1781, the merchants and brokers of the southern states, apprehensive of the approaching fate of the currency, pushed immense quantities of it suddenly into New England; made vast purchases of goods in Boston, and instantly the bills vanished from circulation.

The whole history of this continental paper, is a history of public and private frauds. Old specie debts were often paid in a depreciated currency; and even new contracts for a few weeks or days, were often discharged with a small part of the value received. From this plenty, and the fluctuating state of the medium, sprang hosts of speculators, and itinerant traders, who left their honest occupations for the prospects of immense gains, in a fraudulent business, that depended on no fixed principles, and the profits of which could be reduced to no certain cal⚫culations.*

90. Shay's Insurrection in Massachusetts.

In the year 1786, an insurrection took place in Massachusetts. "A heavy debt lying on the state, and almost all the corporations within it; a relaxation of manners; a free use of foreign luxuries; a decay of trade; with a scarcity of money; and above all, the debts due from individuals to each other; were the primary causes of this sedition. Heavy taxes, necessarily imposed at this time, were the immediate excitement to discontent and insurgency."

The leader of the malcontents in Massachusetts, was Daniel Shays. At the head of three hundred men, he marched to Springfield, where the supreme judicial court was in session, and took possession of the court-house. He then appointed a committee, who waited on the court with an order couched in the humble form of a petition, requesting them not to proceed to

army of 4000 men was at length ordered out for their dispersion. This force was placed under the command of General Lincoln. His first measure was to march to Worcester; and he afforded such protection to the court at that place, that it resumed and executed its judicial functions. Orders were given to General Shepard, to collect a sufficient force to secure the arsenal at Springfield. Accordingly, he raised about 900 men, who were re-enforced by 800 militia from the county of Hampshire. At the head of this force, he marched, as directed, to Springfield.

On the 25th of January, Shays approached, at the head of 1100 men. Shepard sent out one of his aids to know the intention of the insurgents, and to warn them of their danger. Their answer was, that they would have the barracks, and they proceeded to within a few hundred yards of the arsenal. They were then informed that the militia were posted there by order of the governor; and that they would be fired upon, if they approached nearer. They continued to advance, when General Shepard ordered his men to fire, but to direct their fire over their heads; even this did not intimidate them, or retard their movements. The artillery was then levelled against the centre column, and the whole body thrown into confusion. Shays attempted in vain to rally them. They made a precipitate retreat to Ludlow, about ten miles from Springfield. Three men were killed, and one wounded. They soon after retreated to Petersham; but General Lincoln pursuing their retreat, they finally dispersed.

Some of the fugitives retired to their homes; but many, and among them their principal officers, took refuge in the states of New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York.*

91. Adoption of the Federal Constitution.

In pursuance of the request of Virginia, most of the states appointed delegates, who assembled at Annapolis,

Mrs. Willard's Hist. U. S.

September 14, 1786. But on examining their commissions, it was judged that their powers were too limited to enable them to accomplish any desirable purpose. They therefore adjourned, with instructions to advise the states to appoint agents with more ample powers, to meet at Philadelphia, the next year. Accordingly, delegates from the several states assembled in that city, in May, 1787, and appointed the venerable Washington for their president. That gentleman had retired to his farm in 1783, with a fixed determination never more to engage in public affairs; but he was selected by Virginia as one of the delegates on this important occasion, and pressed to accept the appointment. After four months' deliberation, the convention agreed to a frame of government for the United States, and recommended it to the several states for adoption.

The states referred the question of adopting the frame of government to conventions appointed for that express purpose. On that occasion, popular jealousy appeared in all its force. It was objected, that the plan of government proposed abridged the states of their sovereignty, and amounted to a consolidation. This was a fruitful theme of declamation, notwithstanding all the calamities that had arisen from the jealousies and clashing interests of the states, and a want of uniformity in public measures. Many other objections were urged, especially in the large states. At length, however, the proposed frame of federal government was accepted and ratified in 1788, by eleven states, and became the constitution of the United States. The first convention of North Carolina rejected it; as did the town meetings, to which it was referred, in Rhode Island. But North Carolina acceded to it in November, 1789, and Rhode Island in May, 1790. The ratification of the constitution was celebrated in the large cities, with great joy and splendid exhibitions. A ship, the emblem of commerce, and stages for mechanical labour, the emblems of manufactures, were mounted on wheels and drawn through the streets, attended by immense processions of citizens, arranged according to their professions; while bands of music, streaming flags,

and the roar of the cannon, manifested the enthusiasm with which the people received the authority of the national government."

92. Inauguration of President Washington.

On the 3d of March, 1789, the delegates from the eleven states, which at that time had ratified the constitution, assembled at New York, where a convenient and elegant building had been prepared for their accommodation. On opening and counting the votes for presi dent, it was found that George Washington was unanimously elected to that dignified office, and that John Adams was chosen vice-president. The annunciation of the choice of the first and second magistrates of the United States, occasioned a general diffusion of joy among the friends of the Union, and fully evinced that these eminent characters were the choice of the people.

On the 30th of April, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated president of the United States of America, in the city of New York. The ceremony was performed in the open gallery of Federal Hall, in the view of many thousand spectators. The oath was administered by Chancellor Livingston. Several circumstances concurred to render the scene unusually solemn; the presence of the beloved father and deliverer of his country-the impressions of gratitude for past service-the vast concourse of spectators-the devout fervency with which he repeated the oath, and the reverential manner in which he bowed to kiss the sacred volume; these circumstances, together with that of his being chosen to the most dignified office in America, and perhaps in the world, by the unanimous voice of more than three millions of enlightened freemen, all conspired to place this among the most august and interesting scenes which have ever been exhibited on this globe.†

"It seemed from the number of witnesses," said a • Webster.

+ Dr. Morse.

spectator of the scene, "to be a solemn appeal to heaven and earth at once. Upon the subject of this great and good man, I may perhaps be an enthusiast; but I confess I was under an awful and religious persuasion, that the gracious Ruler of the universe was looking down at that moment, with peculiar complacency, on an act, which, to a part of his creatures, was so very important. Under this impression, when the chancellor pronounced, in a very feeling manner, Long live George Washington,' my sensibility was wound up to such a pitch, that I could do no more than wave my hat with the rest, without the power of joining in the repeated acclamations which rent the air."

93. Whiskey Insurrection in Pennsylvania.

The year 1794 was distinguished by an insurrection in Pennsylvania, commonly called the Whiskey Insurrection. "In 1791, congress had enacted laws laying duties upon spirits distilled in the United States, and upon stilis. From the commencement of the operation of these laws, combinations were formed in the four western counties of Pennsylvania to defeat them; and violences were repeatedly committed. In July of the present year, (1794,) about one hundred persons, armed with guns and other weapons, attacked the house of an inspector of the revenue, and wounded some persons within it. They seized the marshal of the district of Pennsylvania, (who had been previously fired on while in the execution of his duty, by a party of armed men,) and compelled him to enter into stipulations to forbear the execution of his office. Both the inspector and the marshal were obliged to fly from that part of the country to the seat of government. These, and many other outrages, induced President Washington, on the 7th of August, to issue a proclamation, commanding the insurgents to disperse, and warning all persons against aiding, abetting, or comforting, the perpetrators of these treason