...The committee to whom was recommitted the draught of an address to the several states on the present situation of affairs, brought in a new draught, which was read, amended, and unanimously agreed to as follows:
Ordered, That 500 copies be printed.
TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Friends and Countrymen,
The present situation of public affairs demands your most serious attention, and particularly the great and increasing depreciation of your currency requires the immediate, strenuous and united efforts of all true friends to their country, for preventing an extension of the mischiefs that have already flowed from that source.
America, without arms, ammunition, discipline, revenue, government or ally, almost totally stript of commerce, and at an Age of Weakness, like the young Shepherd of Israel, and in the weakness of youth, as it were, with a "staff and a sling" only, dared, "in the name of the Lord of Hosts," to engage a gigantic adversary, prepared at all points, boasting of his power strength, and of whom even mighty warriors "were greatly afraid."
For defraying the expences of this uncommon war, your representatives in Congress were obliged to emit paper money; an expedient that you knew to have been before generally and successfully practised on this continent.
They were very sensible of the inconveniences with which too frequent emissions would be attended, and endeavoured to avoid them. For this purpose, they established loan offices so early as in October, 1776, and have from that time to this, repeatedly and earnestly solicited you to lend them money on the faith of the United States. So little have their applications availed that all The sums received on loan have nevertheless proved quite inadequate to the public exigencies. Our enemies prosecuting the war by sea and land with implacable fury and with some success, taxation at home and borrowing abroad, in the midst of difficulties and dangers, were alike impracticable. Hence the continued necessity of new emissions.
But to this cause alone we do not impute the evil complained of before mentioned. We have too much reason to believe it has been in part owing to the artifices of men who have hastened to enrich themselves by monopolizing the necessaries of life, and to the misconduct of inferior officers employed in the public service. This Opinion is confirmed by our Observation, that the Rise if Articles in price, [extravagant for some months past] extravagantly exceeds a proportion to the Emissions within that Period, or for a considerable time immediately preceding it.
The variety and importance of the business entrusted to your delegates, and their constant attendance in Congress,of course necessarily disables them from investigating or remedying disorders of this kind. Justly apprehensive of them, they, by their several resolutions of the 22d of November and 20th of December, 1777, and of the 3d and 9th of February, 1778, recommended to the legislative and executive powers of these states a due attention to these interesting affairs. How far those recommendations have been complied with, we will not undertake to determine: but we hold ourselves bound in duty to you to declare, that we are not convinced there has been as much Industry diligence used in detecting and punishing reforming abuses as there has been in committing or complaining of them.
With regard to monopolizers,of the Produce of these States, you will observe there is some distinction between them, and Dealers in foreign Commodities. These are bought to America at a great risque. The Importers, by selling their Cargoes quickly by wholesale, may be enabled expeditiously, and therefore certainly with less Expence, and perhaps with less Hazard to prosecute their outward bound voyage. However, against the unreasonable Profits of Dealers in these Articles may be applied Frugality in using them and Industry in manufacturing them. It is our opinion, that taxes judiciously laid on such Merchandizes articles as become the objects of engrossers, and those frequently collected, would operate against the pernicious tendency of such practices without discouraging Importation.
On the other Hand, Monopolizers of produce buy Commodities on the Spot where they are raised, with the known and often avowed Design of selling them at an advanced price to their distrest Countrymen. Against this Mischief, as the Articles are absolutely necessary, no Remedy can be applied but wise Laws strictly executed.
As to inferior officers employed in the public service, we anxiously desire to call your most vigilant attention to their conduct with respect to every species of misbehaviour, whether proceeding from ignorance, negligence, or fraud, and to the making of laws for inflicting exemplary punishments on all offenders of this kind.
