Writings of George Washington

The armies of the United States being about to
be dissolved, the Commander-in-Chief takes leave of
them; their object attained much earlier than they
had reason to expect; their prospect of happiness
is unexcelled; good soldiers should be good citizens;
the public cannot fail to do them justice; exhorts
them to strengthen the union, and commends them
for their past conduct.

PAGE

229

To the President of Congress, 20 December, 1783

Inquires how and when he may resign his com-

mission.

235

To Baron Steuben, 23 December, 1783.

Commends his services in the Revolutionary War.

236

237

Address to Congress on resigning his commission,

23 December, 1783

Congratulates Congress on the favorable termina-
tion of the war, and retires from public life.

III

THE FORMATION AND ADOPTION OF THE

CONSTITUTION

To Alexander Hamilton, 31 March, 1783

Danger that State politics will result in the dis-

solution of the union; defects of the Articles of

Confederation; necessity for reform.

241

243

To the Marquis de Lafayette, 5 April, 1783.

Fears that local prejudices will interfere with the

formation of a proper national government.

To Dr. William Gordon, 8 July, 1783.

Danger that the country will fall into anarchy;

we are known to other nations only as the United

States; powers of Congress must be enlarged; a

Congress with adequate powers not a body to be

feared.

To Benjamin Harrison, Governor of Virginia, 18

January, 1784 .

244

248

State jealousies threaten the destruction of the

union; less danger from a strong central govern-
ment than from a weak one.

To James McHenry, 22 August, 1785.

Argues for the federal regulation of commerce;

disunion the greatest of evils; concession of trad-

ing privileges by Great Britain depends on our

ability to act as one nation.

To James Warren, 7 October, 1785

Fears we have not the wisdom to make use of the

opportunities offered us; the powers of the national

government must be enlarged, or we shall be re-

garded with contempt by other nations; the regula-

tion of foreign commerce requires a controlling

power.

To the Marquis de Lafayette, 10 May, 1786.

Evils of a democracy likely to work their own

cure; prospect of the adoption of the impost

amendment; the States are providing for a con-

vention to discuss the regulation of commerce; a

..ational convention for the general revision of the

Articles of Confederation is talked of by many.

To John Jay, 18 May, 1786.

Great need for amending the Articles of Confedera-

tion; this is prevented by wickedness rather than

ignorance; a disposition to do justice seems to be

wanting.

To John Jay, 1 August, 1786

Our violation of the treaty of peace; our affairs

approaching a crisis; additional powers must be

vested in Congress; such power not likely to be

misused; failure of requisitions on the States; a

monarchical government is suggested in some

quarters; his advice disregarded.

To Henry Lee, 31 October, 1786.

Insurrections in the Eastern States; real grievances

should be redressed; the authority of the govern-

ment should be exerted; if inadequate, all will be

convinced of the necessity of strengthening it.

To James Madison, 5 November, 1786.

Commends the condition of the federal government

to the serious attention of the Virginia legislature;

cites General Knox's report on the situation in

Massachusetts; an energetic government needed.

To Henry Knox, 26 December, 1786

Laments the disorders in Massachusetts; asks why

the Eastern States failed to attend the Annapolis

Convention; emission of paper money under dis-

cussion in Maryland; thinks the government of

Massachusetts may not have used the authority

vested in it for the preservation of order; Great

Britain will employ every opportunity to increase

the jealousy among the States and to foment

trouble with the Indians.

To John Jay, 10 March, 1787

Thinks the country must feel the evils of the

present government still more before revision of it

can be accomplished; the States' passion for power

and sovereignty will be adverse to it; nevertheless

he would try what the proposed national conven-

tion may accomplish; doubts whether he will at-

tend the convention.

To David Stuart, 1 July, 1787

Scandalous conduct of Rhode Island; New Hamp-

shire not yet represented in the convention; the

primary cause of all our disorders is the States'

tenacity of their power; diversity of opinion as to

the kind of government needed.

To Alexander Hamilton, 10 July, 1787.

Bad state of affairs in the convention; opponents

of a strong government are narrow-minded poli-

ticians or under the influence of local sentiments.

To Patrick Henry, 24 September, 1787.

281

Sends him a copy of the new Constitution; wishes

it had been a more perfect instrument, but thinks

it the best that could be obtained.

282

To Henry Knox, October, 1787.

Opposition to the Constitution; part of it is based

on self-interest, another part may be overcome; bad

effect of the refusal of Randolph and Mason to
sign the Constitution.

To Bushrod Washington, 10 November, 1787

Opposition to the Constitution appeals to the fears

rather than to the judgment of the people; the only

alternative to the adoption of the Constitution is

disunion; if nine other States adopt the Constitu-

tion, what should Virginia do; the Constitution not

free from faults; under it the power will always

be in the people.

To Edmund Randolph, Governor of Virginia, 8

January, 1788.

Opponents of the Constitution in the same State
cannot agree in their principles; amendment of
the Constitution before its adoption should not be
attempted.

To the Marquis de Lafayette, 7 February, 1788.

Seems miraculous that the delegates from so many

different States should have been able to agree

on a Constitution; the new instrument gives the

government no more power than is essential; dis-

tribution of power among the legislative, executive,

and judiciary departments; suggestion of a second

federal convention; the Constitution or anarchy.

To the Marquis de Lafayette, 28 April, 1788.