Description:

Philip Schuyler
Albany, NY, July 1, 1792
General Philip Schuyler ALS Re: John Jay's 1792 Gubernatorial Defeat "the late nefarious decession"
ALS

An autograph letter signed by Philip Schuyler concerning a visit from John Jay following his contentious gubernatorial election in New York. 1p of a bifolium, measuring 7.5" x 9", Albany, dated July 1, 1792. Signed "Ph: Schuyler" and addressed to Nicholas Low Esq. Schuyler apologizes for not being able to send a power of attorney due to multiple recent events, including the arrival of John Jay. Docketing on verso with a red wax seal. With flattened folds. Some chipping and tears at the edges and loss from where the wax seal was broken, affecting the text. Toning, soiling, and dampstaining throughout, affecting more text. Boldly signed.

Reading in part:
"…Jno Jay arrived here yesterday he was received with proper attention [illegible] entering the County, that and the various calls on me to assisting in the measures to [illegible] of the late nefarious decession prevent me from sending you the power of attorney. By this conveyance I shall embrace the next…Be so good as to send the inclosed to the post office & let me be charged with the postage hence."

Schuyler's mention of John Jay's visit was following the recent New York gubernatorial election in which John Jay was defeated by the incumbent, George Clinton. Soon after the election, accusations concerning the manner in which the April 13, 1792, election had been conducted appeared in the New York press. A majority of the canvassers who sat from May 29, 1792, until June 11 reported that Clinton had been elected by a majority of fewer than one hundred and fifty votes. A minority of the canvassers reported that Jay would probably have won the election if the ballots of Otsego, Clinton, and Tioga counties had not been disallowed on technicalities. Jay's supporters stated that he had a majority of five hundred in Otsego County alone. Although the ballots from the three counties which had been rejected by the majority of canvassers were burned shortly after the canvassers gave their reports, criticism of the legal grounds on which the majority report of the canvassers was based continued until the legislature concluded its investigation in January, 1793. While he had been defeated in 1792, Jay would go on to become the Governor of New York, succeeding George Clinton, in 1795.

Following his defeat, Jay was escorted from Lansingburgh, New York to "the seat of General Schuyler, where the whole company were most hospitably and politely regaled" [the Federal Gazette (Philadelphia), 7 July 1792]. In the same issue was a report datelined June 29, 1792, asserting that "several thousand of his most zealous friends are determined to honor and escort him, as Governor of the State of New-York. Such a procedure, should it not be in the power of Mr. Jay to discourage it, will probably, at least, produce broken bones and battered noses."

Philip Schuyler (1733-1804) was an American Revolution Major General and father-in-law to Alexander Hamilton. When the war ended he remained in public service throughout most of his life. He lost his Senate seat to Aaron Burr in 1791, and it is theorized that this may be a source of the discord which arose between Burr and Hamilton. Schuyler would take back his seat from Burr in the election of 1796.

Nicholas Low was a New York City merchant and a director of the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 7.5" x 9"
  • Medium: ALS

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