We are sorry to hear that some persons are so slightly informed of their own interests as to suppose that it is advantageous to them to sell the produce of their farms at enormous prices, when a little reflection might convince them that it is injurious to those interests and to the general welfare. If they expect thereby to purchase imported goods cheaper, they will be egregiously disappointed; for the merchants, who know they cannot obtain returns in gold, silver, or bills of exchange, but that their vessels, if loaded here at all, must be loaded with produce, will raise the prices of what they have to sell, in proportion to the prices of what they have to buy; and, consequently, the land holder can purchase no more foreign goods for the same quantity of his produce than he could before.1
[Note 1: 1 Against this paragraph is written "recommitted and agreed to."]
The evil, however, does not stop at this point. The land holder, by acting on this mistaken calculation, is only labouring to accumulate an immense debt by increasing the public expences, for the payment of which his estate is engaged, and to embarrass every measure adopted for vindicating his liberty and securing his prosperity.
If practicable, the collecting Taxes, or part of them in kind, or borrowing in produce from the Raisers at fixed prices for public Use, might be advantageous, and we request You to consider, how far some Mode of this kind may be accommodated to the particular Dispositions and Circumstances of your respective States.
As the harvests of this year, which, by the divine goodness, promise to be plentiful, will soon be gathered, and some new measures relating to your foreign concerns, with some arrangements relating to your domestic, are now under consideration, from which beneficial effects are expected, we entertain hopes that your affairs will acquire a much greater degree of regularity and energy than they have hitherto had.
But we should be highly criminal if we did not plainly tell you that those hopes are not founded wholly upon our own proceedings. These must be supported by your virtue, your wisdom and your diligence. From the advantage of those seats in the national council with which you have honoured us, we have a pleasing prospect of many blessings approaching this our native land. It is your patriotism must introduce and fix them here.
In vain will it be for your delegates to form plans of oeconomy, to strive to stop a continuation of emissions by taxation or loans, if you do not zealously co-operate with them in promoting their designs, and use your utmost industry to prevent the waste of money in the expenditure, which your respective situations in the several places where it is expended, may enable you to do. A discharge of this duty and a compliance with recommendations for raising supplying money,and a proper support of the Loan Offices might enable Congress to give speedy assurances to the public that no more emissions shall take place,after the present year, and thereby close that source of depreciation.
Your governments being now regulated established, and your ability to contend with your invaders ascertained, we have, on the most mature deliberation, judged it indispensably necessary to call upon you for 45,000,000 of dollars, in addition to the 15,000,000 required by a resolution of Congress of the 2d of January last, to be paid into the continental treasury before the 1st day of January next, in the same proportion, as to the quotas of the several states, with that for the said fifteen million.
It appeared proper to us to fix the first day of next January for the payment of the whole; but as it is probable that some states, if not all, will raise part of the sums by instalments or otherwise before that time, we recommend, in the strongest manner, the paying as much as can be collected as soon as possible into the continental treasury.
Though it is manifest that moderate taxation in times of peace will recover the credit of your currency, yet the encouragement which your enemies derive from its depreciation, and the present exigencies, demand great and speedy exertions.to counteract them; and that which we have now adopted is from peculiar Circumstances attended with to produce this Consequence [tends from a singularity of Circumstances to indemnify you] for paying large sums, by increasing the Value of what remains in your Hands, as well as to secure these Blessings for yourselves and your posterity, for which you have declared and proved that You deem no price too high.
We do not doubt but the raising these sums will press heavily on some of our Constituents. Their Case we sincerely deplore. We are persuaded You will use all possible Care to make the advancement [promotion] of the general Weal interfere as little as may be with the Ease and Comfort of individuals. Perhaps it may contribute to this desirable purpose to receive sums in advance from the more wealthy, on the abatement of their future Taxes upon equitable Terms. Though when we consider that large Quantities of the Currency have past into the possession of Landholders, Tradesmen, Merchants and Labourers, who constitute the Bulk of the people, we cannot believe, the Pressure will be extensive. On the other Hand, when we feel the obligations urging us to Attempts for appreciating that Currency to your venerable Clergy, the truly helpless Widows and Orphans, your most gallant, generous, meritorious Officers and Soldiers, and supporting the public Faith, and for the Common weal, we cannot withhold our nor be disobedient to the authoritative Sensations.
