To John Jay from Edward Rutledge, 8 June 1776
From Edward Rutledge
Saturday Evening 10 o’clock [8 June 1776]
My dear Jay
I am much obliged to you for your Introduction of Mr: Merckle. He will tell you what has been done in Consequence of it—I have shewn him all the Civility in my Power—I fear in the present Situation of Affairs we will not be able to give the Dutch such Security as will induce so cautious a Power to part with that which they consider the first Blessing—1
The Congress sat till 7 o’clock this Evening in Consequence of a Motion of R.H. Lee’s resolving ourselves free & independent States.2 The Sensible part of the House opposed the Motion. They had no Objection to forming a Scheme of a Treaty which they would send to France by proper Persons, & uniting this Continent by a Confederacy. They saw no Wisdom in a Declaration of Independence, nor any other Purpose to be answered by it, but placing ourselves in the Power of those with whom we mean to treat, giving our Enemy Notice of our Intentions before we had taken any Steps, to execute them & there by enabling them to counteract in our Intentions & rendering ourselves ridiculous in the Eyes of foreign Powers by attempting to bring them into an Union with us before we had united with each other—For daily experience evinces that the Inhabitants of every Colony consider themselves at Liberty to do as they please upon almost every occasion—And a Man must have the Impudence of a New Englander to propose in our present disjointed State any Treaty (honourable to us) to a Nation now at Peace. No Reason could be assigned for pressing into this Measure, but the Reason of every Madman a Shew of our Spirit—the Event however was that the Question was postponed—it is to be renewed on Monday when I mean to move that it should be postponed for 3 Weeks or a Month—in the mean Time the plan of Confederation & the Scheme of Treaty may go on. I don’t know whether I shall succeed in this Motion; I think not, it is at least Doubtful—3 However I must do what is right ^in my own Eyes^ & Consequences must take Care of themselves—I wish you had been here—The whole Argument was sustained on one Side by R. Livingston Wilson Dickinson & myself, & by the Power of all N. England, Virginia & Georgia on the other—4 Remember me to Morris affectionately. I would have wrote to him, but did not know of this conveyance until a few Minutes ago, & am as you will see by this incorrect Letter too fatigued to hold my pen any longer than whilst I tell you how sincerely I esteem & love you—Yrs affect.
E. Rutledge
ALS, NNC (EJ: 7084). Endorsed. The substance of Rutledge’s letter permits assigning the date of 8 June. Tr, NN: Bancroft (EJ: 1096).
1. Although the Secret Committee rejected Merckle’s original proposals on 6 June, he subsequently received a contract. See , 4: 155–56, and JJ to Duane, 29 May 1776, above.
2. On Friday, 7 June, Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion declaring that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States . . . and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be totally dissolved.” Lee introduced two other resolutions at the same time, one declaring the expediency of forming “foreign Alliances” and the other recommending that “a plan of confederation” be prepared and submitted to the provinces for ratification. , 5: 425.
3. The undated endorsement on Lee’s resolutions in DNA: PCC, item 23, 11, reads: “Resolved that it is the Opinion of this Com that the first Resolution be postponed to this day three weeks, and that in the mean time, least any time shd be lost in case the Congress agree to this resolution, a committee be appointed to prepare a Declaration to the effect of the said first resolution.” On Monday, 10 June, Congress resolved: “That the consideration of the first resolution [on independence] be postponed to this day, three weeks [1 July], and in the mean while, that no time be lost, in case the Congress agree thereto, that a committee be appointed to prepare a declaration to the effect of the said first resolution.” The following day, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman (1721–93) of Connecticut, and Robert R. Livingston were named to this committee. , 5: 428–29, 431.
4. For the part played by Robert R. Livingston, James Wilson, and John Dickinson of Pennsylvania, see Thomas Jefferson’s notes on the debates of 7 and 8 June 1776, , 1: 309–13; , 4: 158–66.