首页 >出版文学> LETTERS>第41章

第41章

  Iamperfectlyawareoftheoppressionunderwhichyourpresentofficelaysyourmind,&oftheardorwithwhichyoupantforretirementtodomesticlife。Butthereissometimesaneminenceofcharacteronwhichsocietyhavesuchpeculiarclaimsastocontroulthepredelectionoftheindividualforaparticularwalkofhappiness,&restrainhimtothatalonearisingfromthepresent&
  futurebenedictionsofmankind。Thisseemstobeyourcondition,&
  thelawimposedonyoubyprovidenceinformingyourcharacter,&
  fashioningtheeventsonwhichitwastooperate;anditistomotiveslikethese,¬topersonalanxietiesofmineorotherswhohavenorighttocallonyouforsacrifices,thatIappealfromyourformerdetermination&urgearevisalofit,onthegroundofchangeintheaspectofthings。Shouldanhonestmajorityresultfromthenew&enlargedrepresentation;shouldthoseacquiescewhoseprinciplesorinteresttheymaycontroul,yourwishesforretirementwouldbegratifiedwithlessdanger,assoonasthatshallbemanifest,withoutawaitingthecompletionofthesecondperiodoffouryears。Oneortwosessionswilldeterminethecrisis;andI
  cannotbuthopethatyoucanresolvetoaddoneortwomoretothemanyyearsyouhavealreadysacrificedtothegoodofmankind。
  Thefearofsuspicionthatanyselfishmotiveofcontinuanceinofficemayenterintothissollicitationonmypartobligesmetodeclarethatnosuchmotiveexists。ItisathingofmereindifferencetothepublicwhetherIretainorrelinquishmypurposeofclosingmytourwiththefirstperiodicalrenovationofthegovernment。Iknowmyownmeasuretoowelltosupposethatmyservicescontributeanythingtothepublicconfidence,orthepublicutility。Multitudescanfilltheofficeinwhichyouhavebeenpleasedtoplaceme,asmuchtotheiradvantage&satisfaction。I
  thereforehavenomotivetoconsultbutmyowninclination,whichisbentirresistiblyonthetranquilenjoymentofmyfamily,myfarm,&
  mybooks。Ishouldreposeamongthemitistrue,infargreatersecurity,ifIweretoknowthatyouremainedatthewatch,andI
  hopeitwillbeso。Totheinducementsurgedfromaviewofourdomesticaffairs,Iwilladdabaremention,ofwhatindeedneedonlybementioned,thatweightymotivesforyourcontinuancearetobefoundinourforeignaffairs。IthinkitprobablethatboththeSpanish&Englishnegotiations,ifnotcompletedbeforeyourpurposeisknown,willbesuspendedfromthemomentitisknown;&thatthelatternationwillthenusedoublediligenceinfomentingtheIndianwar——Withmywishesforthefuture,Ishallatthesametimeexpressmygratitudeforthepast,atleastmyportioninit;&begpermissiontofollowyouwhetherinpublicorprivatelifewiththosesentimentsofsincereattachment&respect,withwhichIamunalterably,DearSir,Youraffectionatefriend&humbleservant。”THEMONSTERARISTOCRACY”
  _ToLafayette_
  _Philadelphia,June16,1792_
  Beholdyou,then,mydearfriend,attheheadofagreatarmy,establishingthelibertiesofyourcountryagainstaforeignenemy。
  Mayheavenfavoryourcause,andmakeyouthechannelthro’whichitmaypourit’sfavors。Whileyouareexterminatingthemonsteraristocracy,&pullingouttheteeth&fangsofit’sassociatemonarchy,acontrarytendencyisdiscoveredinsomehere。Asecthasshewnitselfamongus,whodeclaretheyespousedournewconstitution,notasagood&sufficientthingitself,butonlyasasteptoanEnglishconstitution,theonlythinggood&sufficientinitself,intheireye。Itishappyforusthatthesearepreacherswithoutfollowers,andthatourpeoplearefirm&constantintheirrepublicanpurity。YouwillwondertobetoldthatitisfromtheEastwardchieflythatthesechampionsforaking,lords&commonscome。TheygetsomeimportantassociatesfromNewYork,andarepuffedoffbyatribeofAgioteurswhichhavebeenhatchedinabedofcorruptionmadeupafterthemodeloftheirbelovedEngland。Toomanyofthesestockjobbers&king-jobbershavecomeintoourlegislature,orrathertoomanyofourlegislaturehavebecomestockjobbers&king-jobbers。