We are persuaded you will use all possible care to make the promotion of the general welfare interfere as little as may be with the ease and comfort of individuals: but tho' the raising these sums should press heavily on some of our constituents, yet the obligations we feel to your venerable clergy, the truly helpless widows and orphans, your most gallant, generous, meritorious officers and soldiers, the public faith and the common weal, so irresistibly urge us to attempt the appreciation of your currency, that we cannot withhold obedience to those authoritative sensations.2
[Note 2: 2 This paragraph, in the writing of Gouverneur Morris, is on folio 251.]
On this subject we will only add, that as the rules of justice are most pleasing to our infinitely good and gracious Creator, and an adherence to them most likely to obtain his favour, so they will ever be found to be the best and safest maxims of human policy.
To our constituents we submit the propriety and purity of our intentions, well knowing they will not forget, that we lay no burthens upon them, but those in which we participate with them; a happy sympathy, that pervades societies formed on the basis of equal liberty. Many cares, many labours, and may we not add, reproaches, are peculiar to us. These are the emoluments of our unsolicited stations; and with these we are content, if you approve our conduct. If you do not, we shall return to our private condition with no other regret, than that which will arise from our not having served you as acceptably and essentially as we wished and strove to do, though as chearfully and faithfully as we could.
Think not we despair of the commonwealth, or endeavour to shrink from opposing difficulties. No. Your cause is too good, your objects too sacred to be relinquished. We tell you truths, because you are freemen who can bear to hear them and may profit by them; and when they reach your enemies, we fear not the consequences, because we are not ignorant of their resources or our own. Let your good sense decide upon the comparison. Let even their prejudiced understandings decide upon it, and you need not be apprehensive of the determination.
Whatever supposed advantages from plans of rapine, projects of blood, or dreams of domination, may heretofore have amused their inflamed fancies, the conduct of one monarch, the friend and protector of the rights of mankind, has turned the scale so much against them, that their visionary schemes vanish as the unwholesome vapours of night before the healthful influences of the sun.
An alliance has been formed between his most Christian majesty and these states, on the basis of the most perfect equality, for the direct end of maintaining effectually their liberty, sovereignty and independence, absolute and unlimited, as well in matters of government as of commerce. The conduct of our good and great ally towards us, in this instance and others, has so fully manifested his sincerity and kindness, as to excite, on our part, correspondent sentiments of confidence and affection.
Observing the interests of his kingdom, to which duty and inclination prompted his attention, to be connected with those of America, and the combination of both clearly to coincide with the beneficent designs of the Author of Nature, who unquestionably intended men to partake of certain rights and portions of happiness, his majesty perceived the attainment of these views to be founded on the single proposition of a separation between America and Great Britain.
The resentment and confusion of your enemies will point out to you the ideas you should entertain of the magnanimity and consummate wisdom of his most Christian majesty in framing this alliance on this occasion.
They perceive, that selecting this grand and just idea from all those specious ones that might have confused or misled inferior judgment or virtue, and satisfied with the advantages which must result from that event alone, he has cemented the harmony between himself and these states, not only by establishing a reciprocity of benefits, but by eradicating every cause of jealousy and suspicion. They also perceive with similar emotions, that the moderation of our ally, in not desiring an acquisition of dominion on this continent, or an exclusion of other nations from a share of its commercial advantages, so useful to them, has given no alarm to those nations, but in fact has interested them in the accomplishment of his generous undertaking, to dissolve the monopoly thereof by Great Britain, which has already contributed to elevate her to her present power and haughtiness, and threatened if continued to raise both to a height insupportable to the rest of Europe.
