This office he beld with honor to himself, and to the credit of the community of wliicli he formed a part, until 1842 when he was relieved from the j)osition by Governor Bouck, in compliance witli tlie demand of that portion of the Democratic party whose sympathies were with the South and slavery, and on account of his plainly expressed views in favor of Abolition. From his earliest years he seemed destined to be a life-long defender of the right and a stern opponent of wrong, in whatever shape they appeared. As early as 1815 he was the means of organizing a temperance society, one of the first in the country, which, at the time, seemed likely to be overwhelmed with intemperance and its accompanying evils. He was one of the founders of the American I?il)le Society, and till the close of his life was one of the ablest and most devoted supporters of the institution, which has printed the word of God in almost every known language, and distributed it freely in every clime.

When the evils of slavery began to be one of the Tital questions of the time, the cause of human freedom found in Judge Jay an enthusiastic advocate. In 182() there was living in this county a freeman of color named Horton. Going to the city of Washington, he was there arrested as a fugitive slave and advertised for sale, to pay the expenses of his arrest and imprisonment. Providentially, a copy of the newspaper containing the advertisement came into the hands of Judge Jay, and he made ajiplicatiou to Governor De Witt Clinton to demand his release as a free citizen of the State of New York. This was one of the first events in the history of the great struggle against slavery, which ended only when battle-fields had been stained with the blood of its supporters.