[Document, 1818 January 31]

This item is not available online. This description is provided as a citable reference to collections published without online content. This item may be unavailable due to copyright, contractual or privacy restrictions, or content may be added in the future if policy or ongoing digitization work permits. If you have questions, please contact a Libraries staff member.

Name: Jay, John, 1745-1829 (Author); Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848 (Addressee)
Title: [Document, 1818 January 31]
Abstract: Has not seen Mr. Wirt's book but will endeavor to give a plain statement of facts on the controversial passage. Quotes from the printed Journal of Congress, 1774, which records on 11 October the appointment of a committee, Lee, Livingston, and Jay, to prepare a memorial to the people of British America and an address to the people of Great Britain. Lee wrote the memorial while Jay, urged by Livings ton, wrote the address. On 19 October the address was debated in Congress and was re-committed in order that the amendments might be incorporated. The following Friday it was read and approved with amendments. There were insinuations at the time by one person that Livingston had written the address, but the design did not succeed. As to the petition to the King, only Adams can answer the questions on authorship as he is the only surviving member of that committee. Has no reason to doubt that Dickenson did not write the second petition to the King. Preparing an acceptable draft of the first petition was no easy task, as many members of Congress were afraid that not enough might be done or said.
Subjects: United States--History--1783-1865; Jay, John, 1745-1829
Format: correspondence
Genre: correspondence
Date: January 31, 1818
Physical Description: 4 pages
Language: English
Library Location: Browse Location’s Digital Content
Also In: The papers of John Jay
Copyright Status: No Copyright - United States
Persistent URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/wkms-hw88