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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FRIDAY APRIL 18. |
 | The writings of James Madison, |  |
FRIDAY APRIL 18.
Application was made from the Council of Pa. for the determination
of Congs. as to the effect of ye. acts terminating hostilities,
on Acts to be inforced during the war. Congs. declined giving
any opinion.
The motion of Mr. Bland for striking out the recommendation
to the States which had agreed to cede territory, to revise & compleat
their Cessions, raised a long debate. In favor of the motion
it was urged by Mr. Rutledge that the proposed Cession of Va
ought to be previously considered & disallowed; that otherwise
a renewal of the recommendation wd. be offensive; that it was
possible the Cession might be accepted in which case the renewal
wd. be improper. Virga., he observed alone could be alluded to as
having complied in part only.
Mr. Wilson went largely into the subject. He said, If the investigation
of right was to be considered, the U. S. ought rather
to make cessions to individual States than receive Cessions from
them, the extent of ye. Territory ceded by the Treaty being larger
than all the States put together; that when the claims of the
States came to be limited on principles of right, the Alleghany
Mountains would appear to be the true boundary; this could be
established without difficulty before any Court, or the Tribunal
of the World. He thought however policy reqd. that such a
boundary Sd. established as wd. give to the Atlantic States access
to the Western Waters. If accommodation was the object, the
Virga. would never be accepted because it guarantied to her the
Country as far as the Ohio, which never belonged to Virga. (Here
he was called to order by Mr. Jones.) The question he Sd. must
be decided. The indecision of Congs. had been hurtful to the
interests of the U. S. If the compliance of Va. was to be sought
she ought to be urged to comply fully.
For the vote in the affirmative, with the exception of Virga. &
S. Carol. See Journal.
The plan of Revenue was then passed as it had been amended,
all the States present concurring except R. I., wch. was in the negative
& N. Y., Wch. was divided Mr. Floyd ay & Mr. Hamilton no.[93]
“The report on funds &c, passed Congress on Saturday last with the dissent
of R. Island, and the division of N. York only. The latter vote was lost by
the rigid adherence of Mr. Hamilton to a plan which he supposed more perfect.
The clause providing for unauthorized expenditures could not be reinstated,
and, consequently no attempt was made to link all the parts of the acts
inseparably together. As it now stands it has I fear no bait for Virga., which
is not particularly interested either in the object or the mode of the revenues
recommended, nor in the territorial Cessions, nor in the change of the constitutional
rule of dividing the Public burdens. A respect for justice, good faith
& national honor is the only consideration which can obtain her compliance.
“We have recd. no intelligence from abroad which deserves to be noted, since
your departure. The interval between the preliminary & definitive Treaties has
produced several new & interesting questions. One is whether laws prohibiing
commerce with British Ports during the war, have expired with the cessation
of hostilities? A similar one is, whether the Soldiers enlisted for the war are
entitled to a discharge. At least half of the army under Gen1 Washington are
under this description and are urgent for such a construction of their engagements.
A third question is whether the preliminary treaty between F. & G.
B. has given such effect to the provisional articles between the latter & the
U. S. as to require an execution of the stipulations in the 6 & 7th artis. or
whether a definitive Treaty only can produce this effect.
“The system for foreign affairs is not yet digested, and I apprehend will be
long on the anvil, unless the actual return of our Ministers from Europe should
Stimulate Congs on the subject.”—Madison to Thomas Jefferson, April 22,
1783. Mad. MSS.
| The writings of James Madison, | |