congrefs, at a time when they had nothing else to give to officers of the army, for fervices then to be performed: it was the only means to prevent a total dereliction of the fervice: it was a part of their hire. I may be allowed to fay, it was the price of their blood, and of your independency; it is therefore more than a common debt, it is a debt of honour; it can never be confidered as a penfion or gratuity, nor cancelled until it is fairly discharged.

With regard to the diftinction between officers and foldiers, it is fufficient that the uniform experience of every nation of the world, combined with our own, proves the utility and propriety of the difcrimination. Rewards in proportion to the aid the public draws from them, are unqueftionably due to all its fervants. In fome lines, the foldiers have perhaps generally had as ample compenfation for their fervices, by the large bounties which have been paid them, as their officers will receive in the propofed commutation; in others, if befides the donation of land, the payment of arrearages of clothing and wages (in which articles all the component parts of the army muft be put upon the fame footing) we take into the estimate, the bounties many of the foldiers have received, and the gratuity of one year's full pay, which is promifed to all, poffibly their fituation (every circumftance being duly confidered) will not be deemed lefs eligible than that of the officers. Should a farther reward, however, be judged equitable, I will venture to affert, no man will enjoy greater fatisfaction than my

Before I conclude the fubject on public juftice, I cannot omit to mention the obligations this country is under to that meritorious clafs of veterans, the non-commiffioned officers and privates, who have been discharged for inability, in confequence of the refolution of congrefs, of the 23d of April, 1782, on an annual penfion for life: their peculiar fufferings, their fingular merits and claims to that provifion need only to be known, to intereft the feel ings of humanity in their behalf; nothing but a punctual payment of their annual allowance can refcue them from the most complicated mifery; and nothing could be a more melancholy and diftreffing fight, than to behold those who have fhed their blood, or loft their limbs in the fervice of their country, without a fhelter, without a friend, and without the means of obtaining any of the comforts or neceffaries of life, compelled to beg their daily bread from door to door. Suffer me to recommend those of this defcription, belonging to your state, to the warmeft patronage of your excellency and your legislature,

It is neceffary to fay but a few words on the third topic which was propofed, and which regards particularly the defence of the republic. As there can be little doubt but congrefs will recommend a proper peace establishment for the United States, in which a due attention will be paid to the importance of placing the militia of the union upon a regular and refpectable footing; if this fhould be the cafe, I should beg leave to urge the great advantage of it in the strongest terms.

The militia of this country muft be confidered as the palladium of our fecurity, and the firft effectual refort in cafe of hoftility: it is effential, therefore, that the fame fyftem fhould pervade the whole; that the formation and difcipline of the militia of the continent fhould be abfolutely uniform; and that the fame fpecies of arms, accoutrements, and military apparatus, fhould be introduced in every part of the United States. No one, who has not learned it from experience, can conceive the difficulty, expence, and confufron which refult from a contrary fyftem, or the vague arrange ments which have hitherto prevailed.

If, in treating of political points, a greater latitude than ufual has been taken in the courfe of the addrefs, the importance of the crifis, and the magnitude of the objects in difcuffion, must be my apology: it is, however, neither my with nor expectation, that the preceding obfervations fhould claim any regard, except fo far as they shall appear to be dictated by a good intention: confonant to the immutable rules of juftice; VOL. XXVI.

calculated to produce a liberal' fyftem of policy, and founded on whatever experience may have been acquired by a long and clofe attention to public bufiness. Here I might speak with more confidence, from my actual obfervations; and if it would not swell this letter (already too prolix) beyond the bounds I had prefcribed myfelf, I could demonftrate to every mind, open to conviction, that in less time, and with much lefs expence than has been incurred, the war might have been brought to the fame happy conclufion, if the refources of the continent could have been properly called forth; that the dif treffes and difappointments which' have very often occurred, have, in too many inftances, refulted more from a want of energy in the continental government, than a deficiency of means in the particular ftates: that the inefficacy, of the measures, arifing from the want of an adequate authority in the fupreme power, from a partial compliance with the requifitions of congrefs in fome of the ftates, and from a failure of punctuality in others, while they tended to damp the zeal of thofe who were more willing to exert themfelves, ferved alfo to accumulate the expences of the war, and to fruftrate the beft concerted plans; and that the difcouragement occafioned by the complicated difficulties and embarraffments, in which our affairs were by this means involved, would have long ago produced the diffolution of any army, lefs patient, lefs virtuous, and lefs perfevering, than

that which I have had the honour to command. But while I men[S]

rion

tion those things, which are notorious facts, as the defects of our federal conftitution, particularly in the profecution of a war, I beg it may be understood, that as I have ever taken a pleasure in gratefully acknowledging the affiftance and fupport I have derived from every clafs of citizens; fo fhall I always be happy to do juf tice to the unparalleled exertions of the individual states, on many interefting occafions.

I have thus freely disclosed what I wished to make known before I furrendered up my public trust to thofe who committed it to me: the task is now accomplished; I now bid adieu to your excellency, as the chief magiftrate of your ftate; at the fame time I bid a laft farewell to the cares of office, and all the employments of public life.

It remains, then, to be my final and only request, that your excellency will communicate these fentiments to your legiflature, at their next meeting; and that they may be confidered as the legacy of one who has ardently wifhed, on all occafions, to be useful to his country, and who, even in the fhade of retirement, will not fail to implore the divine benediction upon it.

