forefeen and dreaded, and all true patriots were anxious to guard against it. Great thanks, doubtlefs, are due to many citizens in every ftate, for their virtuous efforts to promote the general union. Thefe efforts have not been without effect; but I am of opinion, that union has been hitherto preserved and promoted, to a degree that no man ventured to predict, and very few had the courage to hope for. I confefs myself, from the beginning, to have apprehended more danger from this, than from any other quarter, and must now declare, that my fears have been wholly difappointed, and my hopes have been greatly exceeded. In the public councils, no mark of diffenfion, in matters of importance, has ever appeared; and I take upon me further to fay, that every year has obliterated colonial distinctions, and worn away local prejudices, fo that mutual affection, is at prefent more cordial, and the views and works of the whole more uniform, than ever they were at any preceding period.

Having mentioned the union and harmony of the United States, it will be very proper to add, that the harmony, that has prevailed in the allied army, is another fignal mercy, for which we ought to be thankful to God. It is exceedingly common for diffenfion to take place, between troops of different nations, when acting together. In the English history, we meet with few examples of conjun& expeditions, with fea and land forces, in which the harmony has been complete. Our enemies did not fail to make ufe of every topic, which they apprehended, would be inflammatory and popular, to produce jealoufies between us and our allies. Yet it has been wholly in vain. Not only, have the officers and foldiers of the American and French armies, acted together, with perfect cordiality, but the troops of our allies have met with a hearty wel come wherever they have been, from the people of the country; and indeed, just fuch a reception as shows they were esteemed to be of the utmost importance and utility to the American cause.

Another difficulty we had to encounter, was the want of money and refources for carrying on the war. To remedy this evil an expedient was fallen upon which I do

not look upon myself as obliged either to juftify or approve. It was, however embraced by the plurality as necessary, and upon the whole, lefs hazardous than any other, which in our fituation was practicable. The difficulty of raising, clothing, paying and fupporting an army with a depreciated currency, which its own nature, the arts of interefted perfons, and the unwearied attempts of our enemies were pushing on to annihilation, may be easily perceived. Yet the war has not only been fupported, but we have feen the fall and ruin of the money itself without the least injury to the public caufe. Without injury did I fay, it was to the unspeakable benefit of the public cause. Many private perfons indeed, have fuffered fuch injury as not only merits pity, but calls for redress, and I hope the time will come, when all the redrefs fhall be given that the nature of the thing and the ftate of the country, will admit. In the mean time, when we reflect upon what is past, we have a proof of the general attachment of the country to the cause of liberty, the strongest perhaps that can well be conceived, and we fee a circumftance from which we feared the greatest evil, adding its force to many others, in blinding our enemies, misleading their meafures, and disappointing their expectations.

Another difficulty we had before us was the being obliged to encounter the whole force of the British nation, with an army compofed of raw foldiers, unacquainted with military difcipline. The difficulty was increased by our own conduct, viz. filling our army with foldiers enlifted for fhort periods. The views of thofe who preferred this method was certainly very honorable, though the wisdom of it is at leaft very difputable. They hoped it would make every man in America a foldier in a short time. This effect indeed, it has in a good degree produced by the frequent calls of the militia, wherever the enemy appeared. They alfo apprehended danger from a ftanding army, unconnected with civil life, who after they had conquered their enemies might give cause of jealousy to their friends. The hiftory of other countries in general, and in particular that of the civil wars in England against Charles the firft, feemed to give plaufi

bility to this reafon, though from feveral circumftances there was lefs cause of fear in America, than would have been in one of the European ftates. However the meafure was refolved upon by the plurality at firft, and we felt the inconvenience of it very feverely; but.it pleased God to preferve us from utter deftruction, to fet bounds to the progrefs of our enemies, and to give time to the ftates to make better and more effectual provifion for their final overthrow.

