University of Virginia Library

TO THEODORE SEDGWICK, JR.

Sir,—I have recd. your letter of Janyy. 27, wch. was
retarded a few days, by going in the first instance to
Richmond.

You ask "whether Mr. Livingston (formerly
Governor of N. Jersey) took an active part in the
debates (of the Fedl. Convention in 1787) and
whether he was considered as having a leaning towards
the federal party & principles;" adding "that you
will be obliged by any further information it may
be in my power to give you."

Mr. Livingston did not take his seat in the Convention
till some progress had been made in the task
committed to it; and he did not take an active part

in its debates; but he was placed on important
committees, where it may be presumed he had an
agency and a due influence. He was personally
unknown to many, perhaps most of the members; but
there was a predisposition in all to manifest the
respect due to the celebrity of his name.

I am at a loss for a precise answer to the question
whether he had a leaning to the federal party and
principles. Presuming that by the party alluded
to, is meant those in the Convention who favored
a more enlarged in contradistinction to those who
favored a more restricted grant of powers to the
Fedl. Govt. I can only refer to the recorded votes
which are now before the public; and these being
by States, not by heads, individual opinions are not
disclosed by them. The votes of N. Jersey corresponded
generally with the plan offered by Mr. Patterson;
but the main object of that being to secure
to the smaller States an equality with the larger in
the structure of the Govt. in opposition to the outline
previously introduced, which had reversed the
object, it is difficult to say what was the degree of
power to which there might be an abstract leaning.
The two subjects, the structure of the Govt. and the
quantum of power entrusted to it, were more or
less inseparable in the minds of all, as depending
a good deal the one on the other. After the compromise
which gave the small States an equality in one
branch of the Legislature, and the large States an
inequality in the other branch, the abstract leaning
of opinions would better appear. With those however

who did not enter into debate, and whose votes
could not be distinguished from those of their State
colleagues, their opinions could only be known among
themselves or to their particular friends.

I know not sir that I can give you any of the
further information you wish that is not attainable
with more authenticity & particularity from other
sources. My acquaintance with Govr. Livingston
was limited to an exchange of the common civilities,
& these to the period of the Convention. In my
youth I passed several years in the College of N.
Jersey, of which he was a Trustee, and where his two
sons, William & the late member of the Supreme
Court of the U. S. were fellow students. I recollect
to have seen him there in his capacity of Trustee,
and to have heard him always spoken of as among the
distinguished lawyers, and as conspicuous among
the literary patriots of N. J. I recollect, particularly,
that he was understood to be one of the authors of
a work entitled "The Independent Reflector," and
that some of the papers in it ascribed to him, being
admired for the energy & eloquence of their composition,
furnished occasionally to the students
orations for the Rostrum, which were alternately
borrowed from books & composed by themselves.

I regret sir that I have not been able to make a
more important contribution for the biographical
memoir you meditate. Wishing you all the success
in other researches, which the object of them merits,
I tender you my respectful and friendly salutations.