From John Jay to Samuel Miller, 28 February 1800
To Samuel Miller
Albany 28 Feb. 1800
Sir
Accept my thanks for the Sermon on the Death of General Washington, which you was so obliging as to send me.1 In my opinion it abounds in excellent sentiments, well arranged and expressed.
writing thus freely, I think it candid to observe, that in some instances Ideas are2 conveyed, which3 do not appear to me to be correct. such for instance, as “our glorious Emancipation from Britain.[”] The Congresses of 1774 and 1775 regarded the People of this country as being Free; and4 such was their opinion of the Liberty we enjoyed so late as the year 1763 that they declared the colonies would be satisfied on being replaced in the political situation in which they then were. It was not untill after the year 1763 that Britain attempted5 to subject us to arbitrary Domination. We resisted the Stamp act with Energy & Success; and when afterwards she claimed to bind us in all Cases whatsoever, the same Spirit of Resistance animated our Councils & our Conduct. When she recurred to arms to put a yoke upon us, we recurred to arms to keep it off— A struggle ensued,6 which produced the Revolution, and ended in an entire Dissolution of the political ties which had before subsisted between the two Countries. Thus we became a distinct7 nation; and I think Truth will justify our indulging the Pride of saying, that we and our ancestors8 have kept our necks free from yokes, and that the term Emancipation is not applicable to us.
Speaking of the measures of General Washington’s civil administration, you observe,9 and so is the Fact, “that there is less unanimity among his countrymen with Respect to these, than with respect to his military services”10 But do Facts warrant our ascribing11 this Diminution of unanimity12 entirely to Doubts respecting the wisdom of those measures?
The Revolution found and left only two13 Parties. vizt. the whigs, who succeeded; and the Tories, who were suppressed. The former were unanimous in approving the leading measures, both civil & military, which gave them victory.14 When the adoption of the new Constitution afterwards came into question, the Whigs divided into two Parties, one for, and the other against it. The Party for the Constitution prevailed, and they have, with as great unanimity, approved of15 General Washingtons civil, as of his military measures. The Party opposed to the Constitution,16 disapproved of the Governmt. established by it, and there are very few of the important measures of that Governmt. which have escaped their Censure.17
I take the liberty of18 making these Remarks from the Respect I have for your Talents, and19 an opinion that with due Circumspection, they will promote the great interests of Truth, virtue, and rational Liberty—20 Receive them therefore, as marks of the Esteem with which I am Sir your most obt. servt
John Jay
ALS, NjP: Samuel Miller (EJ: 04067). Endorsed. Dft, NNC (EJ: 12796); WJ, 2: 292–93; HPJ, 4: 261–62. Only significant excisions in the Dft have been noted.
JJ enclosed this letter in one sent to PAJ, with instructions for his son to “read seal and deliver it” to Miller. See JJ to PAJ, 3 Mar. 1800, ALS, IaU (EJ: 13348).
1. Miller sent JJ a copy of his pamphlet, Sermon on the Death of Washington, with his letter of 20 Jan. 1800, above.
2. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “inadvertently”.
3. The Dft here reads “I do not think”.
4. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “they declared”.
5. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “by art and by force”.
6. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “and that struggle”.
7. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “and ascendant”.
8. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “for a long Course of Time”.
9. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “with great Truth”.
10. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “and the Reasons to which you ascribe for it are not unnatural”.
11. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “There is however a cause”.
12. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “which on Investigation will be found to have had and still to have great and general operation and Influence.”
13. The Dft here reads “primary.”
14. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “on the subject of the.”
15. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “the measures of.”
16. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “disliked it, and consequentially the Govt. have been less sparing of Censure than of Praise.”
17. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “Whether the one party does not probably commend and [illegible] relative to the administration of the national Govt. and there are indeed very few of its ^important^ measures which from they have generally and uniformly commended as wise and proper.”
18. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “suggesting these”.
19. Here, in the Dft, JJ excised “from a Belief that you mean to devote them to”.