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, FEBY. 13TH. |
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 | The writings of James Madison, |  |
THURSDAY, FEBY. 13TH.
The Come. report to Congs. the alterations yesterday agreed on
with respect to the 5 Per Ct. Impost.
The Deputy Secy. at War reported to Congress the result of the
inquiry directed by them on the [24th] day of [January,] into
the seizure of goods destined for the British Prisoners of war
under passport from Genl. Washington. From this report it appeared
that some of the Seizors had pursued their claim under
the law of the State & that in consequence the goods had been
condemned & ordered for sale. The papers were referred to a
Come. consisting of Mr. Rutledge, Mr. Ghoram & Mr. Lee, who
after havg. retired for a few moments reported, that the Secy. of
War should be authorized & directed to cause the goods to be
taken from the places where they had been deposited, to employ
such force as wd. be sufficient, and that the Duke de Lauzun
whose Legion was in the neighbourhood, should be requested to
give the Secy. such aid as he might apply for.
This report was generally regarded by Congs. as intemperate,
and the proposed recourse to the French Legion as flagrantly imprudent.
Mr. Hamilton said that if the object had been to embroil
the country wth. their Allies the expedient would have been
well conceived.[49]
He added that the exertion of force would
not under these circumstances meet the sense of the people at
large. Mr. Ghoram sd. he denied this with respect to the people
of Massachusetts.
Mr. Lee on the part of the Come. said that the D. de Lauzun
had been recurred to as being in the neighbourhood & having
Cavalry under his Command which would best answer the occasion;
Mr. Mercer, Mr. Williamson Mr. Ramsay Mr. Wilson & Mr.
Madison, strenuously opposed the Report, as improper altogether
as far as it related to the French Legion, and in other respects so
until the State of Pa. sd. on a summons refuse to restore the articles
seized.
Mr. Rutledge with equal warmth contended for the expediency
of the measures reported.
Mr. Mercer & Mr. Madison at length proposed that Congress
sd. assert the right on this subject & summon the State of Pena. to
redress the wrong immediately. The Report was recommitted
with this proposition & Mr. Wilson & Mr. Mercer added to
ye. Come.
The speech of the K. of G. B. on the 5th. of Decr., 1782, arrived
& produced great joy in general, except among the merchts. who
had great quantities of merchandize in store the price of which
immediately & materially fell. The most judicious members of
Congs. however suffered a great diminution of their joy from the
impossibility of discharging the arrears & claims of the army &
their apprehensions of new difficulties from that quarter.[50]
This was an oblique allusion to Mr. Lee, whose enmity to the French was
suspected by him &c. [Note in MS.]
"I heartily congratulate you on the dawn of peace, presented in the enclosed
paper. Apprehending that the commercial sagacity of this and intervening
places may seize the crisis to speculate on the staple of Virginia, we have
judged it prudent to despatch a messenger, with the intelligence to the Government.
Private letters will also scatter it along the road.
"I will not damp your joy by dwelling on prospects which have that tendency;
but it will not be improper to hint to you, that there is much reason to
believe that the cloud which has been some time lowering on the North river,
will not be dispelled by the rays of peace. The opinion seems to be well
founded, that the arms which have secured the liberties of their country will
not be laid down, until justice is secured to those who have wielded them; and
that dangerous convulsions would be hazarded by orders for that purpose. I
have not time to add more at present.—Madison to Edmund Randolph,
February 15, 1783. Madison Papers (1840).
| The writings of James Madison, | |