From John Jay to Alexander Hamilton, 27 August 1800
To Alexander Hamilton
Albany 27 Augt. 1800
Dear Sir
I recd. and answered your Letter of the 19 Inst: on Monday—1 Yesterday I found the Instructions, & immediately wrote to you a Letter containing a Copy of the Paragraph in question.2
My Search for the Letter of which I made the use you mention, was fruitless until this morning, when I found it, and now enclose a Copy—3 It does not quite answer your Expectation as to the Opinion— But I know and am ready to certify that you gave me in Substance the opinion you mention vizt. that unless an arrangement on solid Terms could be made with G. Britain, it would be better to do nothing Yours
John Jay
ALS, with enclosed copy in JJ’s hand of AH to JJ, 4 June 1794, DLC: Hamilton (EJ: 10797). DftS, NNC (EJ: 05654); PAH, 25: 96.
1. AH to JJ, 19 Aug. 1800, above.
2. For the letter containing a passage taken from the instructions sent to the American peace commission in Paris, see JJ to AH, 26 Aug. 1800, above.
3. At the close of his letter, JJ included a copy of the letter that AH had sent to him on 4 June 1794. For this letter, see , 6: 15–16. JJ erred, however, as he had sent AH the wrong document. The correspondence referred to, and requested by AH, was his letter to JJ dated 6 May 1794. For this letter, see , 5: 631–36.