A few days later Jay was nominated to be Chief Justice and Thomas Jefferson to be Secretary of State, and both were commissioned September 26. Jay accepted at once, but continued to discharge the duties of Secretary of State for some months. Under date of October 13, Washington informed Jefferson of his appointment, and added that "Mr. Jay had been so obliging as to continue his good offices." Mr. Alden, he said, had the state papers and Mr. Remsen those relating immediately to foreign affairs.1 When this letter was written, Jefferson had not yet returned to America from his mission to France. Upon his arrival Jay wrote to him, December 12, congratulating him upon his appointment and recommending to him favorably "the Young gentlemen in the office."2 Jefferson accepted the office in the following letter to the President: Sir Monticello Feb. 14, 1790 I have duly received the letter of the 21st of January with which you have honored me, and no longer hesitate to undertake the office to which you are pleased to call me. Your desire that I should come on as quickly as possible is a sufficient reason for me to postpone every matter of business, however pressing, which admits postponement. Still it will be the close of the ensuing week before I can get away, & then I shall have to go by the way of Richmond, which will lengthen my road. I shall not fail however to go on with all the dispatch possible nor to satisfy you, I hope, when I 1 Dept. of State MSS., Miscl. Letters. 2 Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, III, 381. shall have the honor of seeing you at New York, that the circumstances which prevent my immediate departure, are not under my controul. I have now that of being with sentiments of the most perfect respect & attachment, Sir Your most obedient & most humble servant The President of the U. S.1 TH. JEFFERSON. Shortly afterwards he assumed office, the records were turned over to him, and the Department of State was fairly started in its career. 1 Dept. of State MSS., Miscl. Letters. CHAPTER V THE NEW DEPARTMENT D URING the interval between the inauguration of the President and the formation of the executive departments, the old departments performed such executive duties as were indispensable. On July 11, 1789, for example, "by the hands of Mr. Jay," Washington sent to the Senate for ratification a consular convention with France. On July 22, the Senate Resolved, that the Secretary of Foreign Affairs under the former Congress be requested to peruse the said convention and to give his opinion how far he conceives the faith of the United States to be engaged, either by former agreed stipu lations or negotiations entered into by our minister at the court of Versailles, to ratify in its present sense or form the convention now referred to the Senate. Jay reported July 25, as "The Secretary of the United States for the Department of Foreign Affairs, under the former Congress."" Even as late as October 3, 1789, Diego de Gardoqui, charged with negotiations for Spain, wrote to Jay: "Observing that you continue to exercise occasionally the office of Secretary of State," he announced that 1 American State Papers, Foreign Affairs, I, 89. he would leave Don Joseph de Viar in charge of negotiations while he should be absent. Jay replied October 7, 1789, that he would receive Mr. de Viar Circumstances having rendered it necessary that I should continue, though not officially, to superintend the Department of Foreign Affairs until relieved by a successor.1 On May 7, 1789, Jay submitted the estimates for the "Office of Foreign Affairs" to the "Commissioners of the Treasury." The "establishment of the office" was as follows: John Jay, Secretary of the United States for the 3500 John Pintard, Interpreter of the french language 250 150 Contingent Expences of the Office. These expences are somewhat uncertain. The amount of them from 24th May 1788 to 7th May 1789, including the allowance to the Interpreters of the Spanish, German and Dutch languages who receive at the rate of 2s per hundred words for translating is about Office rent 150 200 Dollars 5950 1 Dept. of State MSS., American Letters, IV. Foreign Ministers, &c, &c. The Honbl Thomas Jefferson, Esqr Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of France. William Short Esq' private Secretary to Mr. Jefferson The Honble William Carmichael Esqr Chargé des 9000 Qu. is Mr Carmichael's salary to be regulated by the Act of Congress of 4th October 1779, or by that of 11th May 1784? Thomas Barclay Esqr Consul General for France now Postage and Couriers have been uniformly charged and some other articles, and in a certain instance House Rent has also been charged, but not yet decided upon. The accounts are at the Treasury, and their amount in ordinary will furnish a Rule for estimating these contingent expences.1 Until there was a Secretary of State, letters to the President on such subjects as belonged to the State Department were sent by the President's secretary to Roger Alden: SIR, UNITED STATES January 12, 1790. I am directed by the President of the United States to transmit herewith to you, to be lodged in the office of State with other public papers under your care, and to be delivered to the Secretary of State whenever he may enter upon the duties of his office, the Form of the adoption and ratification of the constitution of the United States by the State of North 1 Dept. of State MSS., American Letters, IV. |