***George Washington to James Madison Jr., Nov. 5^th^, 1786***

> Mount Vernon, November 5, 1786.

My dear Sir: I thank you for the communications in your letter of the
first instt. The decision of the House on the question respecting a
paper emission, is portentous I hope, of an auspicious Session. It may
certainly be classed among the important questions of the present day;
and merited the serious consideration of the Assembly. Fain would I
hope, that the great, and most important of all objects, the foederal
governmt., may be considered with that calm and deliberate attention
which the magnitude of it so loudly calls for at this critical moment.
Let prejudices, unreasonable jealousies, and local interest yield to
reason and liberality. Let us look to our National character, and to
things beyond the present period. No morn ever dawned more favourably
than ours did; and no day was ever more clouded than the present!
Wisdom, and good examples are necessary at this time to rescue the
political machine from the impending storm. Virginia has now an
opportunity to set the latter, and has enough of the former, I hope, to
take the lead in promoting this great and arduous work. Without some
alteration in our political creed, the superstructure we have been seven
years raising at the expence of so much blood and treasure, must fall.
We are fast verging to anarchy and confusion!

A letter which I have just received from Genl Knox, who had just
returned from Massachusetts (whither he had been sent by Congress
consequent of the commotion in that State) is replete with melancholy
information of the temper, and designs of a considerable part of that
people. Among other things he says, there creed is, that the property of
the United States, has been protected from confiscation of Britain by
the joint exertions of *all*, and therefore ought to be the *common
property* of all. And he that attempts opposition to this creed is an
enemy to equity and justice, and ought to be swept from off the face of
the Earth.

again

They are determined to anihillate all debts public and private, and have
Agrarian Laws, which are easily effected by the means of unfunded paper
money which shall be a tender in all cases whatever.

He adds

The numbers of these people amount in Massachusetts to about one fifth
part of several populous Counties, and to them may be collected, people
of similar sentiments from the States of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and
New Hampshire, so as to constitute a body of twelve or fifteen thousand
desperate, and unprincipled men. They are chiefly of the young and
active part of the Community.

How melancholy is the reflection, that in so short a space, we should
have made such large strides towards fulfilling the prediction of our
transatlantic foe! \"leave them to themselves, and their government will
soon dissolve.\" Will not the wise and good strive hard to avert this
evil? Or will their supineness suffer ignorance, and the arts of
self-interested designing disaffected and desperate characters, to
involve this rising empire in wretchedness and contempt? What stronger
evidence can be given of the want of energy in our governments than
these disorders? If there exists not a power to check them, what
security has a man for life, liberty, or property? To you, I am sure I
need not add aught on this subject, the consequences of a lax, or
inefficient government, are too obvious to be dwelt on. Thirteen
Sovereignties pulling against each other, and all tugging at the
foederal head will soon bring ruin on the whole; whereas a liberal, and
energetic Constitution, well guarded and closely watched, to prevent
incroachments, might restore us to that degree of respectability and
consequence, to which we had a fair claim, and the brightest prospect of
attaining. With sentiments of the sincerest esteem etc.

**[The George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress,
1741-1799](http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwhome.html)**

**The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript
Sources, 1745-1799. John C. Fitzpatrick, Editor.**