Howeverthevoiceofthepeopleisbeginningtomakeitselfheard,andwillprobablycleansetheirseatsattheensuingelection——ThemachinationsofouroldenemiesaresuchastokeepusstillatbaywithourIndianneighbors——Whatareyoudoingforyourcolonies?Theywillbelostifnotmoreeffectuallysuccoured。Indeednofutureeffortsyoucanmakewilleverbeabletoreducetheblacks。AllthatcanbedoneinmyopinionwillbetocompoundwiththemashasbeendoneformerlyinJamaica。Wehavebeenlesszealousinaidingthem,lestyourgovernmentshouldfeelanyjealousyonouraccount。Butintruthweassincerelywishtheirrestoration,andtheirconnectionwithyou,asyoudoyourselves。Wearesatisfiedthatneitheryourjusticenortheirdistresseswilleveragainpermittheirbeingforcedtoseekatdear&distantmarketsthosefirstnecessariesoflifewhichtheymayhaveatcheapermarketsplacedbynatureattheirdoor,&formedbyherfortheirsupport——WhatisbecomeofMdedeTessyandMdedeTott?I
  havenotheardofthemsincetheywenttoSwitzerland。Ithinktheywouldhavedonebettertohavecome&reposedunderthePoplarsofVirginia。Pourintotheirbosomsthewarmesteffusionsofmyfriendship&tellthemtheywillbewarmandconstantuntodeath。
  AcceptofthemalsoforMdedelaFayette&yourdearchildren——butIamforgettingthatyouareinthefieldofwar,&theyIhopeinthoseofpeace。Adieumydearfriend!Godblessyouall。Yoursaffectionately。
  THERIGHTSOFMAN
  _ToThomasPaine_
  _Philadelphia,June19,1792_
  DEARSIR,——Ireceivedwithgreatpleasurethepresentofyourpamphlets,aswellforthethingitselfasthatitwasatestimonyofyourrecollection。Wouldyoubelieveitpossiblethatinthiscountrythereshouldbehigh&importantcharacterswhoneedyourlessonsinrepublicanism,&whodonotheedthem?Itisbuttootruethatwehaveasectpreachingup&poutingafteranEnglishconstitutionofking,lords,&commons,&whoseheadsareitchingforcrowns,coronets&mitres。Butourpeople,mygoodfriend,arefirmandunanimousintheirprinciplesofrepublicanism&thereisnobetterproofofitthanthattheylovewhatyouwriteandreaditwithdelight。Theprintersseasoneverynewspaperwithextractsfromyourlast,astheydidbeforefromyourfirstpartoftheRightsofMan。Theyhavebothservedheretoseparatethewheatfromthechaff,andtoprovethattho’thelatterappearsonthesurface,itisonthesurfaceonly。Thebulkbelowissound&pure。Goonthenindoingwithyourpenwhatinothertimeswasdonewiththesword:
  shewthatreformationismorepracticablebyoperatingonthemindthanonthebodyofman,andbeassuredthatithasnotamoresincerevotarynoryouamoreardentwell-wisherthanYrs。&c。
  THECONFLICTWITHHAMILTON
  _TothePresidentoftheUnitedStates_
  GEORGEWASHINGTON
  _Monticello,Sep。9,1792_
  DEARSIR,——Ireceivedonthe2dinsttheletterofAug23,whichyoudidmethehonortowriteme;buttheimmediatereturnofourpost,contrarytohiscustom,preventedmyanswerbythatoccasion。TheproceedingsofSpainmentionedinyourletterarereallyofacomplexiontoexciteuneasiness,&asuspicionthattheirfriendlyoverturesabouttheMissisipihavebeenmerelytolulluswhiletheyshouldbestrengtheningtheirholdsonthatriver。Mr。
  Carmichael’ssilencehasbeenlongmyastonishment:andhoweveritmighthavejustifiedsomethingverydifferentfromanewappointment,yetthepublicinterestcertainlycalledforhisjunctionwithMr。
  Shortasitisimpossiblebutthathisknolegeofthegroundofnegotiationofpersons&characters,mustbeuseful&evennecessarytothesuccessofthemission。ThatSpain&GrBritainmayunderstandoneanotheronourfrontiersisverypossible;forhoweveroppositetheirinterestsordispositionmaybeintheaffairsofEurope,yetwhilethesedonotcallthemintooppositeaction,theymayconcurasagainstus。IconsidertheirkeepinganagentintheIndiancountryasacircumstancewhichrequiresseriousinterferenceonourpart;andIsubmittoyourdecisionwhetheritdoesnotfurnishaproperoccasiontoustosendanadditionalinstructiontoMessrs。Carmichael&Shorttoinsistonamutual&formalstipulationtoforbearemployingagentsorpensioninganypersonswithineachother’slimits:andifthisberefused,toproposethecontrarystipulation,towit,thateachpartymayfreelykeepagentswithintheIndianterritoriesoftheother,inwhichcasewemightsoonsickenthemofthelicense。
