Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IX.djvu/602

582 JOHN JAY vices in this important negotiation we have the testimony of Adams, who says that all his col- leagues were very able and attentive, " espe- cially Mr. Jay, to whom the French, if they knew as much of his negotiations as they do of mine, would very justly give the title with which they have inconsiderately decorated me, that of le Washington de la negotiation ; a very flattering compliment indeed, to which I have not a right, but sincerely think it belongs to Mr. Jay." Jay quitted Paris in May, 1784, and arrived in his native city, July 24, after an absence from it of eight years. The freedom of the city was presented to him in a gold box, with an address by the corporation. He in- tended on leaving Europe to resume the prac- tice of his profession, but on reaching New York he learned that congress had appointed him secretary for foreign affairs. He was also, in the succeeding autumn, elected by the state legislature a delegate to congress. He took his seat in congress Dec. 6, and held it till Dec. 21, when he accepted the secretaryship for foreign affairs, and performed its duties for five years, till the adoption of the fed- eral constitution in 1789. In the conflict of opinion with regard to the constitution that should be formed, Jay shared in Hamilton's preference for a strong central government. When the constitution was formed, however, he urged its adoption with earnestness and ability, and wrote in its defence in " The Fed- eralist," in conjunction with Hamilton and Madison. In April, 1788, occurred the riot in New York, known as the doctors' mob, oc- casioned by violations of the grave for the Purpose of procuring subjects for dissection, everal physicians had been lodged in prison to protect them from the popular fury. The mob attempted to force the prison, and were resisted by Hamilton, Jay, and a body of citi- zens. In the conflict Jay received a wound in the temple, which confined him for some time to his bed and interrupted his contributions to " The Federalist." About the same time he was elected by a nearly unanimous vote a dele- gate to the New York state convention called to adopt or reject the proposed federal constitu- tion. The convention assembled at Pough- keepsie, June 17, 1788. Of its 57 members, 46 were opposed to the constitution ; but its adop- tion was advocated by Jay, Hamilton, and Robert R. Livingston, and after a warm debate of more than rive weeks, New York gave her assent to the Union by a vote of 30 to 27. President Washington tendered to Jay a choice of the offices in his gift. He preferred the chief justiceship of the supreme court of the United States, and was confirmed by the senate, Sept. 26, 1789. The first term of the court was held at New York in February, 1790. In 1792, at the April election, Jay was the federal candi- date for governor of New York, in opposition to George Clinton. Clinton was declared elected, the legislative committee rejecting on technical grounds the returns of three counties where Jay had large majorities. The federalists were greatly exasperated, and at many public meet- ings Jay was declared to be the rightful gov- ernor of the state ; but he counselled submis- sion to the letter of the law. In 1794 the difficulties between the United States and Great Britain, growing out of unsettled boundaries and the attacks of the latter power on Amer- ican commerce, became so serious that war was imminent. Washington wished to appoint Hamilton as special minister to England ; but such was the animosity against Hamilton in the senate, that he finally nominated Jay, who embarked at New York May 12, and reach- ed London June 15. He immediately entered into negotiations with Lord Grenville, the minister for foreign affairs, and a treaty was agreed upon, Nov. 19, 1794. It provided for constituting three boards of commissioners : one to determine the eastern boundary of the United States, by fixing on the river intended by the treaty of 1783 as the St. Croix; another to ascertain the amount of losses experienced by British subjects in consequence of legal im- pediments to the recovery of pre-revolutionary debts, that amount, when ascertained, to be paid by the United States ; and a third to esti- mate the losses sustained by Americans from illegal captures by British cruisers, those losses to bo paid by the British government. The amount subsequently recovered by Americans under this clause was $10,345,000. The west- ern posts occupied by the British were to be surrendered on June 1, 1796. There was to be a reciprocity of inland trade and intercourse between the North American territories of the two nations, including the navigation of the Mississippi, the British also to be admitted into all American harbors, with the right to ascend all rivers to the highest port of entry ; but this reciprocity did not extend to the admission of American vessels into British North American harbors or rivers. These articles were declared to be perpetual ; the following were limited to two years after the termination of the war in Europe : American vessels were to be admitted into British ports in Europe and the East In- dies on terms of equality with British vessels; Americans might trade to the British West In- dies in vessels not exceeding 70 tons burden, but without the right to transport from Amer- ica to Europe any of the principal colonial products ; British vessels were to be admitted into American ports on the same terms as those of the most favored nation. Privateers were to give bond,s to respond in any damages they might commit against neutrals. The list of articles contraband of war was to include, besides ammunition and warlike implements, all articles serving directly for the equipment of vessels, except unwrought iron and fir plank. No vessel entering a blockaded port was to be captured unless she had first been informed of the blockade and turned away. Neither nation was to allow enlistments within its territories by any third nation at war with the other ; nor