I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the ftate over which you prefide, in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a fpirit of fubordination and obedience to government; to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large; and particularly for their brethren

who have ferved in the field; and finally, that he would most graciously be pleafed to difpofe us all to do juftice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of the mind, which were the characteristics of the divine Author of our bleffed religion; without an humble imitation of whofe example, in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation.

I have the honour to be, with much efteem and refpect, Sir, Your excellency's most obedient, and most humble fervant,

G. WASHINGTON.

His Excellency William Greene, Efq. Governor of the State of Rhode Ifland.

General Washington's farewell Orders to the Armies of the United States.

Rocky Hill, near Princeton,
Νου. 2, 1783.

HE United States in con

TH

grefs affembled, after giving the most honourable teftimony to the merits of the federal armies, and prefenting them with the thanks of their country, for their long eminent and faithfulfervice, having thought proper, by their proclamation bearing date the 18th of October laft, to discharge fuch part of the troops as were engaged for the war, and to permit the officers on furlough to retire from fervice, from and after to-morrow, which proclamation having been communicated in the public papers for the information and government of

part of the British forces, computed at 616 Europeans, and 356 Sepoys, killed, wounded, and miffing. This happened on the 13th ult. On the 25th, the enemy made a fally from the fort, and advanced close up to our works, commencing and fupporting the affault with great fpirit and intrepidity; but they were repulfed, with the lofs of about 200 Europeans, and their Colonel D'Aquitaine taken prifoner.

On or about the 20th ult. there was an engagement between the British and French fleets near Pondicherry, but I do not learn any decifive blow was ftruck by either fide. Monfieur Suffrein returned to Cuddalore, and Sir Edward Hughes is fuppofed to have food towards Madras, as it was reported he was in want of water, and his people were very fickly.

The fouthern army, acting in the Carnatic, under the command of Colonel Lang, had made an irruption into the Coimbature country, fubduing Caroor and Dindegul, when the colonel was recalled to join the grand army before Cuddalore, and Colonel Fullarton invested with the com

mand, who with great fpirit and activity had pushed on to Darampore, which fell to him the 21st ult.

He was then within fix days march only of Paliagacheri, towards which place his further progrefs was totally barred, by an order from General Stuart, to move back to Cuddalore. He is now on his return again to the Cuddalore country, ftrongly reinforced.

A detachment of 300 Europeans, together with a fupply of powder and provifions, are fent from Madras to Mangalore in his majefty's fhips Brifol and Ifis. A further reinforcement is deftined for the fame part, with an intention of enabling Colonel Campbell to take the field, in cafe it thould be expedient.

No accounts are yet received of the expected fleet, which was to ve left England in January laft. I have the honour to be, with the greatest refpect,

Gentlemen,

Your faithful and obedient humble fervant,

JOHN HUTCHINSON.

Anjenjo, 19th July, 1783.

tributed fo effentially to thefe ineftimable acquifitions, retiring victorious from the field of war to the field of agriculture, participate in all the bleffings which have been obtained? In fuch a republic, who will exclude them from the rights of citizens, and the fruits of their labours? In fuch a country, fo happily circumftanced, the purfuits of commerce, and the cultivation of the foil, will unfold to industry the certain road to competence. To thofe hardy foldiers, who are actuated by the fpirit of adventure, the fisheries will afford ample and profitable employ. ment; and the extenfive and fertile regions of the Weft will yield a moft happy afylum to thofe who, fond of domestic enjoyment, are feeking for perfonal independence. Nor is it poffible to conceive that any one of the United States will prefer a national bankruptcy, and the diffolution of the union, to a compliance with the requifitions of congrefs, and the payment of its juft debts, fo that the officers and foldiers may expect confiderable affiftance, in recommencing their civil occupations, from the fums due to them from the public, which muft and will most inevitably be paid.

In order to effect this defirable purpofe, and to remove the prejudices which may have taken poffeffion of the minds of any of the good people of the ftates, it is earneftly recommended to all the troops, that, with ftrong attachments to the union, they fhould carry with them into civil fociety the most conciliating difpofitions; and that they fhould prove themfelves not less virtuous and useful as citizens, than they have been

perfevering and victorious as foldiers.-What though there should be fome envious individuals, who are unwilling to pay the debt the public has contracted, or to yield the tribute due to merit; yet let fuch unworthy treatment produce no invective, or any inftance of intemperate conduct;-let it be remembered, that the unbiaffed voice of the free citizens of the United States has promised the just reward, and given the merited applaufe ;-let it be known and remembered, that the reputation of the federal armies is established beyond the reach of malevolence; and let a confcioufnefs of their atchievements, and fame, ftill excite the men who compofed them to honourable actions, under the perfuafion, that the private virtues of œconomy, prudence, and induftry. will not be lefs amiable in civil life, than the more fplendid qualities of valour, perfeverance and enterprize, were in the field:-every one may reft affured that much, very much of the future happiness of the officers and men will depend upon the wife and manly conduct which fhall be adopted by them, when they are mingled with the great body of the community. And although the general has fo frequently given it as his opinion, in the most public and explicit manner, that unlefs the principles of the federal government were properly fupported, and the powers of the union increased, the honour, dignity, and juftice of the nation, would be loft for ever; yet he cannot help repeating on this occafion fo interefting a fentiment, and leaving it as his laft injunction to every officer and every

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