From John Jay to Gouverneur Morris, 17 July 1783
To Gouverneur Morris
Passy 17 July 1783
Dr. Morris
I have recd. your two Letters from you—one of the 29 Apr. by Col. Ogden—the other of 30 May by Capt. Barney— I am glad to see the Col. and shall readily do him any Service in my power, as well on acct. of your Recommendation as his own Merit—1
By this Time I suppose there is much canvassing for foreign appointments— I thank you for thinking of me—but as I mean to return in the Spring, your arrangmts. so far as it respects me must be altered— Upon this point I am decided, and I beg of you to tell my Friends so—
Orders are gone to evacuate New York. The present british Ministry are duped I believe by an opinion of our Discussion ^not havg Dicision^ & Energy sufficient to regulate our Trade so as to retaliate their Restrictions—our ports were opened too soon—let us ^however^ be temperate as well as firm2
our Friend Morris I suspect is not a Favorite of this Court—they say he
treats them as his Cashier—3 they refuse absolutely to supply more money— Marbois writes much tittle Tattle, and I believe does mischief— Congress certainly shd remove to some interior Town,4 and they shd send a Minister forthwith to England.5 The french Emb[assador]. at Petersburgh6 has thrown cold Water on Danas Reception ^being recd before a peace^ This I regard a Policy of this court ^The^ Ministers to of this Court are Desciples ^are qualified to act the part^ of Proteus the Nation however is ^I think is basically really^ with us, and the King is ^seems to be^ well intentioned ^disposed^—
Mrs. Jay presents you her Compts. Sr Jams is here yet why I dont know7 Adieu Yours sincerely
The Honble Gr Morris Esqr
Dft, NNC (EJ: 8339). Endorsed: “ . . . in ansr. to 29 Ap. and / 30 May last / by the Washington / Cap. Barney”.
1. Gouverneur Morris’s letter of 29 Apr. 1783 has not been found; for his letter of 30 May 1783, see above. Col. Matthias Ogden of the New Jersey Line, on leave for a business trip, carried private letters and public dispatches including the official copy of RRL’s letter to the American Peace Commissioners announcing that Congress had ratified the provisional peace treaty. In October 1783 Ogden returned to America with news of the signing of the definitive peace treaty. See Ogden to Washington, 14 Apr., DLC: Washington; and to President of Congress, 30 Oct. 1783, DNA: PCC, item 78, 17: 361; , 7: 757n, 760, 761n.
2. See “Negotiating a Trade Agreement” (editorial note) on pp. 373–86; and Edward Bancroft to JJ, 12 Aug. 1783, below.
3. See JJ to Robert Morris, 20 July 1783, below; and , 8: 303–4.
4. Congress fled Philadelphia at the end of June as a result of the Philadelphia Mutiny, on which see the notes to JJ to William Livingston, 19 July 1783, below. For discussions about where Congress should relocate, see , 8: 662–68.
5. On the need to send an American minister to Britain, see , 14: 239–45; and , 16: 249. For Gouverneur Morris’s opinion on the matter, see his letters to JJ of 30 May, above, and 25 Sept. 1783, below; and , 8: 542–50.
6. Charles Olivier de Saint-Georges, marquis de Vérac, on whom see , 14: 62, 137–38, 195, 286, 294–95, 318–19.
7. See “Sir James Jay: Revisited” (editorial note) on pp. 275–77.