The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1783-07-29 00:00:00, page 2

^tari^^x. 1/htint igr^bk, o^e v^ry sass primcir
pfesoflib r y, that men, who are i strutted with the impui
<ant^ffairs of state, should tie re'ponfib'e to their conititu
ertt? And does not a rchifal, of thole in office, to give an
account to their condiments, of all cranGaions, that are of
public concern, give the greareft reason to fufp % that con
tedcracies arc forming, by individuals, in every State, that
will, unless immediate!, checked, piove tie kfludion of
Ante ican liberty ? Is it not high time to arouic from a Mate
of lethargy ? Will you, fellow citizens, any longer, fling
Your money, into the hands of those, who refufe to be rc-
Iponfible to you, for the expenditure of it ; Can ,ou brook
the alarming idea, that the very bre,d, should be wrested
from the hungry months of reporting infants, and given to
support the luxury and extravagance of men already fattened
by the treasure of their country ? Will you, an, longer, open
your purfesto those ravenous harpies, who perch, with whet
ted beaks and piercing eyes, watching the molt favourable
opportunity of preying on the public revenues ? Is it not
high time, for that patriotic fire, which has so often blazed
forth, to the confufion of our adveriarics, now to flash with
redoubled violence ? Can you fee, that stately fabric, which
we have raised with so much toil, and placed as a new phe
nomenon, in the political hemefphere, for want of due lap
port, to burst forth and like a common meteor, to explode
in smoke and vapour : And all the glory of an eight years
war, in which we have faced death a thousand ways, link,
into shame and ignomy ? What shall we do, perhaps, will
be the question ? That question now, compared with the
'like, in 1774, is childish and whimsical. We have all ex
perienced oppression, we remember the methods that were
adopted and the conftqrences which followed. Then we
had not only domestic enemies, but foreign enemies, pow
erful and ftubbom to combat: Now we have only a few in
dividuals grown a little tooluft, by being fed with too much
power; who, of their own weight, would loon lie proßrate,
should the country only withdraw it's supporting influence.
In 1774 we formed conventions, we petitioned, we remon
strated, we established corrcfpondencics; whatif we should
do so now ? The danger is as great, and we cannot yee be
lieve, all virtue is fled from America, Should conventions
Slot be regarded, nor the petitions and remonstrances, of the
people, be heard: Weintreat the citizens of America,
once more, to remember, they are free I We intreat them
to remember, upon whom,the country depends! to remem
ber the constitution; whether our governmentbe monarchic
al, ariftocratical, er Democratical; whether the power, of
those in office, be hereditary, or delegated ; if it be delega
ted, let them remember, by whom it is delegated ; and
that the executive officer of a delegated power rauft always
be rcfpon£b:e to theft by whom the power was delegated.
In a popular government, all power is delegated by the peo
ple ; so that unanimity among the people, is all that is ne
ceflary, to make any alteration, by them judged neceflary,
for the common good. Congress are delegated bythe peo
ple, therefore Congress must be refporfolc so the people,
in all cases whatever. And thedifputes, whichhave arisen,
refpeding the power, affirmed by Congress, must be deter
mined by the unanimous voice of the people. „ If the peo
ple unanimously agree, that Congress, in granting five years
{ay, the commutation, &c. assumed a power not delegated
y the people, the point is established without appeal. It
is the unanimous opinion of this town, that no power was
ever delegated to Congress, by confederation, to grant half
pay, &c. and that those resolves are unconstitutional, unjust
and oppressive. And we cannot but express the greater a
larm, thatthc just and equitable petitions and remonstrances
of many towns, and part of the legislature of this State,
which were made in order to obtain redacts from chose
grievous rcfelvcs, were by so large a bod, of that honoura
ble house, negleded with contempt. As petitions of indi
viduals are not regarded, is it not high time to form larger
conventions 1 And as the army, in times patt, when tender
the most calamitous circumstances, was preferred from im
pending deftru&ion, at the expence and by the vigilance of
the towns; so, the calamities of the country, beingas great,
and the danger as eminent, as formerly ofthe army; is
there not the greatest necessity of the most speed, and ef
fe&ual interposition of the towns, to avert the impending
dangers, which so eminently threaten the deftruftian of the
country ? We sincerely wish, that the inhabitants of the fe
deral towns in Litchfield county, would immediately con
sider the matter, and, if the, think proper, join with us, in
calling on the inhabitants of the county towns, to manifeft
their sentiments, and if it be judged expedient, would warn
a convention ofthe towns in this county, as soon as cir
cumfances will admit; in order that the most Speedy and
cffcaual methods may be taken, best calculated to obtain a
repeal ofchofe oppressive resolves, and a redress of all griev
ances. In order that there may be unanimity of method,
as well as of sentiment, it is necessary the resolves of towns
may be known. —We have waited, for a considerable time,
that towns better qualified to appear, should publish their
resolves ; and waited, 'till the eminency of the danger, in
our opinion, justifies, our present proceedings,
Likewise voted that the above rcfolvc should be published
in she public prints.
