The writings of James Madison, comprising his public papers and his private correspondence, including numerous letters and documents now for the first time printed. |
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THURSDAY, 30 JANY. |
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 | The writings of James Madison, |  |
THURSDAY, 30 JANY.
The answer to the Memorials from the Legislature of Penna.
was agreed to as it stands on the Journal, N. Jersey alone
dissenting.[42]
In the course of its discussion several expressions were struck
out which seemed to reprehend the States for the deficiency of
their contributions. In favor of these expressions it was urged
that they were true and ought to be held forth as the cause of the
public difficulties in justification of Congress. On the other side
as the States, particularly in letting their finances become so disordered
before they began to apply any remedy; and that if this
were not the case, it would be more prudent to address to the
States a picture of the public distresses & danger, than a satire
on their faults; since the latter would only irritate them; whereas
the former wd. tend to lead them into the measures supposed by
Congress to be essential to the public interest.
The propriety of mentioning to the Legislature of Penna. the
expedt. into which Congress had been driven of drawing bills on
Spain & Holland without previous warrant; the disappt. attending
it, and the deductions ultimately ensuing from the aids destined
to the U. S. by the Ct. of France, was also a subject of
discussion. On one side it was represented as a fact which being
dishonorable to Congress ought not to be proclaimed by them,
& that in the present case it cd. answer no purpose. On the other
side it was contended that it was already known to all the world,
that as a glaring proof of the public embarrassmts. it would impress
the Legislature with the danger of making those separate
appropriations which wd. increase the embarrassments; and particularly
would explain in some degree the cause of the discontinuance
of the French interest due on the loan office certificates.
Mr. Rutledge & some other members having expressed less
solicitude about satisfying or soothing the Creditors within Pa.
through the legislature than others thought ought to be felt by
every one, Mr. Wilson, adverting to it with some warmth, declared
what became of the answer to the Memorials. Pena., he was persuaded
would take her own measures without regard to those of
Congress, and that she ought to do so. She was willing he said
to sink or swim according to the common fate, but that she
would not suffer herself, with a mill-stone of 6,000,000[43] of the
Contin1. debt about her neck to go to the bottom alone.
The answer entered at length into the existing condition of the continental
finances, stating that no State had taken separate measures for satisfying its
own citizens, as Pennsylvania threatened to do, and that, as the various certificates
had passed from one person to another a provision by a State for their
redemption must exclude the demands of many of its own citizens or admit the
demands of all; that it would be impossible to pay past debts and run the
government, wherefore provision should be made for the interest only. It
called attention to the fact that the five per cent. impost was recommended
February 3, 1781, but after a delay of two years Congress had the mortification
to find that one State [Rhode Island] entirely refused to agree to it, and that
another [Virginia] had withdrawn its assent, and a third [Georgia] had taken
no action; that Congress had been unable to fulfill its engagements with the
public creditors, because of the defective compliances by the States at every
stage of the war. For the year 1782, it said, Congress had asked $8,000,000
and had been supplied by the States with only $430,031. The King of France
had lent the United States 6,000,000 livres and John Adams had opened a loan
in Holland and obtained only 3,000,000 livres, making in all 9,000,000 livres,
which after deducting anticipations left but 5,000,000 livres, which at the existing
rate of exchange amounted to $833,333. At the beginning of the year 1782
there was $292,453 in the Treasury, so that the whole amount for carrying on
the government during 1782 amounted to $1,545,812. The cost of the army
alone amounted to $5,713,610, for feeding, clothing, and pay, excluding
horses, tents, forage, etc. Therefore, in spite of discouraging obstacles, Congress
conceived it to be its duty to persevere in the endeavor to procure revenues
equal to the purpose of funding all the debts, and the subject was then
under solemn deliberation. Finally they called attention to their recommendation
of September 6, 1780, for a cession of part of the Western territory claimed
by particular states.—Journals of Congress, iv., 153, et seq.
| The writings of James Madison, | |