The only other danger I fhall mention, was that of anarchy and confufion, when government under the old form was at an end, and every state was obliged to establish civil constitutions for preferving internal order, at the very fame time that they had to refift the efforts of a powerful enemy from without. This danger appeared. fo confiderable that fome of the king of Great Britain's governors ran off early, as they themfelves profeffed, in order to augment it. They hoped that univerfal diforder would prevail in every colony, and not only defeat the measures of the friends of liberty, but be fo infupportable to the people in general, as to oblige them to return to their subjection, for their own fakes, and to be rid of a fliil greater evil. This danger, through the divine bleffing, we happily and indeed entirely efcaped. The governors by their flight ripened every measure, and haftened on the change, by rendering it vifibly neceffary. Provincial conventions were held, city and county committees were every where chofen, and fuch was the zeal for liberty, that the judg ments of these committees was as perfectly fubmitted to, and their orders more cheerfully and completely executed, than those of any regular magiftrates, either under the old government, or fince the change. At the fame time, every state prepared and fettled their civil conflitu-" tions which have now all taken place, and except in very few inftances, without the leaft difcord or diffatisfaction. Happily for us in this ftate, our conftitution has now fubfifted near seven years, and we have not fo much as heard the voice of difcontent. Ifpeak on this head, of what is known to every hearer, and indeed to the whole world; and yet I am perfuaded that to thofe who reflect upon it,'

it will appear next to miraculous. Although fo much was to be done, in which every man was interefled, although the colonies were fo various and extensive, and the parliament of Great Britian was threatening, and its army executing vengeance against us, yet the whole was completed in little more than a year, with as much quietnefs and compofure, as a private perfon would move his family and furniture from one houfe, and fettle them in another.

The third branch of my obfervations fhall confist of a few inftances, in which the counfels of our enemies have been confounded, and their measures have been fuch as to haften on the change, which they defired to prevent. As to the firft of thefe, nothing can be more remarkable, than the ignorance and error in which they have continued from the firft rife of the controverfy, to the present time, as to the flate of things, and the difpofitions of men in America. Even thofe at the head of affairs in Great Britain, have not only conftantly given out, but in my opinion have fincerely believed, that the great body of the people were upon their fide, and were only misled into rebellion by a few factious leaders. At the fame time, the very fame perfons, without being fenfible of the absurdity, have affirmed, that this country was groaning under the oppreffion of its rulers, and longed to be delivered from it. Now these things could not both be true. If the first had been true, these leaders must have been popular and acceptable in a high degree, and have had the most extenfive influence. If the laft had been true, they muft have been inwardly and univerfally detefted. But how many circumstances might have convinced them of the falfehood of both thefe affertions? The vaft extent of the ftates, and the concurrence of all ranks and claffes of men, which was fo early, fo uniform and fo notorious, plainly prove, that no fuch thing could have happened, without a ftrong and rooted inclination in the people themselves, and fuch as no addrefs or management of interested perfons could have produced. Befides, thofe who know how fluctuating a body the Congrefs is, and what continual changes take place in it, as to men, muft perceive the ab VOL. III. K

furdity of their making or fucceeding in any fuch attempt. The truth is, the American Congrefs owes its existence and its influence, to the people at large. I might eafily fhow, that there has hardly any great or important step been taken, but the public opinion has gone before the refolutions of that body; and I wish I could not fay, that they have been fometimes very flow, in hearing and obeying it.

As to the other affertion, it was ftill more manifestly false, and they had greater opportunities of perceiving it to be fo. If Congrefs, or thofe in public trust, in any ftate, had tyrannized over the people, or wantonly oppreffed them, the ufurpation would, in the nature of things, have come to a speedy period. But what if I fhould fay, that this pretence of our enemies, in an equivocal fenfe, is indeed true; and yet this truth, doth but the more clearly demonftrate their error and delufion. It is true, that Congress has, in many inftances, been obliged to have recourfe to measures, in themselves hard and oppreffive, and confeffed to be fo; which yet, have been patiently fubmitted to, becaufe of the important purpose that was to be ferved by them. Of this kind, was the emiffion of paper money; the paffing of tender laws; compelling all into the militia; draughting the militia to fill the regular army; preffing provifions and carriages; and many others of the like nature. Two things are remarkable in this whole matter: one, that every impofition, for the public fervice, fell heaviest upon those who were the friends of America; the lukewarm or contrary minded, always finding fome way, of fhifting the load from their own fhoulders: The other that from the freedom of the prefs in this country, there never were wanting, the boldeft and mofl inflammatory publications, both against men and meafures. Yet neither the one nor the other, nor both united, had any perceptible influence in weakening the attachment of the people. If this account is juft, and I am confident it is known to be fo, by almost all who now hear me, what lefs than judicial blindness, could have made our enemies fo obftinate, in the contrary fentiments? Such however we know has been the cafe,