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TRANSCRIPT GLC 2437.53.064
George Washington. Letter signed: Mount Vernon, to Henry Knox,
1786 December 26. 8 p.
Mount Vernon 26th. Decr. 1786
My dear Sir,
Nothing but the pleasing hope of seeing you under this roof
in the course of last month, and wch. I was disposed to extend
even to the present moment, has kept me till this time from
acknowledging the receipt of your obliging favor of the 23d
of October. – Despairing now of that pleasure, I shall
thank you for the above letter, and the subsequent one of
the 17th. instt, which came to hand yesterday evening.-
Lamentable as the conduct of the Insurgents of Massachusetts
is, I am exceedingly obliged to you for the advices respecting
them; & pray you, most ardently, to continue the acct.
of their proceedings; because I can depend upon them [inserted:
from you] without having my mind bewildered by those [2] vague
& contradictory reports which are handed to us in Newspapers;
and which please one hour, only to make the moments of the
next more bitter. –
I feel, my dear Genl Knox, infinitely more than I can express
to you, for the disorders which have arisen in these states.
– Good God! who besides a tory could have foreseen,
or a Briton predicted them! – were these people wiser
than others, or did they judge of us from the corruption,
and depravity of their own hearts? – The latter I am
persuaded was the case, and that notwithstanding the boasted
virtue of America, we are far gone in every thing ignoble
& bad. – I do assure you, that even at this moment,
when I reflect on the present posture of our affairs, it seems
to me to be like the vision of a dream. – My mind does
not know how to realize it, as a thing in actual existence,
- so strange – so wonderful [3] does it appear to me!
– In this, as in most other matter, we are too slow.
– When this spirit first dawned, probably it migh[t]
easily have been checked; but it is scarcely within the reach
of human ken, at this moment, to say when – where –
or how it will end. – There are combustibles in every
State, which a spark may set fire to. – In this state,
a perfect calm prevails at present, and a prompt disposition
to support, and give energy to the federal system is discovered,
if the unlucky stirring of the disp respecting the navigation
of the Mississippi does not become a leaven that will ferment,
& sour the mind of it.
The resolutions of the pres[en]t session respecting a paper
emission, - military certificates - &ca – have stamped
Justice & liberality on the proceedings of the Assembly,
& By a late act, it seems very desirous of a General Convention
to revise and amend the feoderal Constitution – apropos,
[4] what prevented the Eastern states from attending the September
meeting at Annapolis? – Of all the States in the Union
it should have seemed to me, that a measure of this sort (distracted
as they were with internal commotions, and experiencing the
want of energy in government) would have been most pleasing
to them. – What are the prevailing sentiments of the
one now proposed to be held at Philadelphia, in May next?
& how will it be attended? – You are at the foundation
of intelligence, and where the wisdom of the Nation, it is
to be presumed, has concentrated; consequently better able
(as I have had abundant experience of your intelligence, confidence,
& candour) to solve these questions. – The Maryland
Assembly has been violently agitated by the question for a
paper emission. – It has been carried in the House of
Delegates, but what has, or will be done with the Bill in
the Senate [5] I have not yet heard. – The partisans
in favor of the measure in the lower House, threaten, it is
said, a secession if it is rejected by that Branch of the
Legislature – Thus are we advancing. –
In regretting, which I have often done with the deepest sorrow,
the death of our much lamented frd. General Greene, I have
accompanied it of late with a quaere, whether he would not
have preferred such an exit to the scenes which it is more
than probable many of his comp[a]triots may live to bemoan.
–
In both your letters you intimate, that the men of reflection,
principle & property in New England feeling the inefficacy
of their present government, are contemplating a change; but
you are not explicit with respect to the nature of it. –
It has been supposed, that, the Constitution of the State
of Massachusetts was amongst the most energetic in the Union
– [6] may not these disorders then be ascribed to an
endulgent exercise of the powers of Administration? If your
laws authorized, and your powers were adequate to the suppression
of these tumults, in the first appearance of them, delay &
temporizing expedients were, in my opinion improper, - these
are rarely well applied, & the same causes would produce
similar effects in any form of government, if the powers of
it are not enforced. – I ask this question for information,
I know nothing of the facts.
That G.B. will be an unconcerned Spectator of the present
insurrections (if they continue) is not to be expected. –
That she is at this moment sowing the Seeds of Jealousy &
discontent among the various tribes of Indians [inserted:
on our frontier] admits of no doubt, in my mind. – And
that she will improve every opportunity to foment the spirit
of turbulence within the bowels of the United States, with
a view of [7] distracting our governments, & promoting
divisions, is, with me, not less certain. – Her first
Manoeuvres will, no doubt, be covert, and may remain so till
the period shall arrive when a decided line of conduct may
avail her. – Charges of violating the treaty, &
other pretext, will not then be wanting to colour overt acts,
tending to effect the grt. objects of which she has long been
in labour. – A Man is now at the head of their American
Affairs well calculated to conduct measures of the kind, &
more than probably was selected for the purpose. – We
ought not therefore to sleep nor to slumber – vigilence
in watching, & vigour in acting, is, in my opinion, become
indispensably necessary. – If the powers inadequate
[strike-out] amend or alter them, but do not let us sink into
the lowest state of humiliation & contempt, & become
a byword in all the earth – I think with you [8] that
the Spring will unfold important & distressing Scenes,
unless much wisdom & [strike-out] good [strike-out] management
is displayed in the interim.
- Adieu – be assured no man has a higher esteem &
regard for you than I have – none more sincerely Your
friend, and
More Affectly [inserted: yr] Hble Servt
Go: Washington
P.S. Mrs Washington joins me in every good wish for you &
Mrs Knox, and in congratulatory Compts on the late addition
to your family. Will you be so obliging as to give the enclosed
a safe conveyance – I have recd. one or two very obliging
letters from Genl. Tupper whilst he was in the Western Country
and wish to thank him for them – but know not in what
part of Massachusetts he lives.
Majr. Genl. Knox
Notes: Published in Twohig, Dorothy, et. al. The Papers of
George Washington. v. 4, pp. 481-4; Published in Fitzpatrick,
John C. The Writings of George Washington. v. 29, pp. 121-5.
GLC 2437.52.158 is a duplicate of this document. |
