The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-04-10
OLD MASTERS-JOHN JAY
(Goodwin's Weekly

(Goodwin's Weekly
About the most perfect man of all
the immortals of '76 was John Jay,
about the most perfect model
for young men to fashion their lives
after.
His great grandfather was one of
those Hugenots who were forced to
flee from France by the revocation of
the treaty of Nantes He fed to
England his son fed from England
to America. This son married the
daughter of Balthazar Bayard of Bal
timore, another refugee. He settled
in New York, and dying left one son
and three daughters. The son became
the father of John Jay, who was born
in New York City December 18th,
1745. His father had left him a
large fortune for those days. He
was educated first by his gifted
mother, then entered Columbia col
lege and graduated at the head of
his class. Then he studied law with
Indy Murray of dictionary fame as
IA fellow student He was admitted
to the bar in 1853 and at once took
high rank in the profession. His
character had always been perfect,
and he was trusted implicitly. He
married Sarah Livingston, the
youngest daughter of William Liv
ingston, who was delegate to the
first continental congress and later
for many years governor of New Jer-
sey. jays wife seems to have been
about as nearly perfect woman and
wife as ever man was blessed with.
Jay was elected delegate to the
first congress, and in behalf of cong
ress wrote the ringing appeal of the
congress to the king, which Jefferson
declared was 1.-The production of the
finest pen in America"
When the organizing of the army
was begun Jay was rendered and &C
cepted the colonelcy of the second
regiment of militia of New York City,
but he never had chance to join
his regiment, for his sagacity, his
learning, his exact discrimination
and above all his eloquent voice and
pen could not be spared from cong
ress.
In 1877 Jap wrote a constitution
for the state of New York. He was
elected to preside over congress in
1871
He was sent as minister plenipoten-
tiary to Spain in 1873; in 1882 he
was commissioner together with
Franklin, John Adams and Henry
Laurens to negotiate treaty of peace
with Great Britain.
Arriving home, he found he had
been elected by congress to the office
of secretary of foreign affairs, a most
trying position at the time. He join
ed with Hamilton in advocating a
more central government, but no one
accepted more heartily than he the
new constitution.
In 1894 Jay was appointed envoy
extraordinary to Great Britain to re-
monstrate with that government
against its repeated violations of the
treaty of 1888, and finally negotiated
the treaty which bears his name,
which was really in part treaty and
in part commercial understanding.
Great Britain would not yield her
claim of a right to search foreign
ships for British sailors. 1t required
war eighteen years later to settle
that.
Before going to Europe, Washing
ton asked him to name any office in
his gift, and he chose that of chief
justice of the supreme court of the
United States and was at once APP
pointed and confirmed.
Returning from Europe a third
time, he-was elected governor of the
state Of New York and served six
years; then he retired from public
life, refusing all political offices
thereafter. He continued, however,
active In all religious and philian-
thropic movements until his death in
May, 1929, in the S5th year of his
age.
He had all the elements of great
ness-lawyer, writer, orator and
statesman.
He was one of the clearest reason
ers of his time, and always had the
full courage of his convictions.
His love for his native land was