In short, their own best informed statesmen and writers confess that your cause is exceedingly popular with favoured by courts and people in that quarter of the world, while that of your adversaries is equally reprobated; and from thence draw ominous and well grounded conclusions, that the final event must prove unfortunate to the latter. Indeed, we have the best reason to believe that we shall soon form other alliances, and on principles honourable and favorable beneficial to these states.
Infatuated as your enemies have been from the beginning of this contest, do you imagine they can now flatter themselves with a hope of conquering you, unless you are false to yourselves?
When unprepared, undisciplined, and unsupported, you opposed their fleets and armies in full conjoined force, then, if at any time, was conquest to be apprehended. Yet what progress towards it have their violent and incessant efforts made? Judge from their own conduct. Having devoted you to bondage, and after vainly wasting their blood and treasure in the dishonorable enterprise, they deigned at length to offer terms of accommodation, with respectful addresses, to that once despised body, the Congress, whose humble supplications only for peace, liberty and safety, they had contemptuously rejected, under pretence of its being an unconstitutional assembly. Nay, more; desirous of seducing you into a deviation from the paths of rectitude, from which they had so far and so rashly wandered, they made most specious offers to tempt you into a violation of your faith given to your illustrious ally. Their arts were as unavailing as their arms. Foiled again, and stung with rage, embittered by envy, they had no alternative, but to renounce the inglorious and ruinous controversy, or to resume their former modes of prosecuting it. They chose the latter. Again the savages are stimulated to horrid massacres of women and children, and domestics to the murder of their masters. Again our brave andunfortunate unhappy brethren are doomed to miserable deaths in gaols and prison shipsand again are venal princes sollicited to hire out their wretched subjects to commit Butcheries in these distant Regions. To complete the sanguinary system, all the "extremities of war" are by authority denounced against you.
Piously endeavor to derive this consolation from their remorseless fury, that the "Father of Mercies" looks down with disapprobation on such audacious defiances of his holy laws; and be further comforted with recollecting, that the arms assumed by you in your righteous defensive cause, have not been sullied by any unjustifiable severities.
Your enemies, despairing, however, as it seems, of the success of their united forces against our main army, have divided them, as if their design was to harass you by predatory, desultory operations. If you are assiduous in improving opportunities, Saratoga may not be the only spot on this continent to give a new denomination to the baffled troops of a nation impiously priding herself in notions of her omnipotence.
Rouse yourselves, therefore, that this campaign may finish the great and good work you have so nobly carried on for several years past. What nation ever engaged in such a contest under such a complication of disadvantages, so soon surmounted many of them, and in so short a period of time had so certain a prospect of a speedy and happy conclusion of their labours. We will venture to pronounce that so remarkable an instance exists not in the annals of mankind. We well remember what you thoughtsaid at the commencement of this war. You saw the immense difference between your circumstances and those of your enemies, and you knew the quarrel must decide on no less than your lives, liberties, and estates. All these you greatly put to every hazard, generously resolving to die freemen rather than to live slaves; and justice will oblige the impartial world to confess you have uniformly acted on the same generous principle. Consider how much you have done, and how comparatively little remains to be done to crown you with success. Persevere, and you ensure peace, freedom, safety, glory, sovereignty, and felicity, to yourselves, your children, and your children's children.
If neither were have judged it be a sight pleasing to them in itself to see a good Man struggling with Misfortunes, more especially if brought upon him by his own Integrity. no rare Ex[ample] among frail and frequently deceived Mortals so that they may be slightly [] in the [] the Ends; how much more delightful must it be for [these] that "are too pure, to behold Iniquity" to view [our own] People bravely breasting the Storms of Adversity raised against them by the Demons of Ambitions, Cruelty and Arrogance.
Encouraged by favours already received from infinite goodness, gratefully confessing acknowledging them,humbly earnestly imploring their continuance, constantly endeavoring to draw them down on your heads by an amendment of your lives, and a conformity to the divine will, humbly confiding in the protection so often and wonderfully experienced, vigorously employ the means placed by Providence in your hands, for compleating your laudable labours.
