments of goods up the Hudson River to the Jay family home in Albany, see the editorial note “The Capital Moves to Albany,” above.
2. The Society for Free Debate was apparently modelled on a debating society by the same name in London that followed similar procedures. See Mary Thale, “London Debating Societies in the 1790s,” Historical Journal 32 (February 2009), 57–86. It was formed in March 1798 as a public forum to debate contemporary issues. It met every Thursday at 7 PM at Hunter’s Hotel, and was open to “such persons as are fond of discussion.” Topics were selected at the previous meeting and announced to the public. Selection of the topic “Would it be better policy, under existing circumstances, to lay an embargo, than arm in defense of our carrying trade”, placed the society into the center of national and local political controversy. Each party apparently sent many supporters, and between four hundred and five hundred people attended, by far the largest number to that point. Although the chairman for the event, John Swartwout, was a Republican and sought to promote the embargo over defense measures, the Federalists predominated, blocked proposals to postpone a decision, and obtained an overwhelmingly high vote in support of JA’s defense measures. Following the meeting the Federalists formed a committee to compose an address to the president and Congress. On the formation of the society, see Argus, Greenleaf’s New York Journal, 10 Mar. 1798. For additional depictions of the events at the meeting of 26 Apr., see Daily Advertiser (New York), 28 and 30 Apr.; New-York Gazette 28 Apr. and 1 May; “Leonidas,” and a satirical account signed by “Citizen Anti-Jacobin,“ both in the Commercial Advertiser (New York), 28 Apr.; and the response to “Leonidas“ by “L“ in Greenleaf’s New York Journal and the New-York Gazette and General Advertiser, both 2 May; the Time Piece (New York), 2 May; and “Z” responding to “Miltiades,” in Greenleaf’s New York Journal, 3 May 1798.
On the following Thursday, 2 May, the society met again and after discussing an “uninteresting question”, the Republican group called James Nicholson to the chair and sought to reverse the decision of the previous week on the question of arming for defense, but each side so interrupted the other that little could be accomplished. According to one Republican piece, the “friends of order” (Federalists) at the meeting “menaced” the Republicans, broke the banister and benches in the gallery and some of the glass in the neighboring doors. Most Republicans departed and the meeting adjourned. The society sought to restore its reputation by publishing a statement of its true purposes and a copy of its Constitution. See Greenleaf’s New Daily Advertiser (New York), 3 May and 5 May 1798, the latter of which included the comment that the truest criteria of the political wishes of the public would be seen in the New York election returns. See also Carey’s U.S. Record (Philadelphia), 8 May 1798.
A piece calling for the restoration of the society on proper principles appeared on 17 May, and a notice appeared for a debate to be held on 22 May. However, after such upheaval it appears the society ceased to function, as no further notices for its meetings appeared. Argus, Greenleaf’s New Daily Advertiser (New York), 17 May; Commercial Advertiser (New York), 22 May 1798.
3. John Swartwout (1770–1823), a New York City merchant and staunch supporter of Aaron Burr, was elected to the assembly in 1798. He is best known as Burr’s second in his duel with AH, and for a lengthy duel with DeWitt Clinton in 1802.
4. Matthew Livingston Davis, secretary for the Society for Free Debate, a printer, and an editor of the Republican New York newspapers Evening Post (1794–95) and Time Piece (1797–98), was a friend and strong supporter of Burr, and later his editor and biographer. See Jerome Mushkat, “Matthew Livingston Davis and the Political Legacy of Aaron Burr,” New-York Historical Quarterly 59 (April 1975), 123–48. The other pro-embargo speakers were probably one of two John Butlers, the first listed as a boot- and shoemaker, and the second as a lady’s shoemaker, and Dr. James Smith, brother of former chief justice William Smith (1728–93). See , 138.
5. One of the speakers on behalf of defense measures may have been Hugh McDougall, owner of a paint and oil shop at 92 Broadway. , 237. Neither Brown, the sensible Quaker, nor Howe, the Princeton student, has been identified.
6. For the address dated 30 Apr. by the committee members Jacob Morton, Ebenezer Stevens, John Cozine, Nicholas Evertson (1766–1807), a New York City lawyer, and Josiah Ogden Hoffman expressing support for JA’s measures, and JA’s reply of 8 May, see Daily Advertiser (New York) of 10 May and Spectator (New York), 12 May 1798.
7. Peter Robert Livingston (1766–1847), of Rhinebeck, Dutchess County, N.Y., a state senator, 1815–22, 1826–29, assemblyman, 1823, and lieutenant governor of N.Y., 1828.