248 



THE FRETs^CH BLOOD IN AMERICA 



Chief Justice 



President of 

 Congress 



Spain 1780 



Negotiating 

 Peace 1781 



gress for declaring the United Colonies free and independ- 

 ent States are cogent and conclusive ; and that while we 

 lament the cruel necessity which has rendered that 

 measure unavoidable, we approve the same, and while at 

 the risk of our lives and fortunes, join with the other 

 colonies in supporting it." 



Then the Kew York delegates at Philadelphia were 

 authorized to sign the Declaration. Jay served as one 

 of the Council of Safety in N'ew York, and later accepted 

 provisional appointment as Chief Justice of the State. 

 This appointment was confirmed under the constitution, 

 when adopted, but he was prohibited from holding any 

 other ofiBce except that of Congressional delegate "on 

 special occasion." Events now moved raj)idly and the 

 special occasion soon came in the secession of Vermont 

 from New Hampshire and New York. In December, 

 1778, Jay was sent to Congress, and elected its president. 

 He was the author of the letter, written in 1779 in the 

 name of the Congress, to the people of the States on the 

 subject of currency and finance. Then came a stress in 

 foreign affairs, and it was necessary to send abroad the 

 ablest men to be found. Jay was accordingly despatched 

 as plenipotentiary to Spain, arriving there in January, 

 1780. He resigned his chief justiceship and the presi- 

 dency of Congress to undertake a mission that proved 

 unsatisfactory, though through no fault of his ; he suc- 

 ceeded in gaining material help from Spain. 



In 1781 he was commissioned to act with Franklin, 

 Adams, Jefferson and Laurens in negotiating peace with 

 Great Britain. Thus two of the five members of that 

 most important diplomatic body were Huguenot descend- 

 ants. Jay arrived in Paris from Spain in June, 1782, 

 the provisional articles were signed November 30, 1782, 

 and the formal treaty on September 3, 1783. During 

 this period Jay was the one who '' evinced a jealous sus- 

 picion of the disinterestedness of France and a punctil- 

 ious attention to the dignity of his country " — perhaps 