Test, EPAPHRAS SHELDON, Town Clerk.
By the UNITED STATES in CONGRESS
Assembled, July 1, 1783
THE Committee confiding of Mr. Hamel
ton, Mr. Ellsworth and Mr. Peters, to
whom were referred a letter of the 17th of June,
from Col. R. Butler at Lancaster, and sundry
other papers communicated to Congress by the
Executive Council of Pennsylvania through
their delegates, having, on the 19th of June,
made a verbal report, and on the 20th of the
fame month a report in writing ; and the writ
ten report being on the 30th re-committed, that
they might amend it by adding thereto their ver
bal report ; and the report being this day brought
in with the amendment.
Ordered, That it be entered on the journal.
The REPORT is a, follows ;
"The Committee, to whom were referred
the letters and papers communicated.to Con
gress by the Executive Council of Pennsylvania
through their delegates, report, That they had
a conferrence yesterday as directed with the Su
preme Executive Council, in which, in the firit
instance, the propriety of calling out a detach
ment of militia, to intercept the mutineers on
their march from Lancaster, was proposed to
the Council, suggesting the danger of their be
ing fuffered with impunity to join the troops in
the barracks, who a few days before had mani
fested a dangerous spirit by an insolent and
threatning message sent to Congress, in the name
of a Board of Serjeants, and who it was appre
hended would be ready to make common cause
with those on their march for mutinous purpo
les : That the Council having Shewn a reluc
tance to call out any part of the militia, expres
sing an opinion that they would not be willing
to a& till some outrage Should have been com
mitted by the troops, there appeared to the Com
mittee no alternative but to endeavour to dissuade
the mutineers from coming to town ; and if
they failed in that attempt, to make use of ex
pedients to prevent the troops in the barracks
from joining in any exceiTes, and to induce the
detachment from Lancaster to return to that
place: That in this view, and at their desire,
the Assistant Secretary at War met the detach
ment then on its march to the city, and endea
voured to engage them to return to the former
place, urging die considerations contained in the
annexed instructions to him; but the said de
tachment persisted in their intention of coming
to this city, and arrived here this morning : That
upon conferring with the Superintendant of Fi
nance, they find there is a probability that the
Paymaster-General, to whom the Settlement of
the accounts of the army has been committed,
and who having all the documents in his poffef
feffion, can alone execute the business with pro
priety, will Shortly arrive from the army, and
will immediately enter upon a settlement with
the troops in this state : That in the mean time
measures will'be taken to prepare the business
fora final adjustment : That there will immedi
ately be sent to Lancaftera sum of money to be
paid to the troops on account of the month's pay
heretofore directed to be advanced to them, the
payment which has hitherto been delayed by par
ticular circumstances, together with notes for
three months pay intended to be advanced to the
men when furloughed: That they have desired
this information to be transmitted to the com
manding officer here and at Lancaster, with this
declaration, that the corps Rationed at Lancas
ter, including the detachment, can only be fet
tled with or paid at that place.
The Instructions to Major Jackson.
INFORMATION having been received that
a detachment of about eighty mutineers are on
their way from Lancaster to this place, you will
please to proceed to meet them, and to endea
vour, by every prudent method, to engage them
to return to the poll they have left. You will
inform them ofthe orders that have been given,
permitting them to remain in service till their
accounts Shall have been fettled, if they prefer it
to being furloughed, and of the allowance of
pay which has been made to the army at large,
and in which they are to be included. You will
represent to them, that their accounts cannot
be fettled without their officers whom they have
left behind them at Lancaster. You will repre
sent to them with coolness but energy, the im
propriety of such irregular proceedings, and
the^danger they will run by persisting in an im
proper conduct. You will assure them of the
best intentions in Congress to do them justice,
and of the absurdity of expecting to procure it
more effectually by intemperate proceedings.
