John Jay autograph letter signed ("John Jay"). One page, 7.25" x 9.25", Madrid; May 27, 1780. Ambassador to Spain John Jay writes Gouverneur Morris a letter from Madrid, partially in code. Jay's letter to Morris, partially written in code, begins with thanks for Morris's letter of January 3, 1780, and requests that he continue sending him such letters. Jay also inquires if Morris's fatigue in writing in cypher keeps him from conveying news to friends. On the verso of the letter in an unknown hand is a notation transmitting the letter back to one of Jay's sons, presumably Peter Augustus Jay (1776-1843). It reads, "If I know anything of the Human heart he will one day prize every trace of his Father's pen." Jay's letter reads, in part: "Dear Morris I have recd. your Letter of 3rd. Jany. Your intelligence and Remarks are important and interesting. favor me with a continuance of them. You will oblige your friend & perhaps serve your country by it. was you tired of writing in Cypher? I suspect you was, by the Length of your Letter. Why so little of yourself, of our Friends, of that circle of lesser matters, which however unimportant on a great Scale, amuse and soothe our cares. Tell me whether you have recd. my new Cypher. Duplicates of it have been sent. Take the old ones at present...To reduce these matters to their former state is utterly impossible, therefore not to be attempted..." Signed, "John Jay." Gouverneur Morris, Jay's friend since childhood, was a favorite correspondent of John Jay (of all Jay's extant correspondence, only George Washington received more letters from Jay). The two worked closely during the Revolution and afterwards, exchanging numerous letters. Writing one month after he and his wife had settled in the capital of Spain, Jay is responding to Morris's letter of January 3, 1781 which conveyed good news that the governor of Havana would assist the American cause in the reduction of Florida, a circumstance that Morris believes will lead to the British losing all of their island possessions. In his letter, Morris reminded Jay that foreign financial aid is essential. As the U.S. ambassador to Spain, Jay's efforts to negotiate treaties with that country led to frustration as Spain refused to recognize the independence of the U.S. and was therefore not inclined to give financial aid. Fortunately, Jay was eventually able to secure a loan from Spain. Although Jay had been involved with various forms of secret writing since the Revolution began, his departure for Europe in 1779 occasioned an intensified interest in cryptography, an enthusiasm he shared with many of his contemporaries. Frequent interception of mail meant that encrypted correspondence, and the discussion of codes and ciphers in correspondence, occupied a notable amount of Jay's attention in Spain and France until just before the peace treaty in 1783. John Jay (1745-1829) served as the sixth president of the Continental Congress from December 1778 to September 1779 after succeeding Henry Laurens. He later became the first chief justice of the United States. He also served as one of George Washington's secretaries of state, a minister to Spain, a secretary of Foreign Affairs, and the governor of New York. He was a prominent member of the Federalist party during the 1780s and 1790s. Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816) served as a delegate for New York in the Continental Congress (1777-1778) and signed the Articles of Confederation in July 1778. He then attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 as a delegate for Pennsylvania (following his 1779 move from New York to Philadelphia). He signed the U.S. Constitution, of which he authored a significant amount, including the famous Preamble, on September 17, 1787. Morris was appointed U.S. Minister Plenipotentiary to France by President George Washington from 1792 to 1794 and served in the U.S. Senate from 1800 to 1803. Included with the letter are two engraved portraits by Johnson, Fry & Co. of John Jay and Gouverneur Morris. Condition: Scattered foxing. HID03101062020 © 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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