John Jay to William Livingston, 22 March 1777
[Kingston 22 March 1777]
Dr Sir
Your obliging Letters of the 18 th : Ulto. and 3 d . Inst. after passing thro– various Hands & Places have ^ were ^ at Length arrived were delivered to me two Days ago– 1 Your ^ elegant ^ Panegyrick 2 on the amiable Character & benevolent of Designs of his Britannick Majesty meets with General approbation and some have do not hesitated to predict that it may influence him will stimulate the gracious prince to embrace the first Opportunity of exalting you. When I read On reading the Proclamation against picking & stealing 3 I could not forbear wishing there had been one pasted on the foreheads of [ Western Bound ?] ^ some of our late Eastern Protectors. ^ Nothing but the Chance of these Psalm singing [ things ?] their being predestined to go to Heaven, can save them from a Campaign in the opposite Regions– The least they can with Justice expect ^ expect with any Degree of modesty ^ is to be decimated– 4 They seem to ^ have ^ act d , as if they thought themselves Ten[an] ts . in common in all the Good Things they met with, and that posterior instead of prior occupancy enabled them to hold in Severalty. 5 Some of them perhaps may verify the above a prior Paragraph in Property belonging to the [ illegible ] & by way of [ illegible ] Conscience that wont sleep Sound. The People both Friends and Enemies appear to have [ illegible ] with each other in raiding West Chester or [ illegible ] for Want of Property [ illegible ] remarkable for want of Godliness . 6
The aff[ectiona]te. Manner in w h . you speake of our little Boy is very obliging I hope he may live to thank you for your kind Attention and to deserve it. Sally–s Rheumatism continues now & then to pay her short visits; her Health however is much mended, and I flatter myself the approaching season will remove all her fears on that Head. and perfect her Recovery .
At a Time when the most strenuous Efforts are necessary to our political Salvation it is to be regretted that any of our measures sh d bear the Marks of feeble or dispirited Councils– Your militia bill shd. ^ have ^ been framed as to give Birth to strong & decisive executive powers– I should have thought the Spirit of the Speech would have diffu added to the Remembrance of the barbarous Ravages of the Enemy w d . have diffused thro– the Legislature a Degree of Resent mt ^ Determination ^ & Enthusiasm which wh wd have been productive of Regulations better adapted to the Times. 7
Our Attention [ We are engaged in the most important Of all Endea ?] ^ Our Convention has now ^ under Consideration the Report of of the Com[mitte] e for preparing a Form of Gov t . for this State, and unless ^ my ^ Expectations are very ill Founded, the Pe [ ople ] our Constituents will have great Reason to be satisfied
The Impartial Intelligencer does Honor to the wit as well as the invention of its Author. 8 But if lying be a Sin he as well as Hugh Gaine will be damned beyond the power of Redemption. I confess his lyes [ illegible ] than those of the other and perhaps on that Score at least with Whigs will May escape Reprehension
Our printer for £200 per a year besides Subscriptions can afford only to publish a two penny half Sheet, filled with for the most part with accounts of desertions [ rather ?] for w h he is paid, instead of interesting publications by w h the public might be gratified, and for which he cannot find Room – 9 These ^ & other ^ circumstances ^ considerations ^ have induced the Convention to take Holt into their service, & when he begins to print I may probably have the pleasure of sending you a Paper worth reading– I am my D r Sir With the ^ greatest ^ Respect & Esteem Your most ob t . Servt.