Letters of delegates to Congress, 1774-1789, Volume 12, February 1 1779-May 31 1779

Delegates to Congress . Letters of delegates to Congress, 1774-1789, Volume 12, February 1 1779-May 31 1779
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John Jay to To: Caesar Rodney

Sir
Philadelphia 8 feb. 1779

Your Favor of the 4 Inst. was this Moment delivered to me, and shall be communicated to Congress as soon as they meet this Morning.(1) I congratulate your Excellency on the accession of your State to the Confederacy. It is an important Event, and must give Pleasure to those who wish to see our union compleat & stable.

I have the honor to be with Respect & Esteem, Your Excellency's most obed Servt,

John Jay.

Note: RC (Kungliga Biblioteket, Stockholm, Sweden).

1 Rodney's February 4 letter to Jay, announcing that the Delaware assembly had authorized its delegates to ratify the Articles of Confederation and that they would be so instructed as soon as a certified copy of the act was available, is in PCC, item 70, fols. 695-96. It was read in Congress on February 8, and Thomas McKean laid the state's ratification act before Congress on the 16th.JCC, 13:150, 186-88. For the assembly's expression of reservations to the Articles, which was "concurred in . . . previous to their passing a law to empower their delegates to sign and ratify the said articles of confederation," see JCC, 13:236-37; PCC, item 70, fols. 699-704; and Rodney, Letters (Ryden), pp. 293-95. Delaware declared that it was ratifying the document "notwithstanding the terms of the articles of confederation and perpetual union are considered as in divers respects unequal and disadvantageous to this State."