whatever to obtain new Advances for Congress for the next Year. As to the Resources which you may seek elsewhere than in France, the Details contained in those Letters which I had the Honor to read to you, will not permit a Hope of Success until the United States shall have established a permanent public Revenue, and the Delay and Repugnance with which they proceed in that Business being known in Europe, the Disposition to lend Money to Congress ceases. Lenders place their Funds elsewhere. Those Speculations which would have been directed towards the United States take a different Turn and it will be extremely difficult to bring them back.

I abstain from repeating here the other Parts of the Count de Vergennes Dispatches which I had the Honor to communicate, because the Truths they contain are well known to you, and because they may all be reduced to this single Position that without a speedy Establishment of solid general Revenues and an exact Performance of the Engagements which Congress have made, you must renounce the Expectation of Loans in Europe.

I am ordered also, (Sir), to inform Congress that my Court expect they will have taken final and satisfactory Measures to secure Payment of the Interest of the Debt contracted with his Majesty by the United States but I content myself with communicating this Circumstance to you and before Announcing it directly to Congress, I will wait till their present Embarrassments shall be diminished.

From these Details, Sir, you will be able to judge of the Impossi bility of Negotiating Bills upon your Plenipotentiaries beyond the Funds which remain free from the Six Millions lent this Year. It is very clear that such Bills will not be paid by us and it is from perfect Confidence in your Regularity upon that Subject that I

shall assure the Count de Vergennes, he may be certain, no Demand will be made on him beyond the Sums already granted.

I have the Honor to be &c

[No. 4989.]

New York Prepares for Home Defence when the British Evacuate the Frontier Posts.

Head Quarters Newburgh, 1st April, 1783

Gentlemen, I have the honor to enclose for your Information & Instruction Copies of concurrent Resolutions of the Senate and Assembly of the 27th Ulto. and am with the highest Respect and Esteem Gentlemen, Your most obedt. Servant

The Honorable:

G. Clinton

The Delegates of the State of New York in Congress,

Philadelphia.

Whereas upon the Conclusion of a general Peace, between the several belligerent Powers in Europe and these United States, the Posts at present occupied by the British Troops in the Northern and Western Parts of this State, will be evacuated by them, and may be seized by Savages inimical to these United States; whereby the inhabitants of the Frontiers may be exposed to great Danger and Distress ;

AND WHEREAS by the sixth Article of the Confederation and Perpetual Union between the United States of America, it is declared, that no Body of Forces shall be kept up by any State in Time of Peace, except such Number only as in the Judgment of the United States in Congress assembled, shall be deemed requisite, to garrison the Forts necessary for the Defence of such State;

RESOLVED, THEREFORE, (If the Honorable the House of Assembly concur herein) That the Delegates of this State in Congress, be and they are hereby instructed to represent to the United States in Congress assembled, that this State deem it essentially necessary to make Provision to garrison the said Posts immediately, on the Evacuation thereof by the British Troops; that, therefore, the said Delegates request the United States in Congress assembled, to declare the number of Troops which they may deem necessary for such Garrisons; the said Delegates at the same Time, informing the said United States, that it is the Opinion of this Legislature, that a Body of Troops, not exceeding five Hundred Rank and File. properly officered, would be adequate for the Purpose aforesaid: That the said Delegates do further represent, that the Troops commonly called the State Troops, raised in this State by Virtue of an Act of the Legislature, passed the 20th March, 1781, and which the United States in Congress assembled, by their Act of the 2d Day of April, 1781, declared should be paid, substituted and clothed at the general Expence, being inlisted for three Years, might be beneficially employed for the Purpose aforesaid: That the said Delegates do, therefore, request, that the United States in Congress assembled will be pleased to declare, that the said

Troops shall henceforth be considered as Troops in the immediate Service of this State, and not in the Pay or Service of the United States; and that in Consideration of the present impoverished Condition of this State, which renders it unable to provide immediate Subsistence for the said Troops, or Munitions of War for the said Garrisons, Congress be entreated to give Orders for issuing the necessary provisions, and Munitions of war, for maintaining the said Garrisons on Condition, that the Expence of such Provisions and Munitions, shall be charged by the United States to this State.

ORDERED, That Mr. Duane carry a copy of the preceding Resolution to the Honorable the House of Assembly, and request their Concurrence thereto. Concurred in by the Assembly same day.

[No. 4990.]

Robert R. Livingston Writes in Any but an Encouraging Tone to Governor Clinton.

Philadelphia 2d April 1783.

Dear Sir, I yesterday was honoured by yours of the 19th Ultimo in which you request me to inform you by what conveyance I sent you a letter alluded to in mine of the 5th. I wrote you a short letter, which I think went by the Post; it contained nothing but what related to the proceedings of the Senate, relative to the Chancery, and an intimation which I requested you to give to the Corporation or Mr. Tappen, that I had some hopes if their business was now pushed that it might succeed. Under the same cover I sent answers to Letters received from Mr. Stoutenburg, Mr. Paine and Mr. Morris; if it is suppressed, I shall not be much surprized at it, as it will only accord with the rascally Politicks of the Persons I suspect. I have this consolation, however, that in reading the enclosures they may see a true picture of themselves. You have before this, seen my second Express with Intelligence that puts a general Peace out of doubt, tho' we have not yet received any official Accounts.

I congratulate you on this great Event, and hope my Country will have good sense enough now by wise and prudent policy to lay the foundation of their own happiness, and that of their Pos

terity, tho' I confess to you, that I feel no little apprehension on this score, when I see the spirit of Jobing and speculating on the resources of the Public by those who ought to be the guardians of its Rights, which if I am rightly informed at present prevails among us.

You will see in the enclosed paper the address of the General,* and the proceedings of the Army; they do them the highest honor, and will I hope meet with the attention they merit from a grateful Country. As for my private Affair if the Senate should determine as you suppose I must leave the management of it entirely to your discretion, and that of the Council on whose Justice I very confidently rely.

Be pleased to return Mrs. Livingston's Compliments and mine to Mrs. Clinton and to believe that I am Dear Sir with sincere Esteem and Regard Your Excellency's most obedt. humble Servant.

His Excellency Govr. Clinton.

Robt. R. Livingston.

An allusion to the Newburgh Mutiny, a sketch of which will be found on the following pages.-STATE HISTORIAN.

A FORMIDABLE CRISIS.

The Newburgh Mutiny and Washington's Diplomatic Course in Quelling It.

Pending the suspension of hostilities and the official declaration that the war was at end, the troops had become more or less restless, and discontent of a pronounced character developed throughout the army among officers and men. A state of indifference existed throughout the States toward the maintenance of the troops and the failure of the respective legislatures to vote their proportionate share that had been provided by Congress to prosecute the war, opened the way for mutiny. The army was in a state of destitution; for days at a time officers and men were sorely in need of food. Washington's sagacity had clearly foreseen this condition of affairs and he had used all the influence and resources at his command to mitigate and if possible overcome it. It is at this time that Washington received a communication from Colonel Lewis Nicola who had at one time commanded Fort Mifflin and who had enjoyed an intimacy with the commander-in-chief vouchsafed to but few officers. Nicola decried the existing form of government; condemned it as incompatible with national prosperity and advised a mixed government like that of England. He continues: "In that case, it will, I believe be uncontroverted, that the same abilities which have led us through difficulties apparently insurmountable by human power, to victory and glory; those qualities that have merited and obtained the universal esteem and veneration of an army, would be most likely to conduct and direct us in the smoother paths of peace. Some people have so connected the idea of tyranny and monarchy, as to find it very difficult to separate them. It may, therefore, be requisite to give the head of such a