You will point out to them the tendency which
such proceedings may have to raise the resent
ment of their country, and to indispose it to take
effectual measures for their relief.---In Short,
you will urge every consideration, in your pow
er to induce them to return, at the fame time
avoiding whatever may tend to irritate. If they
persist in coming to town, you will give the ear
liest notice to us of their progress and disposi
tion.—Should they want provisions, you will as
sure them of a supply if they will remain where
they are, which you are to endeavour to persuade
them to do in preference to coming to town. I
am, Sir, your obedient servant.
A. HAMELTON, in behalf of the Committee.
Ifcjor Jmjpqn, A^ftant Secretary at War.
" The Committee appointed to confer with
the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania,
on the practicability of taking effectual measures
to support the public authority, in confequencc
of the disorderly and menacing appearance of a
body of armed soldiers surrounding the place
where Congress were assembled, on Saturday
the 21st initant, beg leave to report, that they
had a conference the morning following with
the Supreme Executive Council, agreeable to the
intention of Congress; and having communi
cated their resolution on that fubjeCt, informed
the Council that Congress considered the pro
ceeding on which the resolution was founded,
of so serious a nature as to render palliatives im
proper, and to require that vigorous measures
Should be taken to put a Stop to the further pro
gress ofthe evil, and to compel submission on the
part ofthe offenders : That in this view they had
thought it expedient to declare to the Executive
of the state in which they reside, the necessity of
taking effectual measures for Supporting the pub
lic authority : That though they had declined a
fpecification of the measures which they would
deem effectual, it was their sense that a number
of the militia Should be immediately called, Suf
ficient to suppress the revolt : That Congress un
willing to expose the United States to a repeti
tion of the insult, had suspended their ordinary
deliberations in this city till proper Steps could
be taken to provide againff the possibility of it.
The Council, after Some conversation, 'inform
ed the Committee that they would with, previous
to a determination, to ascertain the state anddif
pofition of the militia, and to consult the officers
for that purpose. [The day following the Com
mittee waited upon the Council for their final
resolution, having previously presented a letter
addressed to his Excellency the President, of
which a copy is annexed, requeuing the deter
mination ofthe Council in writing.] The Coun
cil declined a written answer, alledging, that it
had been unusual on Similar occasions: That
they were unwilling to do any thing which
might appear an innovation in the manner of
conducting conferences between their body and
Committees ofCongrefs : adding, however, that
they were ready to give their answer in writing,
if Congress Should request it. They then pro
ceeded to a verbal answer, in substance as fol
lows :
That the Council had a high refpe& for th&
representative Sovereignty of the United States,
and were disposed to do every thing in their
power to support its dignity: That they regretted
the insult which had happened, with this addi
tional motive of fenGbility, that they had them-
Selves had a principle Share in it : That they had
consulted a number of well informed officers of
the militia, and found that nothing in the pre
sent State of things was to be expected from that
quarter : That the militia ofthe city in general
were not only illy provided for service, but dis
inclined to act upon the present occasion: That
the Council did not believe any exertions wera
to be looked for from them, except in case of
further outrage and actual violence to person or
property: That in such case a refpe&able bod,
of citizens would arm for the security of tbeie
property and of the public peace ; but it was to
be doubted what measure of outrage would pro
duce this effect, and in particular it was not to
be expected merely from a repetition of the in*
Sult which had happened.
The Council observed, that they thought it
their duty to communicate their expectations
with candor, and passed from the iubje& of
practicability of vigorous measures to the policy
of them: They Rated, that General St. Clair,
with the approbation of several members of Co%
grefs and of Council, had by a declaration in
writing, permitted the mutineers to choose a
Committee of commissioned officers to represent
their grievances to Council, and had authorized
them to expert, that a conference would be al
lowed for that purpose: That it was said the mu,
tineers began to be convinced of their error, and
were preparing for submission : That from the
Steps which had been taken, the business seemed
to be in a train of negociation, and that it merits
#4 sonGd^ration how far it w9ul< be prudqxt to
The Committee, confining of Mn Hameltotr
and Mr. Elsworth, appointed on the 21st of June
to confer with the Supreme Executive Council
of Pennsylvania, on the practicability of taking
effectual measures to support the public authori
ty,having delivered in a report,
Ordered, That it be entered on the journal.
The REPORT is as follows: