munication, to congratulate you on the glorious events which heaven has been pleased to produce in our favour, to offer my fentiments refpecting fome important fubjects, which appear to me to be intimately connected with the tranquility of the United States, to take my leave of your excellency as a public character, and to give my final bleffing to that country in whofe fervice I have spent the prime of my life; for whofe fake I have confumed fo many anxious days and watchful nights; and whofe happiness, being extremely dear to me, will always conftitute no inconfiderable part of my own. Impreffed with the livelieft fenfibility on this pleafing occafion, I will claim the indulgence of dilating the more copiously on the fubject of our mutual felicitation. When we confider the magnitude of the prize we contended for, the doubtful nature of the conteft, and the favourable manner in which it has terminated; we fhall find the greatest poffible reafon for gratitude and rejoicing: this is a theme that will afford infinite delight to every benevolent and liberal mind, whether the event in contemplation be confidered as a fource of prefent enjoyment, or the parent of future happiness; and we fhall have equal occafion to felicitate ourselves on the lot which Providence has affigned us, whether we view it in a natural, a political, or moral point of view. The citizens of America, placed in the most enviable condition, as the fole lords and proprietors of a vast tract of continent, comprehending all the various foils and climates of the world, and abounding with all the neceffaries and conveniences of life, are now, by the late fatisfactory pacification, acknowledged to be poffeffed of abfolute freedom and independency; they are from this period to be confidered as the actors on a most confpicuous theatre, which feems to be peculiarly defigned by Providence for the difplay of hu man greatnefs and felicity: here they are not only furrounded with every thing that can contribute to the completion of private and domeftic enjoyment, but heaven has crowned all its other bleflings, by giving a furer opportunity for political happinefs, than any other nation has ever been favoured with. Nothing can illuftrate the fe obfervations more forcibly than a recollection of the happy conjuncture of times and circumftances, under which our republic affumed its rank among the nations. The foundation of our empire was not laid in a gloomy age of ignorance and fuperftition, but at an epocha when the rights of mankind were better underftood and more clearly defined, than at any former period: refearches of the human mind after focial happiness have been carried to a great extent: the treasures of knowledge acquired by the labours of philofophers, fages, and legiflators, through a long fucceffion of years, are laid open for ufe, and their collected wisdom may be happily applied in the eftablishment of our forms of government; the free cultivation of letters, the unbounded extenfion of commerce, the progreffive refinement of manners, the growing liberality of fentiment, and,. and critical an emergency. Colonel Macleod had not delivered the papers, as fuppofed by the general; he had only on his arrival, as mentioned in a former paragraph, given in a memorial, af igning his reafons for quitting the army, and ftating, with candour and moderation, the circumftances of his own rank and fervices, and the complaints of his majefty's troops, which had rendered it impoffible for him to continue to ferve under the command of Brigadier General Matthews. Thefe circumstances, as well as our refolutions in confequence, will be communicated by a future conveyance, only deeming it material to mention at prefent, that being of opinion the fervices of an officer of the colonel's ability and experience were abfolutely requifite at fo critical a period, we had made a requeft to him on the 7th of March, to continue to ferve on this coaft till we could receive the determination of the governor general and council, or General Coote, regarding his cafe; giving him affurances that we would endeavour in the mean time to place him on a footing that might be fatisfactory, in any practicable manner he could point out. Colonel Macleod fhewed a readinefs in complying with our tequeft that entitled him to every mark of attention from the company. He recalled to our attention his difficulties in ferving with General Matthews; ftill, however, offering to ferve wherever and in whatever fhape we might command; but in order to avoid all difputes relating to the king's and company's troops, and to enable him to ferve with more ef ficacy, he fuggefted the neceffity of beftowing company's rank upon him. In confequence of the general's reference, we called upon Colonel Macleod the 18th of March, for the papers alluded to, who in return demanded from our justice an extract of the general's letter, in which thofe difputes on his conduct were mentioned. Colonel Macleod being furnished with the defired extract, delivered the papers required, accompanied with a letter from himself in vindication of his own character, and of the other officers involved in one general accufation. Thefe papers are of too great, a length to be sent by an overland difpatch; but they contain imputations against the general of a very ferious nature, and fupported by strong teftimony. Our want of information from General Matthews laid us under the neceflity of applying to Colonel Macleod to furnith us with a detail of the operations of the army from their leaving Cundapore to the furrender of Bednure, and any information he could af ford refpecting the nature of the treaty with Hyat Saib, and the proceedings in confequence. Colonel Macleod in confequence fent in the journals kept by him- · felf and Colonel Humberstone, and gave us all the information in his power relative to the furrender of Bednure and the treaty with Hyat Saib. When the refpective details of thefe gentlemen and General Matthews of the fame event fhall come before you, you will doubtlefs make due comparifon. We 4thly. The prevalence of that pacific and friendly difpofition among the people of the United States, which will induce them to forget their local prejudices and policies, to make thofe mutual conceffions which are requifite to the general profperity, and, in fome inflances, to facrifice their individual advantages to the interest of the community. These are the pillars on which the glorious fabric of our independency and national character must be fupported. Liberty is the bafis-and whoever would dare to fap the foundation, or overturn the ftru&ture, under whatever fpecious pretexts he may attempt it, will merit the bitterest execration, and the fevereft punishment, which can be inflicted by his injured country. On the three first articles I will make a few obfervations, leaving the laft to the good fenfe and ferious confideration of those immediately concerned. Under the first head, although it may not be neceffary or proper for me in this place to enter into a particular difquifition of the principles of the union, and to take up the great question which has been frequently agitated, whether it be expedient and requifite for the states to delegate a large proportion of power to congrefs, or not; yet it will be a part of my duty, and that of every true patriot, to affert, without referve, and to infift upon the following pofitions: That unless the ftates will fuffer congrefs to exercise thofe prerogatives they are undoubtedly invested with by the conftitution, every thing muft very rapidly tend to anarchy and confufion. That it is indifpenfible to the happiness of the individual states, that there should be lodged, fomewhere, a fupreme power, to regulate and govern the general concerns of the confederated republic, without which the union cannot be of long duration. That there must be a faithful and pointed compliance on the part of every ftate with the late propofals and demands of congrefs, or the most fatal confequences will enfue. That whatever measures have a tendency to diffolve the union, or contribute to violate or leffen the fovereign authority, ought to be confidered as hoftile to the liberty and independency of America, and the authors of them treated accordingly. And lastly, that unless we can be enabled by the concurrence of the ftates to participate of the fruits of the revolution, and enjoy the effential benefits of civil fociety, under a form of government fo free and uncorrupted, fo happily guarded against the danger of oppreffion, as has been deviled and adopted by the articles of confederation, it will be a fubject of regret, that fo much blood and treasure have been lavished for no purpofe; that so many fufferings have been encountered without a compenfation, and that fo many facrifices have been made in vain. Many other confiderations might here be adduced to prove, that without an entire conformity to the spirit of the union, we cannot exist as an independent power. It will be fufficient for my purpofe to mention but one or two, which feem to me of the greatest importance. It is only in Our our united character, as an empire, that our independence is acknowledged, that our power can be regarded, or our credit fupported among foreign nations. The treaties of the European powers, with the United States of America, will have no validity on the diffolution of the union. We' fhall be left nearly in a state of nature; or we may find by our own unhappy experience, that there is a natural and neceffary progreffion from the extreme of anarchy to the extreme of tyranny; and that arbitrary power is moft eafily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentioufnefs. As to the fecond article, which refpects the performance of public juftice, congrefs have, in their late addrefs to the United States, almost exhausted the fubject; they have explained their ideas fo fully, and have enforced the obligations the ftates are under to render complete juftice to all the public creditors, with fo much dignity and energy, that in my opinion, no real friend to the honour and independency of America can hefitate a fingle moment refpecting the propriety of complying with the juft and honourable measures propofed; if their arguments do not produce conviction, I know of nothing that will have greater influence, efpecially when we reflect that the fyftem referred to, being the refult of the collected wifdom of the continent, must be efteemed, if not perfect, certainly the leaft objectionable of any that could be devised; and that, if it fhall not be carried into immediate execution, a national bankruptcy, with all its deplorable confequences, will take place, be. fore any different plan can poffibly be propofed or adopted; fo preffing are the prefent circumftances, and fuch is the alternative now offered to the ftates. The ability of the country to difcharge the debts, which have been incurred in its defence, is not to be doubted. An inclination, I flatter myself, will not be wanting; the path of our duty is plain before us; honefty will be found, on every experiment, to be the best and only true policy. Let us then, as a nation, be just; let us fulfil the public contracts which congrefs had undoubtedly a right to make for the purpose of carrying on the war, with the fame good faith we fuppofe ourfelves bound to perform our pri vate engagements. In the mean time let an attention to the chearful performance of their proper bufinefs, as individuals, and as members of fociety, be earnestly inculcated on the citizens of America; then will they ftrengthen the bands of government, and be happy under its protection. Every one will reap the fruit of his labours; every one will enjoy his own acquifitions, without moleftation and without danger. In this ftate of abfolute freedom and perfect fecurity, who will grudge to yield a very little of his property to fupport the common interefts of fociety, and enfure the protection of government? Who does not remember the frequent declarations at the commencement of the war, that we should be completely fatisfied, if at the expence of one-half, we could defend the remainder of our poffeffions? Where is the man to be found, found, who wishes to remain in debted for the defence of his own perfon and property to the exertions, the bravery, and the blood of others, without making one generous effort to pay the debt of honour and of gratitude? In what part of the continent fhall we find any man, or body of men, who would not blush to stand up, and propose measures purpofely calculated to rob the foldier of his ftipend, and the public creditor of his due? And were it poffible that fuch a flagrant inftance of injuftice could ever happen, would it not excite the general indignation, and tend to bring down, upon the authors of fuch meafures, the aggravated vengeance of heaven? If, after all, a spirit of difunion, or a temper of ob. ftinacy and perverfenefs fhould manifeft itself in any of the ftates; if fuch an ungracious difpofition fhould attempt to fruf. trate all the happy effects that might be expected to flow from the union; if there fhould be a refufal to comply with the requifitions for funds to difcharge the annual intereft of the public debts, and if that refufal fhould revive all those jealoufies, and produce all thofe evils which are now happily removed, congrefs, who have in all their transactions fhewn a great degree of magnanimity and justice, will stand juftified in the fight of God and man! And that state alone, which puts itfelf in oppofition to the aggregate wifdom of the continent, and follows fuch mistaken and pernicious councils, will be refponfible for all the confequen ces. For my own part, confcious of having acted, while a fervant of the public, in the manner I conceived beft fuited to promote the real intereft of my country; having, in confequence of my fixed belief, in fome measure, pledged myself to the army, that their country would finally do them complete and ample juftice; and not willing to conceal any inftance of my official conduct from the eyes of the world, I have thought proper to tranfmit to your excellency the inclofed collection of papers, relative to the halfpay and commutation granted by congrefs to the officers of the army: from these communications, my decided fentiment will be clearly comprehended, together with the conclufive reafons, which induced me at an early period, to recommend the adoption of this meafure in the moft earnest and ferious manner. As the proceedings of congrefs, the army, and myfelf, are open to all, and contain, in my opinion, fufficient information to remove the prejudice and errors which may have been entertained by any, I think it unneceffary to fay any thing more, than juft to obferve, that the refolutions of congrefs, now alluded to, are as undoubtedly and abfolutely binding upon the United States, as the most folemn acts of confederation or legiflation. As to the idea, which I am informed, has in fome inftances prevailed, that the half-pay and commutation are to be regarded merely in the odious light of a penfion, it ought to be exploded for ever: that provifion fhould be viewed, as it really was, a reafonable compenfation offered by congrefs, |