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&
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