further Delay. To their Decission as made by the proper Tribunal, we must & can, with a degree of Honor, submit & a Decission by them will, in a great Measure, destroy the bad Effects which wou'd result from these Turbulent People establishing themselves in Defiance of their & our authority. They daily gain Strenghth at our Expence & the Divissions which this Dispute excite among ourselves, I fear will have an unhappy Effect on our public Councils. If they are to be a State, which I, however I deprecate, it is essentially our Interest that they shoud extend to Mason's Line as for the Reasons abovement'd, it will be our best Security ag't future Encroachments; besides in this Case, the Weight & Influence of governm't will be in the Hands of Sober, discreet People & many of them warmly attached to us. I am, my Dear Sir, yours Sincerely The hon'ble Major Genl. McDougall. [G. C.] [No. 3617.] Governor Clinton to Governor Trumbull in Regard to Legislation. Pokeepsie, 6th April 1781. Sir, I have had the Honor of receiving your Excellency's Dispatches of the 9th ultimo, and of communicating them to the Legislature & I have the Pleasure to inform your Excellency, that they have approved of the Proceedings of the late Convention held at Hartford, and agreably to the Reccomendation of Congress, signified by their different Acts of the 3d & 7th February, have by an act passed at their late Meeting, vested Congress with a Power of Levying Duties on the Importation of Foreign Merchandizes and on all Prizes & Prize goods brought into this State for the Purpose of raising a Fund for the Dis charge of the public Debts & the support of the War. I am at the same Time requested by the Legislature, to inform your Excellency, that as the principal Object which appears to have induced the former to recommend a second Convention is now removed by the Agents of his most Christian Majesty having already made Contracts with Individuals for supplying his Fleet & Army with such articles of Provission as this State afford, they conceive it unnecessary to appoint Commissioners to attend the Convention proposed to be held at Providence on the 12th Instant. I have also to acknowedge the Receipt of your Excellency's Letter of the 19th March. In addition to the several Laws of this State against Treason, another was enacted last Session which tho' not exactly simular to that received from your Excellency, is in the same Spirit & I have reason to hope will prove equally effectual, a Copy of which as soon as I can have it printed, I will do myself the Honor of transmitting to you. I am, with the highest Respect & Esteem Sir your most Obed't Serv't [To Governor Trumbull.] [G. C.] [No. 3618.] The Governor's Picture of the Condition of Affairs in this State to John Jay. Poukeepsie, 6th April 1781. Dear Sir, It is some Time since I have been favoured with your Letter of the 20th June, the third and last I have had the Honor of receiving since your Arrival in Europe. I have addressed three to your Excellency, my last the 1st of June Ultimo, I am sorry to find neither had been received tho I am not much surprized at the Misscarriage, as the Opportunities of Conveyance did not appear certain or direct. The particular Situation of this State has undergone no considerable Change since you left it, except by the Desolation of several of the Frontier Settlements, against which the British with their Savage allies, have carried on a barbarous depredatory War, the most of Tryon County & Schohary have been destroyed. They are not, however, abandoned, the Inhabitants having hutted themselves, continue to improve their Farms & assist in the general Defence. Your native County (Westchester) frequently experiences the Resentment of the Enemy, but seldom unrevenged. Its Militia often unsupported & left alone to resist the Enemy, have maintained their Ground beyond the most sanguine Expectation. Every Man, indeed every Boy, has become a Soldier, and I do not believe a superior Spirit of Bravery & Enterprize ever possessed a People, and I have the Pleasure to assure you this Description is equally applicable to the Inhabitants of Orange County South of the Mountains. A state, the Seat of War, exposed in every Quarter to the Incursions of the Enemy and excluded from Commerce as we are, you will naturally immagine must be greatly impoverished, but of this you will form a juster Idea than by any Description I can give you, if you estimate by the same Scale on which our Finances began gradually to diminish before you left America. Our Resources as a Nation are, however, yet great; we abound in Provission and the Prices in Specie are nearly the same as at the Commencement of the War. The Term for which the principal Part of our Army were engaged you will recollect expired last Winter. The Enemy impatiently awaited this Period in the fullest Confidence that a Dissolution of the Ameri can Army woud take Place without the Power of recruiting it. You have, I presume, seen the New Establishment of our Army. The Quota assigned to this State is one Regiment of artillery and two of Infantry & I am happy in being able to inform you that we (I speak of this State) are nearly compleat. I am not informed of the Success of other States. In this I have discovered as ready a Disposition to enter into the Service as at any Time since the Beginning of 1777, with this advantage, every Recruit we now engage has the Experience & habit of a veteran Soldier. The Situation of our Finances is perhaps the only Thing in humane probabillity that can distress us. I am pleased with your Plan of Trade. I am perswaded it woud have been Beneficial to the State & had a happy Effect on the Temper of the Inhabitants; but for many Reasons which I decline mentioned I fear it is too late to make the Essay. Genl. Schuyler is in the Senate, and on this account, & his own particular Desire, is left out of the Delegation. The Chancellor continues in as a special Delegate but has not attended since last Fall. Our Friend Morris,† resides at Philadelphia & pursues his Profession. I think his Election as a Member of this State in Congress at the next meeting of the Legislature, not improbable. The Controversy with the Inhabitants of the Grants is yet undecided but my last advices from our Delegates give me Reason to hope for a speedy & Just Decission. The Completion of the Confederation (on which I cordially congratulate you) will facillitate this Business. I begg you to offer my best Respects to Mrs. Jay, to whom as Robert R. Livingston. + Gouverneur Morris. The governor's surmise was not borne out, for Morris shortly after the above letter was written, was appointed assistant financier of the United States.-STATE HISTORIAN, well as to yourself, Mrs. Clinton wishes to be rembered. Believe me, D'r Sir, with great Sincerity your most Obed't Serv't [To John Jay.] [No. 3619.] [G. C.] The Governor Hopes the Vermont Business Will Soon be Adjusted. Pokeepsie, 6th April 1781. Dear Sir, I have been favoured with your Letters of the 7th & 20th Ultimo. I trust you will believe me, when I assure you I entertain a grateful sense of your repeated Marks of attention & feel unhappy in not being able to observe that Punctuallity in so agreable a Correspondence as I coud wish. The Legislature after a very Tedious Session adjourned on 31st Ultimo. I enclose you a List of the Titles of the several Laws they have enacted, which with the Copies transmitted to Congress & Official Letters, will give you a general Idea of the Business. The Cession made of the Western Territory is much approved on a Presumption that it will finally Establish our Western Boundary agreably to the Lines described by the Cession. The Conduct of the People on the Grants daily becomes more serious & I am perswaded must in the End convince Congress, that they ought long before this to have interposed. I have no Positive Evidence of a criminal Communication between them & the Enemy in Canada but there are Circumstances which sufficiently justify at least Suspicion. Chittenden & his Council, certainly opened a Correspondence with Gov'r Haldiman last Fall, & Flaggs under pretext of establishing a Cartel passed between them, when I believe it is a Fact, that they were not possessed of a single Prisoner to Exchange. It is equally certain that |