John Jay Papers

To John Jay from Henry Glen, 22 June 1798

From Henry Glen

Philadelphia 22d. June 1798.—

Dear Sir

This a Companies an other Communication sent by message by the president of the United States to Both Houses of Congress on the 18th. Instand—

we received this morning a message from the President with two Letters the One from Mr. Gerry & the Other from Messr Talleyrand What has been passd Between them Since the Departure of Generals Marshall & Pinckney which I shall Forward to you as Soon as they are printed.1 I have done all whats necesary to be done in Regard of Mr. Van Rensselier. According to your request in your letter I Calld Immeiady [Immediately] on the Secy. of war & showd. him your letter to me he Gave for Answer that due Atention would be paid to the Accommadation2 I am Sorry to See this morning the names of the Members who are Relected to Congress I find Messrs. Williams & Broock out & two men in their Room who I do not like a Judge Thompson from Still water in the Room of Mr Williams & a Mr. Baley from Dutches County in the Room of Mr. Broock3 Our new Senater Comes On Very well4 General Marshall was receivd in Great style into this City he was meat about 6 Miles from the City by the Secy of State & Mr Bingham in the latters Coach &c. & three Companys of Light horse & Thousand spectators Bells in the City Ringing which is Not a small[?] number Great was the sight Next morning the Members of Congress in a Body whent to see him at his Loadging. On Saturday he is to dine with the Members of Congress there is a dinnir Providing for the purpose.5 I am afraid we will have to Go to war with our faithfull alies. I am Dr Sir yours Sincerely—

H Glen

The Honble John Jay Esqr

ALS, NNC (EJ: 08649). Henry Glen, a Schenectady merchant, former deputy quartermaster general, and former commissioner on Indian affairs, was a delegate to the House of Representatives from 1793 to 1801.

1For JA’s message of 18 June submitting a dispatch from the envoys extraordinary to the French Republic, and his message of 21 June, submitting a letter from Elbridge Gerry of 16 Apr., with copies of Talleyrand to Gerry, 3 Apr., and Gerry’s reply of 4 Apr. 1798, see Annals description begins Annals of the Congress of the United States (42 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1834–56) description ends , 7: 581, 585–86; 8: 1971–72, 2029–31. Congress ordered five hundred of each to be printed. They were printed along with JA’s earlier message on the XYZ Affair in Instructions to the envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary from the United States of America, to the French republic, their letters of credence and full powers, and the dispatches received from them relative to their mission. Published by the secretary of state, in conformity to the resolutions of Congress, of the 22d June 1798 (Philadelphia, 1798; Early Am. Imprints description begins Early American Imprints, series 1: Evans, 1639–1800 [microform; digital collection], edited by American Antiquarian Society, published by Readex, a division of News-bank, Inc. Accessed: Columbia University, New York, N.Y., 2006–19, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/ Early American Imprints, series 2: Shaw-Shoemaker, 1801–1819 [microform; digital collection], edited by American Antiquarian Society, published by Readex, a division of Newsbank, Inc. Accessed: Columbia University, New York, N.Y., 2006–19, http://infoweb.newsbank.com/ description ends , series 1, no. 34838).

2See JJ to Glen, 2 June 1798, Dft, NNC (EJ: 08978), regarding a position as sailing master on one of the new U.S. armed vessels for Killian Henry Van Rensselaer (1769–1801). At this time AH also wrote to TP on Killian’s behalf. Killian was the son of Henry Killian Van Rensselaer (1744–1816), a revolutionary war general, and brother of Solomon Van Rensselaer (1774–1852), an army officer who was wounded while serving with Anthony Wayne against the Ohio Indian Confederacy and future congressman (1819–22), whom JJ appointed Adjutant General in 1801. Killian obtained a commission as lieutenant in the Navy on 7 Jan. 1799. He was killed in a duel with a British officer in Hispaniola in March 1801. Executive Journal description begins Journal of Executive Proceedings of the Senate (Washington, D.C., 1828) description ends , 1: 302–3; PAH description begins Harold C. Syrett et al., eds., The Papers of Alexander Hamilton (27 vols.; New York, 1961–87) description ends , 21: 494, 495nn2–4; Catharina Van Rensselaer Bonney, A Legacy of Historical Gleanings (2 vols.; Albany, 1875), 1: 155–56.

3In New York’s 1798 congressional election for District 5 (Dutchess County), the Republican candidate Theodorus Bailey defeated the incumbent Federalist David Brooks by a tally of 1,502 to 1,192 votes. In the same election for District 7 (Clinton, Saratoga, and Washington Counties), Republican John Thompson (1749–1823), unseated Federalist John Williams by a tally of 2,197 to 1,569 votes. A New Nation Votes description begins A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825 https://elections.lib.tufts.edu/ description ends (accessed Aug. 2019).

4William North. See JJ to William North, 25 June 1798, and note 1, below.

5John Marshall (1755–1835), who had recently returned from France, was received with great fanfare in Philadelphia for his role as envoy in the XYZ affair. See Federal Gazette (Baltimore), 20 June (supplement), and 23 June 1798 (supplement).

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