The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-15

Spain, as q negOtlator or the famous
peace for independence in 1882, as Sec
rotary for foreign affairs from 1854 10
/ 1889. as first chief justice of the United
States from 1883 to 1874. as the maker
of the noted Jay Treaty" of 1874. and
as governor of New York from 1876
I to 1898. Throughout this great career,
whether he be regarded as man, as q
! diplomat, as jurist, as statesman,
or as publicist. Jay may confidently
be pronounced one of the nob!est and
ablest public men in the annals of
America.
John Jay was of Dutch and French
Huguerot descent. He was born in
New York City on Dec. IL, 1745. He
graduated from Kings college, now CO.
lumbia, in 1764, and four years later,
after hard study in law. he was adj
rnitted to the bar. Already the contro-
versy was on which led TO the Ameri
can revolution. Jay was of WING
family His fathers had fled from
France and Holland in protest against
acts of royal prerogatlye and tyranny.
4 In 1774 jay married Livingston. rep
resentative of another wing family OF
prominence in America: and, thus. we
see. that Jays antecedents, associations
and inclinations all combined to lead
him to throw himself into the cause of
American independence. Jays cpnser-
as he thought. would most effectually
unite his countrymen in resistance to
parliamentary aggressions. But when
his country was once committed he
committed himself fully to his coun7
try's cause. He threw himself without
reserve into the revolution and in his
ardent patriotism he was now ready to-
punish with imprisonment and exile the
tory who opposed his country after his
!, cd d-ax t-T1 in tho 1hrgoG
of war. Such was Jay as patriot of
the revolution.
Mission to Spain.
BY a secret article annexed to the
famous treaty of alliance between
France and the United States of 177S,
u right was reserved TO Spain of acced-
ing to this treaty whenever she might
think proper. Congress was anxious to
strengthen our foreign alliances. Ac-
ccrdingly on Sept. q, 1II9, Jay was
appointed as minister to Spain to ne
gotiate a treaty of alliance. amity and
commerce-that is, TO induce Spain to
come into the same relation with us as
France had come.
IF his catholic majesty (the king of
SPAIN shall accede 10 the treaties and
in concurrence with France and the
United States continue the present war
with Great Britain. if he shall obtain
the Fioridas from Great Britain, these
United States will guarantee the same
to his catholic majesty; provided al
ways that the United States shall. en-
joy the free navigation of the River
Mississippi into and from the sea. You
are particularly to endeavor TO obtain
some convenient port, or ports, below
the 31st degree OF north latitude on the
River Mississippi, free for all merchant
vessels goods, wares and merchandise
belonging to the inhabitants of these
states"
These words from the instructions of
congress 10 Jay indicate particularly.
though only partially. the purpose of
congress in this Spanish mission. A
port on the Mississippi. or the naviga-
ton of that river to the sea, was the
subject of diplomatic contention be-
tween us and Spain for more than
twenty years during and following our
revolution To the western settlers
there was no other subject of equal
Importance. But to the people down
east the great interior seemed so vast
and far away that they supposed II
must be settled only very slowly, and
that generations must pass before its
commerce would be worth considering.
Negotiations for Independence, 1882.
In the face of Spanish delays and
evasions Jays mission dragged its
weary and fruit,ess way along until, in
lisp. he was transferred to Paris to aid
Franklin and Adams in negotiations for
our independence. In these negotia-
lions we find Jays most brilliant and
diplomatic triumph--a triumph most
worthy of himself and his country.
With Adams and Franklin he won the
Ohio valley and our boundary on the
Mississippi and the lakes. The full
story of this really brilliant diplomacy
is too long for these columns. and We
can but Indicate the adverse scheme
which. he circumvented, and the results
which, with his colleagues. he did so
much to achieve.
Jays experiences in Madrid had re-
vealed to him the animus of the Span
ism and French courts. He suspected