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My Dear Son

763. HENRY LAURENS TO JOHN LAURENS.1

YORK TOWN 30th. Novem. 1777.

. . but why have not we taken measures in many other momentous concerns. why were we not as active in July to guard against the Inclemency of January as we affect to be now in November-now perhaps when too late to enable our Troops to keep the Field. I did not fail to speak my sentiments, and so far, which was as far as I, almost unaided, could go, to do my Duty. soon after my arrival in this Country, I spoke of means for guarding against the disaffected, of the necessity for providing Clothing by times, of the preservation of Delaware, of the ruinous State of our funds, of the amazing misconduct of dealing Money out by Millions to particular Persons, under those accursed four words-" he to be accountable" and totally neglect I say totally neglect to demand Accounts.

several Members of Congress who have called here this Morning to read Gen. Washington's Letter of the 26th. have expressed their wishes that the Marquis may be appointed to the Command of a division, therefore I have no doubt when the Letter is Read and the subject considered to morrow in Congress, I shall be charged with a Resolve equal to the Marquis's wishes.2.

Colo John Laurens

Sir,

My Dear Son-I pray God protect you

HL

764. WILLIAM ELLERY TO THE GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND

(NICHOLAS COOKE).1

York, State of PENNSYLVANIA, Nov. 30th, 1777.

Mr. Marchant before this reaches you will have informed you of my safe Arrival here after a long Journey; and of everything material that occurred after his last Letter to you. The President hath transmitted to your Excellency printed Copies of the Confederation; any article of which that may need an Explanatn Mr. Marchant will explain to the Assembly. The President hath also sent you the recommendatory Resolves to the respective States which have passed since I have been here, which renders it unnecessary for me even to mention the heads of them. I will only observe that in the Report recommending a Tax of five Million Dollars to be laid on the United States our Quota was One hundred and twenty thousand Dollars, and that upon my representing the Circumstances of our State Twenty thousand were taken off and put upon Massachusetts.2

[763]1L. I. Hist. Soc., Laurens Papers.

2 See the Journals, Dec. 1.

[764]1 R. I. Arch., Letters to the Governors, 1777-1778, p. 90; Staples, R. I. in Cont. Cong., p. 156.

2 The alteration of the quotas of Rhode Island and Massachusetts does not appear in the report as printed in the Journals, under Nov. 22.

Congress have resolved that an Inquiry should be made into the Causes of the failure of the Rhode Island Expedition, and the Conduct of the principal Officers concerned in it. The Mode for conducting the Inquiry is committed, and Report will soon be made. Beside the public Benefit that may attend this Resolution, it will be beneficial to our and the other states who furnished the Troops for that Expedition; for Congress by taking this Business in hand have by Implication acknowledged that the Continent is to bear the Expense of it..

765. CORNELIUS HARNETT TO WILLIAM WILKINSON.1

Dear Sir,

YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, Nov. 30th, 1777.

By the next Opportunity I shall send you the articles of confederation; they are at last completed after being under the consideration of Congress for almost two Years; This has been the most difficult piece of Business that ever was undertaken by any public Body, it is the best Confederacy that could be formed especially when we consider the number of states, their different Interests, Customs etc. etc. The mode of settling the quota of Taxes to be paid towards the Common expense is at last fixed by the value of all Land held under Patent or Deed in each state. The Eastern people were much against this. knowing their Lands to be very valuable, they were for settling the quota by the number of Inhabitants including slaves. this would have ruined Poor North Carolina. she has as many Inhabitants as Connecticut (almost) tho' the Land in that state would sell for five times as much as the Lands in ours.2.

766. THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS (HENRY LAURENS) TO THE PRESIDENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA (JOHN RUTLEDGE).1 YORK IST. Decem. 1777.

Dear Sir,

I had the honour of addressing your Excellency in an official Letter under the 28th. past which lies before me Sealed in a packet with Confederation etc. these are to be conveyed by Capt Gillon to which I shall add three packets each containing five Copies of Articles of Confederation directed severally for the General Assembly and the two Councils of South Carolina. twelve Copies more I have directed to Col. Gervais to be distributed among Gentlemen whose names are written on each, particularly one to Mr. Wells. if your Excellency should be of opinion

* See the Journals, Nov. 28, Dec. 3, 11, 15, 1777, and Jan. 23, 27, Mar. 27, Apr. 8, Sept. 9, 1778; also no. 775, post. [765] N. C. State Recs., XI. 813.

