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4o6 CORRESPONDENCE AND PUBLIC PAPERS.
JAY TO EGBERT BENSON.
St. Ildefonso, 17th September, 1780.
Dear Benson :
I have written many letters to my friends in the
State of New York since I left America, but have not
yet received a single line from any of them. Is not
this a little hard ? Am I to suppose that all your
letters have miscarried, or that your attention has
been too much engaged by affairs at home to extend
to an old friend abroad ? Whatever is the cause I
assure you I regret it. While America continues the
theatre of the war, it is natural to desire intelligence
of what may be passing on it. This satisfaction I
seldom enjoy though I often ought.
As few private opportunities offer of conveying
letters to the other side, I frequently write by the
post. This letter will go that way. It must therefore be proportionately reserved. Indeed I make it
a rule to write on the subject of politics only to Congress, and though various other subjects present
themselves, yet as it is not the fashion in this country
either to let one's tongue or pen run very freely, I
think it best not to be singular. Your government
ought by this time to have received many of my letters
and, I may add, have answered some of them.
Has your legislature thought of their western
country ? I incline to think it time. By no means
sleep over Vermont. Our people would not apply
the maxim, obsta principiis, at first; further delays
will be equally unwise especially considering the
resolutions of Congress on that subject. I am told
| Title | The correspondence and public papers of John Jay - 1 |
| Creator | Jay, John |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000437 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | 4o6 CORRESPONDENCE AND PUBLIC PAPERS. JAY TO EGBERT BENSON. St. Ildefonso, 17th September, 1780. Dear Benson : I have written many letters to my friends in the State of New York since I left America, but have not yet received a single line from any of them. Is not this a little hard ? Am I to suppose that all your letters have miscarried, or that your attention has been too much engaged by affairs at home to extend to an old friend abroad ? Whatever is the cause I assure you I regret it. While America continues the theatre of the war, it is natural to desire intelligence of what may be passing on it. This satisfaction I seldom enjoy though I often ought. As few private opportunities offer of conveying letters to the other side, I frequently write by the post. This letter will go that way. It must therefore be proportionately reserved. Indeed I make it a rule to write on the subject of politics only to Congress, and though various other subjects present themselves, yet as it is not the fashion in this country either to let one's tongue or pen run very freely, I think it best not to be singular. Your government ought by this time to have received many of my letters and, I may add, have answered some of them. Has your legislature thought of their western country ? I incline to think it time. By no means sleep over Vermont. Our people would not apply the maxim, obsta principiis, at first; further delays will be equally unwise especially considering the resolutions of Congress on that subject. I am told |
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