TRANSCRIPT GLC 2437.19.033
Henry Knox. Autograph letter draft: New York, to George Washington,
1786 October 23. 9 p. + doc.
[inserted – different hand: H.K to Washington –]
New York 23 October 1786
My dear sir
I have long intended myself the pleasure of visiting you
at Mount Vernon – [inserted: and] although I have not
given up that hope, and shall probably gratify it in the course
of next month yet I cannot longer delay presenting myself
to the remembrance of my [struck: much] [inserted: truly]
respected and beloved General, whose friendship I shall ever
esteem among the most valuable circumstances of my existence.
Conscious of [strike-out] affection and [struck: assured
of thinking] [inserted: I beleiving it to be] reciprocal in
your breast, [struck: my] [inserted: I have had no] apprehensions
[struck: have been pointed lest] of my silence [struck: might
be] [inserted: being] misconstrued – I know the perplexity
occasioned by yr numerous correspondents and was unwilling
to add to it – Besides which [struck: during the last
three months] I have lately [inserted: been] [struck: twice]
[inserted: once] [struck: as] [struck [struck: much ]] far
eastward of Boston, [struck: the first time principally on
my private business, but the second on [inserted: public]
business of a public nature [inserted: of a ]] on private
business and was [inserted: no] sooner returned here, than
the [strike-out] commotions in Massachusetts hurried me back
to Boston on a public account.
[2] Our political machine, [struck: consisting] [inserted:
constituted] of thirteen independent sovereignties, [struck:
are] [inserted: have been] perpetually [struck: weaker] operating
against each other and against the federal Head, [struck:
whose power] ever since the peace – The powers of Congress
are utterly inadequate to preserve the balance between the
respective States, and oblige them to do those things which
are essential for [strike-out] their own welfare & for
the general good – [strike-out] The [struck: power of
the] [inserted: human] mind in the [struck: respected several]
[inserted: local] Legislatures seem [inserted: to be] exerted
to prevent [struck: the proper] the [inserted: federal] constitution
from having any [inserted: good] effect – The machine
works inversly to the public good in all its parts –
Not only is State against State, and all against the federal
Head, but the States within themselves, possess the name [inserted:
only] without having the essential concomitant of government,
the power of preserving the peace – the protection of
the liberty & property of the citizens – On the
very first [struck: touch of the finger] [inserted: impression]
of Faction and licentiousness the fine theoretic government
of Massachusetts is prostrated to the earth, and its laws
arrested & [3] trampled under foot – Men at a distance
who have admired our systems of government, unfounded in nature,
are apt to [strike-out] accuse the rulers, and say that taxes
have been assessed too high and collected too rigidly –
This is [inserted: a] deception equal to any that has been
hitherto entertained – That taxes may be the ostensible
cause is true, but that they are the true cause is as far
remote from truth as light from darkness – The people
who [struck: have] [inserted: are] the insurgents have never
paid any or but very little taxes – But they see the
weakness of Government they feel at once their own poverty
compared with the [struck: rich] [inserted: opulent], and
their own force, and they are determined to make use of the
latter in order to remedy the former. Their creed is that
that the property of the United States has been protected
from the confiscations of Britain by the joint exertions of
all, and therefore ought to be the common property of all,
and he that attempts [struck: the] opposition [struck: of]
[inserted: to] this [strike-out] creed is an enemy to equity
and Justice and ought to be swept from the [4] face of the
earth – In a word they are determined as [struck: far
as the power has] to annihilate all debts public and private,
and have agrarian Laws, what are [strike-out] easily effected
by the means of unfunded paper money [struck: that] [inserted:
which] shall be a tender in all cases whatever – [struck:
This] The numbers of these people, may amount in Massachusetts
to one [struck: sixth of the people] [inserted: fifth part]
of several [strike-out] populous Counties, and to them may
be collected the people of similar sentiments from the States
of Rhode Island, Connecticut & New Hampshire [strike-out]
so as to constitute a body of 12 or 15000 desperate &
unprincipled men – They are [strike-out] [inserted:
cheifly] of the young and active part of the community [strike-out]
more easily collected than Kept together afterwards –
But they [struck: may] [inserted: will probably] commit overt