2 Cf. nos. 680, 733, 747, 760, ante. See also no. 766, post.

[766]1 S. C. Hist. Soc., Laurens Letter-Book, 1776-1778, p. 198; ibid., Laurens Letters, 1776-1779, no. 20.

2 Alexander Gillon. See the Journals, Nov. 20, 28, Dec. 13, 1777, Mar. 30, 31, 1778; also ibid., 1782, passim (index); and Wharton, Rev. Dipl. Corr., III. 239, IV. 424, 547, 705, 827, 835, 836, 837, 838, V. 65, 219, 338 et seq., VI. 434. A brief sketch of Gillon is in Appleton, Cyclo. Am. Biog.

3 See the Journals, under Nov. 15, p. 928, note 2. Cf. no. 746, ante.

that these papers, before they are taken under consideration by the Legislative powers ought to be made as public as I wish, you will encourage him to print 2 or 3 hundred Copies, and to add Copies of the Addresses on Confederation and Taxation. I will not presume to comment on the Model which is now Submitted to the Wisdom of thirteen United States and intended to pass a revision under the same abilities collected.

I beg leave however to remark to my late Colleagues, that Congress before printing judged it proper to make Several essential alterations particularly in Articles 9th. parag: 2d.—that I have therefore no cause to blush at the appearance of my name among the few Nays in the Original Vote. I should be still better pleased to see that article undergo a little further amendment.*

That, for taking Yeas and Nay's is another Item to which I am marked in the Journal with a disgraceful No! and almost without a Companion.5 I have never heard that question demanded, with that Calmness of mind which ought ever to accompany the debates of Senators. it has always been the product of heat and menace, besides, however proper it might be to incorporate in the Rules of a House, it does not strike me as a necessary ingredient for Confederation it appears to be totally Irrelative to the grand Subject. I do not mean to comment by exposing this baggatelle. there are Articles of deeper Impression.

Congress have appointed three important Committies who are all now in action-one to confer with General Washington confidentially on future operations and if possible to prevent taking Winter Quarters, One to consult with the State of Pennsylvania on the article of Provision and other matters,' a third to translate confederation into French and to Address the Canadians among whom we know there is a Majority dissatisfied with English Government.R

Our Indian Committee have prepared a proper Talk for the Six Nations and at length I have put in motion the Creek Eagle-Tail and Rattle Trap. Commissioners are appointed for inquiring into the state of affairs at Fort Pitt and the Western Frontier and for directing a force to quell those Indians who, at Detroit, have been instigated to Murder many of the back Inhabitants and if practicable to reduce that nest of mischief.10

Our Treasury was lately exhausted, New Emissions were made instantly, and for aught I know are making. the demands upon us which at this moment conspire and which are in daily growth are Mountainous, but we must be Satisfied; happy indeed are we, that any quantity of brown paper will answer the calls of our necessities. alarming as this appears we must for the present submit. further necessities may, must, in a few

See the Journals, Oct. 23, 27 (pp. 835, 843). Article 14 in the report under consideration became Article 9 in the final form. See ibid., p. 915.

5 See the Journals, Oct. 30. Cf. no. 585, ante.

6 See the Journals, Nov. 28, and no. 774, post.

7 See the Journals, Nov. 28.

8 See the Journals, Nov. 29, Dec. 2.

See the Journals, Oct. 20, Dec. 3; cf. nos. 777, 778, 789, post.
10 See the Journals, Nov. 20, and nos. 705-707, 717, 746, 751, ante.

months perform a work which Wisdom ought to have effected many months ago."

These things Your Excellency ought to know. I do not hold it necessary to disclose my Sentiments to every body.

