To John Jay from Robert Troup, 27 May 1792
From Robert Troup
New York Sunday 27 May 1792
My dear Sir,
My last, addressed to you at Portsmouth, informed you of the machinations of the virtuous & patriotic democrats to deprive their fellow citizens of their free suffrages.1 These machinations are still prosecuted with an industry & zeal common to men engaged in a bad cause. On our side we are making every arrangement within our power to compel a fair & honest canvass of the votes. Last night my friend Lawrence transmitted me from Philadelphia Mr. Lewis’s opinion upon a very particular state of facts which Mr. Hoffman & I had drawn up.2 The opinion of this sound Lawyer is decidedly with us & perhaps it is favorable to an excess—
General Schuyler who is now in Town & Mr. Jones3 cannot bring themselves to believe that the Otsego votes will be rejected. They suppose that Clinton’s friends amongst the canvassers will be afraid to place his success upon such slipping & dangerous ground— I confess however that I have serious apprehensions that no motives what ever will be sufficiently powerful to restrain them from so flagrant an attack upon the rights of election— In the course of three years longer administration Melancton Smith (who is one of the canvassers) and his worthy colleagues may reap another golden harvest in the Western parts of the State4— All your friends are more & more confirmed in their belief that you now have in the Secretary’s office a decided majority of votes— I am so satisfied of the fact myself that my Mind, if I had confidence in the integrity of the canvassers, would be in a state of perfect tranquility5—
Our friend James Creighton— his wife & family have come to settle here— I have been several times to see them— I have offered & mean to render them every service in my power— From appearances I conjecture they are in distress— Few of our Soldiers in the field during the late war reaped more laurels than Mrs. Creighton did within the British lines in her conflicts with the Tory ladies. As an old veteran therefore in affliction she is deserving of every attention we can shew her6—
I have nothing new from Dr. Ramsay.7 This day I set off for West Chester County Court & shall not probably return till Saturday next— I shall not write to you again till Sunday— God bless you— Your affectionate friend,
Rob. Troup
Honble John Jay Esqr
1. Troup to JJ, 20 May 1792, above.
2. See William Lewis’s opinion dated 25 May 1792, in , 8.
3. Samuel Jones, one of the committee of canvassers who supported considering the contested ballots valid.
4. Melancton Smith, one of the canvassers who voted to invalidate the contested ballots, was one of the Clinton supporters who benefitted from state sales of western lands on easy terms in 1791, about which the legislature conducted an investigation. See , 195–97.
5. On the contested election, see the editorial note “The Disputed Election of 1792,” above.
6. On JJ’s assistance to James Creighton, see Creighton to JJ, 2 Sept. 1791, and notes. Creighton’s wife was Anna Maria Ogden.
7. On the effort to obtain payment from Ramsay, for whom JJ had cosigned a bond, see JJ to Troup, 25 May, above.