acts of treason, what will compell them to embody for their
own safety – Once embodied they will be constrained
to submit to discipline for the same [strike-out] reason –
Having proceeded to this length, [inserted: for] which they
are now ripe, we shall have a formidable rebellion against,
reason the principles of all government, and against the very
name of liberty. [5] This [struck: horrid] [inserted: dreadful]
situation for what our governments have made no [inserted:
adequate] provision has alarmed every man of principle and
property in New England – They start as from a dream,
and ask what can have been the cause of our delusion? What
is to give us security [struck: of] against the violence [struck:
of force] of lawless men? – Our government must be braced
changed any thing to afford security to our lives and property
– We [struck: feared] [inserted: imagined], that the
mildness of our government and the virtue of the people were
so correspondent that we were not [struck: as other men –]
as other nations requiring brutal force [struck: for] to support
the laws – But we find that we are men, actual men,
possessing all the turbulent passions belonging to that animal
and that we must have a government proper and adequate for
[strike-out] [inserted: him] – The people of Massachusetts
for instance are far advanced in this doctrine, & the
men of property and the men of [strike-out] reflection and
principle there are determined to endevor to establish a [6]
protect them in their lawful pursuits, and what will be efficient
in all cases of internal commotions or foreign invasions –
They mean that liberty shall form the basis, [struck: an equal]
liberty resulting from an equal and firm administration of
Law, [struck: and that the government shall have a proper
tone] – They wish for a [inserted: general] government
of Unity as they see that the local Legislatures must naturally
and necessarily tend to retard the general government –
[struck: I am persuaded that] we have arrived at that point
of time, in which we are forced to see our own humiliation
as a nation and that a progression in this line cannot be
productive of [inserted: strike-out] happiness either private
or public – Something is wanting – and something
must [struck: be obtained] be done, or we shall be involved
in all the horror of faction and civil war, without a prospect
of its termination [7] every tried friend for the Liberty
of his Country is bound to reflect, and step forward to prevent
the dreadful consequences, which shall result from a government
of events – Unless this is done we shall be liable to
be ruled by an Abritary and Capricious armed tyranny –
whose word and will must be Law –
The indians on the frontiers are giving indisputable evidence
of their hostile dispositions – Congress anxiously desirous
of averting [struck: all the horor] the evils on the frontiers
have unanimously agreed to [struck: revise] augment the troops
now in service to a [inserted: legionary] corps of 2040 noncommissioned
officers and privates – [struck: These are to be raised
180 ] The additionals are to be raised as follows. –
Connecticut 180
Infantry and artillery{ Rhode I. 120
Massachusetts 660
New Hampshire 260
Cavalry{ Maryland 60
Virginia 60
1340
[8] This measure is [struck: a wise one] important and will
tend to strengthning the principle of government if necessary
as well as to defend the frontiers – [struck: I mention
this idea [inserted: of strentheng] in perfect confidence]
I mention the idea of strengthning govern as confidential
– But [strike-out] the State of Massachusetts requires
the greatest assistance, and Congress are fully [strike-out]
impressed with the importance of supporting her with great
exertions –
I received your favor respecting Desdevans who, has been
teizing congress for a great number of years – he is
now at lake Champlain – I never have been [strike-out]
convinced of his services to the Union, although he has received
very considerable emoluments for them –
[struck: Our] The death of our common friend Genl Greene
has been [struck: too affecting] too melancholy and affecting
a theme to write upon, I therefore have been [inserted: &
am] silent [struck: & cannot ].
Mrs Knox has lately presented me with another daughter who
with its mother [9] are well – She unites with me in
presenting our most [struck: respectfully ] affectionate respects
to [inserted: you &] Mrs Washington, and
I am my dear Sir
with [strike-out] and ardent wishes for
Your permanent and perfect felicity
Your sincere friend & very
humble Servt
His Excellency
General Washington Mount Vernon –
[docket]
Private
His Excellency Genl
Washington 23 Oct
1786
Notes: Published in Twohig, Dorothy et al. The Papers of George
Washington. Confederation Series. v. 4: 299-302.
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