of the city for his repofe, health and happiness. Long, 1783. long may he enjoy them! 1784. The definitive treaty between Great Britain and the United States, together with a joint letter from the minifters of the United States, dated at Paffy the 10th of September, was laid before congrefs on the 13th of December. That and the letter were referred to a committee, who reported upon them, January the 14th. Jan. The nine states prefent refolved unanimously to ratify 14. the definitive treaty. In teftimony of fuch ratification, they caused the feal of the United States to be affixed to it; and it was witneffed by his excellency Thomas Mifflin, prefident. The treaty begins-" In the name of the most holy and undivided Trinity."-Then follows the introduction" It having pleafed the Divine Providence to dispose the hearts of the most serene and most potent prince George the Third, by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, France and Ireland, &c. &c. and of the United States of America, to forget all past misunderstandings and differences, that have unhappily interrupted the good correfpondence and friendship which they wish mutually to reftore; and to establish such a beneficial and fatisfactory intercourse between the two countries, upon the ground of reciprocal advantages and mutual convenience, as may promote and fecure to both perpetual peace and harmony; and having for this defirable end, already laid the foundation of peace and reconciliation, by the provifional articles, figned at Paris on the 30th of November 1782, by the commiffioners empowered on each part, which articles were agreed to be inferted in and to conftitute the treaty of peace propofed to be concluded between the crown of Great CC 4 1784. Great Britain and the faid United States, &c. &c. his Britannic majefty, and the United States of America, in order to carry into full effect the provifional articles, &rc. have conftituted, that is to fay, his Britannic majefty on his part, David Hartley efq; and the faid United States on their part, John Adams efq; Benjamin Frank- : lin efq; John Jay efq; to be the plenipotentiaries for the concluding and figning the prefent definitive treaty: who after having reciprocally communicated their refpective full powers, have agreed upon and confirmed the following articles." The nine first articles are the fame with the provifional, five or fix words excepted to accommodate them to the date of the treaty. But the following 10th article is added-"The folemn ratifications of the prefent treaty, expedited in good and due form, fhall be exchanged between the contracting parties in the space of fix months, or fooner if poffible, to be computed from the day of the fignature of the prefent treaty. In witness whereof, we the undersigned, their minifters plenipotentiary, have in their name, and in virtue of our full powers, figned with our hands the prefent definitive treaty, and caufed the feals of our arms to be affixed thereto. Done at Paris, this third day of September, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three. (L. S.) D. Hartley. (L. S.) John Adams, (L. S.) B. Franklin, (L. S.) John Jay." On the fame day the treaty was ratified, congrefs unanimously refolved upon tranfmitting to the feveral states, the recommendation agreed upon by the commiffioners in the 5th provifional article: but too late for the credit of America, the benefit of the United States, or the re 1 lief of the loyalifts. It is conjectured, that between 1783. twenty and thirty thousand perfons have been forced upon a refidence at the new fettlement of Shelburne and others in Nova Scotia; all of whom might, by a temperate conduct and a noble spirit of forgiveness, have been rendered good fubjects to the United States. Through refentment they may hereafter prove dangerous enemies, particularly to the Maffachusetts, fhould they be aided by foreign affiftance, The United States have not only deprived themselves of their perfonal fervice, but also of all their property, which is not inconfiderable, for there are many wealthy individuals among them. Nearly the whole of the American army has been difbanded: but The Society of the Cincinnati, which the late officers of it have established, has spread a confiderable alarm. General Knox, with the good intention of reconciling the minds of his military brethren to the pri vate life on which they were foon to enter, projected the plan, before the circulation of the anonymous papers through the army in March 1783. When the dange rous design of these had been frustrated by the prudence of the commander in chief, Knox imparted his propofals to certain officers. They were afterward commu nicated to the several regiments of the refpective lines, and an officer from each was appointed, who, with the generals, fhould take the fame into confideration at a meeting on the 10th of May, at which baron Steuben, the fenior officer prefent, prefided. At their next meeting on the 13th, the plan having been revifed was accepted. The fubftance of it is-" The officers of the American army do hereby in the most folemn manner affociate, conftitute and combine themselves into one Society 1 1783-Society of Friends, to endure as long as they fhall endure, or any of their eldest male pofterity; and in failure thereof,. the collateral branches, who may be judged worthy of be-. coming its fupporters and members.-The officers of the American army, having generally been taken from the citizens of America, poffefs high veneration for the cha-. racter of that illuftrious Roman, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus, and being refolved to follow his example, by returning to their citizenship, they think they may with propriety denominate themselves The Society of the Cincinnati. The following principles fhall be immutablean inceffant attention to preserve inviolate the exalted rights and liberties of human nature for which they have fought and bled-and an unalterable determination to promote and cherish between the respective states union and national honor; to render permanent, cordial affection, and the spirit of brotherly kindness among the officers; and to extend acts of beneficence toward those officers and their families, who may unfortunately be under the neceffity of receiving it. The general fociety. will, for the fake of frequent communications, be divided into state societies, and those again into fuch diftricts as fhall be directed by the ftate focieties. The ftate focieties fhali meet on the fourth of July annually,. and the general fociety on the first Monday in May annually, fo long as they fhall deem it neceffary, and afterward at least once in every three years. The state. focieties are to have a prefident, vice-prefident, fecretary, treasurer, and affistant-treasurer. The meeting of the general fociety fhall confift of its officers, and a reprefentation from each state fociety, in number not exceeding five, whofe expences shall be borne by their respec tive state societies. In the general meeting, the prefi- 1783. dent, vice-prefident, fecretary, affiftant-secretary, treafurer, and affistant-treasurers-general, fhall be chofen to ferve until the next meeting. Those officers who are foreigners, are to be confidered as members in the focieties of any of the states in which they may happen to be. As there are and will at all times be men in the respective states eminent for their abilities and patriotism, whofe views may be directed to the fame laudable objects with those of the Cincinnati, it fhall be a rule to admit fuch characters, as honorary members of the fociety for their own lives only: provided that the number of the honorary members does not exceed a ratio of one to four of the officers and their defcendants. The fociety fhall have an order by which its members fhall be known and distinguished, which shall be a medal of gold, of a proper fize to receive the propofed emblems, and to be fufpended by a deep blue ribbon, two inches wide, edged with white, defcriptive of the union of ! America and France." The fociety at the faid meeting directed, that the prefident-general fhould tranfmit, as foon as might be, to each of the following characters, a medal containing the order of the fociety, viz. the chevalier de la Luzerne, the Sieur Gerard, the count d'Eftaing, the count de Graffe, the count de Barras, the chevalier d'Eftouches, the count de Rochambeau, and the generals and colonels in the army; and should acquaint them, that "the fociety do themfelves the honor to confider them as members," They alfo refolved, that the members of the feveral state focieties fhould affemble as foon as may be for the choice of their officers; "that general Heath, baron |