phia and compel Congress to do justice to the troops. Washington appealed to the officers to remain patient a little longer, and pledged himself to use his influence with Congress to fulfil its neglected promises to the army. His appeal quieted the trouble for a time. Congress shortly after agreed to advance full pay to the soldiers for four months, and to pay in one gross sum the full pay of the officers for five years.

The condition of the country was a subject of the gravest apprehension. It was plain that the articles of confederation were not capable of continuing the Union much longer, and many persons believed that the only hope of preserving a regular government, and a permanent union to the country, lay in the establishment of a monarchy. In May, 1782,

Colonel Nicola, of the Pennsylvania line, at the instance of a number of officers, wrote a letter to Washington proposing the creation of a monarchy, and offering him the crown. Washington indignantly refused to entertain the proposition, and severely rebuked the writer of the letter.

In the spring of 1783 the news of the signing of the preliminary treaty of peace was received in America, and was officially communicated to the nation in a proclamation by Congress. On the 19th of April, 1783, just eight years from the commencement of the war at Lexington, the close of hostilities was proclaimed, in general orders, to the army at Newburg. A general exchange of prisoners followed, and large numbers of Tories were obliged to leave the country, as they feared to remain after the protection of the British forces was withdrawn. They emigrated chiefly to Canada, Nova Scotia, and the West Indies. The final treaty

having been signed, the army was disbanded on the 3d of November, and the troops, with the exception of a small force, returned to their homes to enjoy their well-earned honors and the thanks of their grateful countrymen. On the 25th of November the British evacuated New York, which was at once occupied by a small force of Americans, under General Knox. In December Charleston was also evacuated by the British.

On the 2d of December Washington issued a farewell address to the army, and on the 4th of that month took leave of the officers at New York. He then proceeded to Annapolis, where Congress was in session, and on the 23d of December, under circumstances of great solemnity, resigned his commission to that body, and after receiving the thanks of Congress for the able and faithful manner in which he had discharged the task intrusted to him, retired to his home at Mount Vernon, which he had not visited for eight years, except for a few hours, while on his way to attack Cornwallis at Yorktown.

6

CHAPTER XXXI.

THE ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION-WASHINGTON'S

ADMINISTRATION.

Unsettled Condition of the Country-Failure of the Articles of Confederation-Desire for Reform-Meeting of the Federal Convention at Philadelphia-The Constitution of the United States-Adoption of a Decimal Currency-The Northwest Territory-Washington Elected President-His Journey to New York-Establishment of the New Government-The First Cabinet-Financial Measures-Removal of the Capital agreed upon -The Government at Philadelphia-The First Census-The Indians of the Northwest Conquered-Reelection of Washington-Division of Parties-The French Revolution -The United States Neutral-Citizen Genet-Efforts to Commit the United States to the French Alliance-Genet's Recall Demanded-The "Whiskey Insurrection ”—Jay's Treaty with England-Opposition to it-Negotiations with Algiers-Political Disputes -Hostility to Washington-His Farewell Address-Its Effect upon the Country-Election of John Adams to the Presidency-Admission of Vermont, Kentucky, and Tennessee-Retirement of Washington-Results of his Administration.

HE long war was over, and independence had been achieved; but the condition of the country was such as to excite the gravest apprehension. The country was exhausted by the sacrifices and burdens of the war, and its debts amounted to the enormous

sum of one hundred and seventy millions of dollars, a sum vastly out of proportion to its resources. Two-thirds of these debts had been contracted by Congress; the remainder by the States. The articles of confederation were found inadequate to the task of enforcing the authority of the general government, and the States treated the orders of Congress with neglect. Commerce was sadly deranged for the want of a uniform system. The States entered into competition with each other for the trade of foreign nations, and articles which were required to pay heavy duties in some of the States were admitted free of duty in others. Many of the States were unable to enforce the collection of taxes within their own limits. The British merchants, at the close of the war, flooded the American markets with their manufactures at reduced prices. The result was that the domestic manufactures of the States were ruined; the country was drained of its specie, and the merchants and people of the Union were involved in heavy debts. A general poverty ensued in the Eastern States, which gave rise to much discontent. In Massachusetts,

in December, 1786, a body of a thousand men, under Daniel Shays, assembled at Worcester and compelled the supreme court to adjourn, in order to prevent it from issuing writs for the collection of debts. The militia was called out, and "Shays' Rebellion" was put down; but it was evident that the sympathies of the people were largely with the insurgents. These troubles brought home to the whole country the necessity of a more perfect system of government, and measures were begun for bringing about the changes needed.

In September, 1783, delegates from five of the States met at Annapolis to deliberate upon a plan for the improvement of commerce and the revenue. They recommended the assembling of a convention to revise the articles of confederation; and, accordingly, delegates from all the States met for this purpose, at Philadelphia, in May, 1787. George Washington, who was one of the delegates from Virginia, was unanimously chosen president of the convention. The sessions of this body lasted four months, and the convention, instead of revising the articles of confederation, adopted an entirely new constitution. Each article of this constitution was discussed with care and minuteness, and with great feeling. The sessions of the convention were held with closed doors; but its proceedings were so far from harmonious that there were several occasions when it seemed likely the convention would break up in confusion, and leave its work unfinished. At length, however, through the patriotism and forbearance of its members, the convention brought its work to a close, and presented the constitution to Congress. It was submitted by that body to the several States for their approval. The State governments summoned conventions of their respective people, and submitted the constitution to them for their acceptance or rejection. By the end of 1788 it was ratified by eleven States. North Carolina did not ratify it until November, 1789; and Rhode Island held aloof from the Union until May, 1790. The right of these States to reject the constitution, and to continue their separate existence as independent States, was not questioned by any one.

The new constitution was not entirely satisfactory to any party, and represented the sacrifices made by all to achieve the great end of a central government, strong enough to carry out the objects of the Union. It was a document of compromises, three of which were of especial importance. The first was a concession to the smaller States, which had feared the loss of their independence; they were placed on the same footing as the larger States by being given an equal representation in the Senate. The second was a concession to the slave-holding States of the south, and guaranteed that in apportioning their representation in Con

gress three-fifths of the slaves were to be included with the white population. The third was a concession to Georgia and South Carolina, and granted them permission to continue the African slave-trade until 1808. The delegates from those States refused to sign the constitution except upon this condition.

In the meantime Congress had taken a step of the highest importance in adopting the plan, presented by Mr. Jefferson, for a decimal currency. Until now the use of the English currency had been general in all the States. In August, 1786, our present system of dollars and cents was adopted by Congress, and a mint was established somewhat later. The government was so poor, however, that it could only coin a small quantity of copper cents.

The sessions of Congress were held at New York. In the session of 1787 a measure was adopted, which had the most important influence

upon the subsequent history of the country. The treaty of Paris fixed the Mississippi river as the western boundary of the United States. This river consequently became the western limit of Virginia, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. In 1784 Virginia ceded to the general government of the United States her claim to the vast region owned by her beyond the Ohio. Massachusetts and Connecticut soon followed her example, and New York also ceded her western territory to the government. In July, 1787, Congress organized this vast region as the territory of the northwest. It was provided that slavery should never be permitted to exist in this territory, or in any of the States which might afterwards be formed out of it. This wise provision, which was the basis of the wonderful prosperity of this great region, was due to the foresight of Thomas Jefferson. The northwest being secured to freedom, emigra