Fill up your battalions: be prepared in every part to resist repel the incursions of your enemies; place your several quotas in the continental treasury; lend money for public uses; sink the emissions of your respective states; provide effectually for expediting the conveyance of supplies from one place to another for your armies and fleets, and for your allies; prevent the monopolies of produce of the country from being monopolized: effectually superintend the behaviour of public officers; diligently promote piety, virtue, brotherly love, learning, frugality, and moderation; and may you be approved before Almighty God worthy of those blessings we devoutly wish you to enjoy.
This is a great Exertion, not alone Taxation promote Union If you distrust public officers remove them and restore Credit and Influence to govt. Tax Art of Monop[olies] make tax equal.1
[Note 1: 1 Probably crude notes for a paragraph.]
That it be manifest, that moderate Taxation in Times of peace will restore the Credit of your Currency, yet the Encouragement which your Enemies derive from its Depreciation and the present Exigences demand great and speedy and vigorous Exertions to counteract them; and that which we have adopted is attended with this plain Consequence, from a singular [state] of Circumstances, that large as the sums are when you will pay, the very payment of them tends to encrease the the value of what remains in your Hands, as well as to secure those inestimable Blessings for yourselves and your posterity, for which we know You would think no Price too great.
We do not doubt.2
[Note 2: 2 This address, in the writing of John Dickinson, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 24, folio 243. On folio 441, in the writing of William Henry Drayton is the following proclamation:
"By the Congress of The United States of North America:
"A PROCLAMATION.
"The circumstances attending the violation of the rights of America, by Great Britain, and the events of the present war in consequence of that violation, have manifested, that the supreme ruler of Heaven and earth, led these United States out of bondage; and that it is he who hath made them Independent. A situation in which only, they can be secure against their enemies; and from which mankind can receive those blessings, which, the great father of all, hath designed, they should enjoy from the civilization of this new world.
"The United efforts of these states under the favor of heaven have hitherto rendered vain, the mighty exertions against them by, the King of Great Britain, by arms; and have frustrated the destructive designs of that prince, by negotiations. Happily the United States by experience know, that such efforts are capable of securing them against his power; and that their duty to God, to themselves, to their posterity, and to mankind, impels them to exert those efforts to the utmost of their ability.
"The present season for military operations, furnishes them with an opportunity of discharging this great duty. The smiles of their creator upon their past actions must inspire them with religious confidence in their future exertions; the hardships they have suffered, enable them to encounter new difficulties; and their great ally regarding their Cause as his own, and taking part in the war, must warm their affections, excite their emulation, and invigorate their proceedings.
"The arduous contest with Great Britain, sustained in its commencement, under almost every possible disadvantage, hath been so conducted, and the war is now in such a situation that the ultimate objects of these United States are speedily to be obtained, if they will make those exertions which the favorable conjuncture demands, and which are within their power to perform. Wherefore the Congress do announce to their constituents, that the present campaign will afford them an opportunity to bring the war to a speedy and glorious conclusion, notwithstanding the endeavors of the enemy to prolong it; but that the most vigorous efforts of these states will be necessary, and that such efforts will be called for, according to the nature of the intended operations. And, it is hereby in the strongest manner recommended to the legislatures of the several states, to arm their executive powers in the present important conjuncture, with ample authority to call forth and to direct the public strength, against the common enemy, to the executive powers, to lose no time in making arrangements for the most decisive movements--and to the faithful citizens, to act with that vigor, which is necessary to establish the honor and the Independance of their nation.
"Done in Congress at Philadelphia, the -- day of May, 1779, and in the 3d year of the Independance of the United States of North America.
"President.
"Attest,
Secretary."]
Done in Congress, by unanimous consent, this twenty-sixth day of May, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-nine.
John Jay,President.
Attest,Charles Thomson,Secretary.
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