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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<loss:
pute> 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. 481-1;
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. |
