361Extract from Melancton Smith’s Notes of Debates, 21 July 1788 (Jay Papers)
M r . Jay Standing Troops will be enlisted during the war—If they have command of the Mil[iti] a & want 20.000. they may raise 10.000 & depend upon 10.000 Militia— If you limit them they may be under a diff[icult]y— If they must call the Legisl[atur] e . it will. More safe, as it will prevent the necessity of standing Armies— Confidence for national affairs in nat[ional] gov[ernmen] t —for...
[ JJ seconds Melancton Smith’s motion for an amendment for an eight-year presidential term not subject to reelection. ] Jay— this amend[men] t . does not leave him sufficiently independent—… Jay— will not press— hardly knows how to chuse difficulties on every hand— A Gov[ernmen] t . as it was called operated in this state 20 Years ago— The Legislature & Gov r . play d into each others hands—...
363From John Jay to George Washington, 23 July 1788 (Jay Papers)
I wrote to you a few Days ago and enclosed a Copy of certain Propositions, or mode of adoption— great objections to it being urged it was withdrawn for the present — The Convention proceeded to Day in debating on the Plan of conditional amendment, some of the anti Party moved for striking out the word on Condition and substituting the words in full Confidence — It was carried 31 to 29 in the...
Jay— Most ardently wishes & hopes the business might be so carried thro’—it is no more a paper—but it is a government— let us be Unanimous in pursuing the Object—to get a convention—to reconsider the constitution thinks Gen t [lemen]. are at liberty to consider the circumstances that we are in— he himself wishes some amendments as well as others— wishes we may go hand in hand—to obtain them— …...
proposition of Yesterday read Jay rises—not to debate— yesterday gave the fullest Assurances that they meant to go hand in hand with us—& produces draft [of] a letter intended to be sent to the several states—… Jay— not very anctious—is willing to have it expressed as strongly as possible— even expressly reserving all the rights not granted in the constitution— AD , N : Gilbert Livingston ( EJ...
366John Jay’s Draft of the Circular Letter from the Convention of the State of New York to the Governors of the Several … (Jay Papers)
We the members of the Convention of this State, have deliberately and maturely considered the Constitution proposed for the united States. Several articles in it appear so exceptionable ^ to a majority of us ,^ that nothing but the fullest Confidence in of obtaining a Revision of them by a general Convention, and an invi[n]cible Reluctance to separating from our Sister States could have...
367From John Jay to Bourgoing, 29 August 1788 (Jay Papers)
accept my thanks for the obliging Letter which you did me the Honor to write on the 8 May last by Mons r . de Varville It gives me Pleasure to find that the Talents and attention ^zeal^ you manifested in the Conduct of affairs ^in Spain^ during a very interesting Period in Spain , have procured as well as merited the Rank you now enjoy— M r De Varville shall recieve from me all those Marks of...
368From John Jay to Lafayette, 1 September 1788 (Jay Papers)
The Society in this City for promoting the Manumission of Slaves & c . were much pleased to find that you was a Member of a Similar one at Paris. They have admitted you an Honorary Member of theirs, and I they will be happy sincerely wish that your Success ^generous^ Exertions in the Cause of Liberty ^Freedom^ & Humanity may continue to be crowned with Success— With Sentiments of real Esteem &...
The Secretary of the United States for the Department of foreign Affairs, to whom was referred a Motion of the Honorable the Delegates of North Carolina in the Words following, Viz ts . “Whereas many Citizens of the United States who possess Lands on the Western Waters, have expressed much Uneasiness from a Report that Congress are disposed to treat with Spain for the Surrender of their Claim...
On the 12 th . October last Congress was pleased, on a Report from the Board of Treasury, to resolve that the Balance of the Appropriation for the Barbary Treaties of the 14 th . February 1785 not then applied to that Object, be constituted a Fund for redeeming the American Captives at Algiers, and that the same be for that Purpose subject to the Direction of the Minister of the United States...