  Inowtakethelibertyofproceedingtothatpartofyourletterwhereinyounoticetheinternaldissentionswhichhavetakenplacewithinourgovernment,&theirdisagreeableeffectonit’smovements。Thatsuchdissentionshavetakenplaceiscertain,&evenamongthosewhoarenearesttoyouintheadministration。Tonoonehavetheygivendeeperconcernthanmyself:tonooneequalmortificationatbeingmyselfapartofthem。Tho’Itaketomyselfnomorethanmyshareofthegeneralobservationsofyourletter,yetIamsodesirouseverthatyoushouldknowthewholetruth,&believenomorethanthetruth,thatIamgladtoseizeeveryoccasionofdevelopingtoyouwhateverIdoorthinkrelativetothegovernment;
  &shallthereforeaskpermissiontobemorelengthynowthantheoccasionparticularlycallsfor,orcouldotherwiseperhapsjustify。
  WhenIembarkedinthegovernment,itwaswithadeterminationtointermeddlenotatallwiththelegislature,&aslittleaspossiblewithmyco-departments。Thefirstandonlyinstanceofvariancefromtheformerpartofmyresolution,IwasdupedintobytheSecretaryoftheTreasuryandmadeatoolforforwardinghisschemes,notthensufficientlyunderstoodbyme;andofalltheerrorsofmypoliticallife,thishasoccasionedmethedeepestregret。Ithaseverbeenmypurposetoexplainthistoyou,when,frombeingactorsonthescene,weshallhavebecomeuninterestedspectatorsonly。Thesecondpartofmyresolutionhasbeenreligiouslyobservedwiththewardepartment;&astothatoftheTreasury,hasneverbeenfartherswervedfromthanbythemereenunciationofmysentimentsinconversation,andchieflyamongthosewho,expressingthesamesentiments,drewminefromme。IfithasbeensupposedthatIhaveeverintriguedamongthemembersofthelegislaturestodefeattheplansoftheSecretaryoftheTreasury,itiscontrarytoalltruth。AsIneverhadthedesiretoinfluencethemembers,soneitherhadIanyothermeansthanmyfriendships,whichIvaluedtoohighlytoriskbyusurpationsontheirfreedomofjudgment,&theconscientiouspursuitoftheirownsenseofduty。
  ThatIhaveutterly,inmyprivateconversations,disapprovedofthesystemoftheSecretaryofthetreasury,Iacknolege&avow:andthiswasnotmerelyaspeculativedifference。Hissystemflowedfromprinciplesadversetoliberty,&wascalculatedtoundermineanddemolishtherepublic,bycreatinganinfluenceofhisdepartmentoverthemembersofthelegislature。Isawthisinfluenceactuallyproduced,&it’sfirstfruitstobetheestablishmentofthegreatoutlinesofhisprojectbythevotesoftheverypersonswho,havingswallowedhisbaitwerelayingthemselvesouttoprofitbyhisplans:
  &thathadthesepersonswithdrawn,asthoseinterestedinaquestionevershould,thevoteofthedisinterestedmajoritywasclearlythereverseofwhattheymadeit。Thesewerenolongerthevotesthenoftherepresentativesofthepeople,butofdesertersfromtherights&
  interestsofthepeople:&itwasimpossibletoconsidertheirdecisions,whichhadnothinginviewbuttoenrichthemselves,asthemeasuresofthefairmajority,whichoughtalwaystoberespected——
  Ifwhatwasactuallydoingbegatuneasinessinthosewhowishedforvirtuousgovernment,whatwasfurtherproposedwasnotlessthreateningtothefriendsoftheConstitution。For,inaReportonthesubjectofmanufacturesstilltobeactedonitwasexpresslyassumedthatthegeneralgovernmenthasarighttoexerciseallpowerswhichmaybeforthe_generalwelfare_,thatistosay,allthelegitimatepowersofgovernment:sincenogovernmenthasalegitimaterighttodowhatisnotforthewelfareofthegoverned。
  Therewasindeedasham-limitationoftheuniversalityofthispower_tocaseswheremoneyistobeemployed_。Butaboutwhatisitthatmoneycannotbeemployed?Thustheobjectoftheseplanstakentogetheristodrawallthepowersofgovernmentintothehandsofthegenerallegislature,toestablishmeansforcorruptingasufficientcorpsinthatlegislaturetodividethehonestvotes&