This Morning is to come under consideration the Quota of General Officers for each State. I mean to move the appointment of two Brigadiers for South Carolina. I shall most candidly represent the two worthy men who if I mistake not are the proper Candidates. if Congress shali judge it necessary to give us only one, seniority will probably have preference.12

Mr. Deane by a Vote is recalled from the Court of France, Mr. John Adams elected to succeed him.18

Sir,

767. THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS TO THE SPEAKER OF THE MASSACHUSETTS ASSEMBLY (ROBERT TREAT PAINE).1 YORK TOWN 3d. Decem. 1777

I beg leave to refer you to what I had the honour of writing the 1st Inst. by Messenger Alexr. Tais.2

Congress ever watchful over the Interests of the United States of America and diligent to defeat the numerous and various practices of our grand Enemy equally cruel and subtle have taken under consideration a device calculated for depreciating the Value of the Paper Money issued by authority of Congress and of the several States after the good People had found it necessary to assert their Rights and to take Government into their own hands. the pernicious Stratagem now in view, although the discovery of it is not quite new appears more glaring from a late Publication in Philadelphia subscribed by a very great number of those misguided persons who chose to remain in the City and welcome the Enemy to rivet their fetters."

It is also notorious that many timid and lukewarm friends in several of the States have, from motives probably more avaricious than Inimical, long given a great preference to what is called the old Money, which evidently tends to lessen the Estimation and Currency of the New and does in the same Instance demonstrate, if not an Inclination to overturn

11 See the Journals, Nov. 7-Dec. 3. Cf. no. 627, ante.

12 There is no record in the Journals of the quota of general officers being considered Dec. 2. See the Journals, Dec. 31 (p. 1073).

13 See the Journals, Nov. 21, 28; also nos. 753, 760, ante, nos. 768-770, post. [767] Mass. Arch., CXCVIII. 327; Library of Congress, President's Letter-Book, I 56. This is a circular letter to all the states. In the letter-book is found the following notation: Introduced by recital of my last date, etc., as each case required."

2 The letter of Dec. 1 is addressed to R. T. Paine, speaker of the Massachusetts

assembly, and merely encloses resolves of the day.

The "late publication in Philadelphia" was probably a document which appeared in the Pennsylvania Evening Post, Nov. 6, to which three columns of names are attached. After reciting that a total stop had been put to "the currency of the continental resolve and commonwealth money", by the arrival of the British forces in the city, the subscribers agree to use the old paper money on an equality with gold and silver.

our Independence, apprehensions which ought to be banished from the mind of every Inhabitant in the Union.

From an earnest desire therefore to counteract the wicked projects of our Enemies and to rectify such errors of our almost friends, Congress have confirmed a Resolution of this date recommending to the States respectively to enact sufficient Laws for accomplishing these good ends. A Copy of the Resolve will be found enclosed with this, which you will be pleased Sir to lay before the Legislature of Massachuset Bay. I have the honour to be with great Esteem, Sir

P. S. 4th.

Your obedient hum Servt. HENRY LAURENS. Presidt. of Cong.

While this lay open Congress took before them a Representation of the necessity for preserving from waste Pine Timber fit for Masts and other purposes of Navigation and framed a Resolution thereupon which you will receive with the one above mentioned,

H. L.

The Honorable The Speaker of the General Assembly of Massachusetts Bay. Boston.

Dear Sir

1

768. JAMES LOVELL TO RICHARD HENRY LEE.1

Decr. 8th. [1777.]

The day after you left York, I moved Congress for an order in the following words. "Whereas it is of the greatest Importance that Congress should, at this critical conjuncture be well informed of the State of affairs in Europe, and whereas Congress have resolved that the Honble. Silas Deane Esqr. be recalled from the court of France and have appointed another Commissioner to supply his place there.

Ordered That the Committee for foreign affairs write to the honble. Silas Deane, and direct him to embrace the first opportunity of returning to America and upon his arrival to repair with all possible dispatch to Congress.["]

This I have sent with the other Papers to Mr. Adams, and shall send tomorrow a duplicate to Baltimore to go with the packet which you left there.

* See the Journals, Dec. 2, 3. [768]1 Univ. Va. Lib., Lee Papers.

2 This order is in the Journals, Dec. 8. Deane's recall was ordered Nov. 21. See nos. 753, 760, 766, ante. Lee himself says that he left Congress Dec. 6 (Letters, I. 381). He was evidently in Congress as late as Dec. 4, for a letter of that date from the committee of foreign affairs to Deane transmitting the order of recall is signed by Lee and Lovell (Wharton, Rev. Dipl. Corr., II. 444). Lee was also appointed on a committee on that day. Cf. no. 748, note 8, ante. Lovell's letter to John Adams, Dec. 8 (no. 769, post), does not suggest that the motion was made earlier than the 8th.

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