his barge, he waved his hat to them; with the same silence they returned that last voiceless farewell, and the boat pushed across the Hudson. A father parting from his children could not excite more regret nor draw more tears.* On his way through New Jersey the chief was received with the tenderest respect and affection by all classes of men. The roads were covered with people who came from all quarters to see him, to get near to him, to speak to him. Alone. and ready to lay down in the hands of congress the command which had been confided to him, he appeared even greater than when he was at the head of the armies of the United States. The inhabitants of Philadelphia knew that he was drawing near, and, without other notice, an innumerable crowd placed themselves along the road where he was to pass. Women, aged men, left their houses to see him. Children passed among the horses to touch his garments. Acclamations of joy and gratitude accompanied him in all the streets. Never was homage more spontaneous or more pure. The general enjoyed the scene, and owned himself by this moment repaid for eight years of toils and wants and tribulations.+ At Philadelphia he put into the hands of the comptroller his accounts to the thirteenth of December 1783, all written with minute exactness by his own hand, and accompanied by vouchers conveniently arranged. Every debit against him was credited; but, as he had not always made an entry of moneys. of his own expended in the public service, he was, and chose to remain, a considerable loser. To the last he refused all compensation and all indemnity, though his resources had been greatly diminished by the war. On the twenty-third of December, at noon, congress in Annapolis received the commander-in-chief. Its members, when seated, wore their hats, as a sign that they represented the sovereignty of the union. Places were assigned to the governor, council, and legislature of Maryland, to general officers, and to the representative of France. Spectators filled the gallery and crowded upon the floor. Hope gladdened all as they forecast the coming greatness of their land. * Luzerne to Vergennes, 13 December 1783. MS. VOL. VI.-9 Rising with dignity, Washington spoke of the rectitude of the common cause; the support of congress; of his countrymen; of Providence; and he commended the interests of "our dearest country to the care of Almighty God." Then saying that he had finished the work assigned him to do, he bade an affectionate farewell to the august body under whose orders he had so long acted, resigned with satisfaction the commission which he had accepted with diffidence, and took leave of public life. His emotion was so great that, as he advanced and delivered up his commission, he seemed unable to have uttered more. The hand that wrote the declaration of independence prepared the words which, in the name of congress, its president, turning pale from excess of feeling, then addressed to Washington, who stood, filling and commanding every eye: "Sir: The United States in congress assembled receive with emotions too affecting for utterance the solemn resignation of the authorities under which you have led their troops with success through a perilous and a doubtful war. Called upon by your country to defend its invaded rights, you accepted the sacred charge before it had formed alliances, and whilst it was without funds or a government to support you. You have conducted the great military contest with wisdom and fortitude, invariably regarding the rights of the civil power through all disasters and changes. You have persevered till these United States, aided by a magnanimous king and nation, have been enabled under a just Providence to close the war in freedom, safety, and independence. Having taught a lesson useful to those who inflict and to those who feel oppression, with the blessings of your fellow-citizens, you retire from the great theatre of action; but the glory of your virtues will continue to animate remotest ages. We join you in commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty God, beseeching him to dispose the hearts and minds of its citizens to improve the opportunity afforded them of becoming a happy and respectable nation." No more pleasing words could have reached Washington than those which pledged congress to the reform of the national government. The allusion to the alliance with France was right, for otherwise the achievement of independence would seem to have been attributed to the United States alone. But France and England were now at peace; and after their reconciliation Washington, the happiest of warriors, as he ungirded the sword, would not recall that they had been at war. The business of the day being over, Washington set out for Mount Vernon, and on Christmas eve, after an absence of nearly nine years, he crossed the threshold of his own home; but not to find rest there, for the doom of greatness was upon him. CHAPTER II. VIRGINIA STATESMEN LEAD TOWARD A BETTER UNION. 1784. Or many causes promoting union, four above others exercised a steady and commanding influence. The new republic as one nation must have power to regulate its foreign commerce; to colonize its large domain; to provide an adequate revenue; and to establish justice in domestic trade by prohibiting the separate states from impairing the obligation of contracts. Each of these four causes was of vital importance; but the necessity for regulating commerce gave the immediate impulse to a more perfect constitution. Happily, the British order in council of the second of July 1783 restricted to British subjects and ships the carrying of American produce from American ports to any British West India island, and the carrying of the produce of those islands to any port in America. "This proclamation," wrote John Adams to Secretary Livingston, "is issued in full confidence that the United States cannot agree to act as one nation. They will soon see the necessity of measures to counteract their enemies. If there is not sufficient authority to draw together the minds, affections, and forces of the states in their common foreign concerns, we shall be the sport of transatlantic politicians, who hate liberty and every country that enjoys it." * Letters of Adams and one of like tenor from Franklin having been fully considered, congress, on the twenty-ninth of September 1783, agreed that the United States could become respectable only by more energy in government; but, as usual, * Diplomatic Correspondence, vii., 81, 100. they only referred "the important subject under deliberation " to a special committee,* which, having Arthur Lee for one of its members, in due time reported that "as the several states are sovereign and independent, and possess the power of acting as may to them seem best, congress will not attempt to point out the path. The mode for joint efforts will suggest itself to the good sense of America.” † The states could not successfully defend themselves against the policy of Great Britain by separate legislation, because it was not the interest of any one of them to exclude British vessels from their harbors unless the like measure should be adopted by every other; and a union of thirteen distinct powers would encounter the very difficulty which had so often proved insuperable. But, while every increase of the power of congress in domestic affairs roused jealousies between the states, the selfish design of a foreign government to repress their industry drew them together against a common adversary. The complete cession of the North-west and the grant of the desired impost were the offerings of Virginia to the general welfare. Simultaneously her legislature, on the fourth of December, took cognizance of the aggressions on equal commerce. The Virginians owned not much shipping, and had no special interest in the West India trade; but the British prohibitory policy offended their pride and their sense of honor, and, as in the war they had looked upon "union as the rock of their political salvation," so they again "rang the bell" to call the other states to council. They complained of "a disposition in Great Britain to gain partial advantages, injurious to the rights of free commerce and repugnant to the principles of reciprocal interest and convenience which form the only permanent foundation of friendly intercourse;" and on the ninth unanimously consented to empower congress to adopt the most effectual mode of counteracting restrictions on American navigation so long as they should be continued. The * Secret Journals of Congress, iii., 398-400. + Reports of committees on increasing the powers of congress, p. 95. MS. Joseph Jones to Jefferson, 21 and 29 December 1783. # Journal of House of Delegates, 50; Hening, xi., 313. |