Document – Letter from Henry Knox to George Washington Concerning Shay’s Rebellion (1786)

Document

New York 23 October 1786

My dear sir,

I have long intended myself the pleasure of visiting you at Mount Vernon and although I have not given up that hope, and shall probably gratify it in the course of next month yet I cannot longer delay presenting myself to the remembrance of my truly respected and beloved General, whose friendship I shall ever esteem among the most valuable circumstances of my existence.

Conscious of affection and I beleiving it to be reciprocal in your breast, I have had no apprehensions of my silence being misconstrued – I know the perplexity occasioned by yr numerous correspondents and was unwilling to add to it – Besides which I have lately been once far eastward of Boston, on private business and was no sooner returned here, than the commotions in Massachusetts hurried me back to Boston on a public account.

Our political machine, constituted of thirteen independent sovereignties have been perpetually operating against each other and against the federal Head, ever since the peace – The powers of Congress are utterly inadequate to preserve the balance between the respective States, and oblige them to do those things which are essential for their own welfare & for the general good – The human mind in the local Legislatures seem to be exerted to prevent the federal constitution from having any good effect – The machine works inversly to the public good in all its parts – Not only is State against State, and all against the federal Head, but the States within themselves, possess the name only without having the essential concomitant of government, the power of preserving the peace – the protection of the liberty & property of the citizens – On the very first impression of Faction and licentiousness the fine theoretic government of Massachusetts is prostrated to the earth, and its laws arrested & trampled under foot – Men at a distance who have admired our systems of government, unfounded in nature, are apt to accuse the rulers, and say that taxes have been assessed too high and collected too rigidly – This is a deception equal to any that has been hitherto entertained – That taxes may be the ostensible cause is true, but that they are the true cause is as far remote from truth as light from darkness – The people who are the insurgents have never paid any or but very little taxes – But they see the weakness of Government they feel at once their own poverty compared with the opulent, and their own force, and they are determined to make use of the latter in order to remedy the former. Their creed is that that the property of the United States has been protected from the confiscations 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 the face of the earth – In a word they are determined as to annihilate all debts public and private, and have agrarian Laws, what are easily effected by the means of unfunded paper money which shall be a tender in all cases whatever –The numbers of these people, may amount in Massachusetts to one fifth part of several populous Counties, and to them may be collected the people of similar sentiments from the States of Rhode Island, Connecticut & New Hampshire so as to constitute a body of 12 or 15000 desperate & unprincipled men – They are cheifly of the young and active part of the community more easily collected than Kept together afterwards – But they will probably commit overt acts of treason, what will compell them to embody for their own safety – Once embodied they will be constrained to submit to discipline for the same reason – Having proceeded to this length, which they are now ripe, we shall have a formidable rebellion against, reason the principles of all government, and against the very name of liberty. This dreadful situation for what our governments have made no provision has alarmed every man of principle and property in New England – They start as from a dream, and ask what can have been the cause of our delusion? What is to give us security against the violence of lawless men? – Our government must be braced changed any thing to afford security to our lives and property – We imagined, that the mildness of our government and the virtue of the people were so correspondent that we were not as other nations requiring brutal force to support the laws – But we find that we are men, actual men, possessing all the turbulent passions belonging to that animal and that we must have a government proper and adequate for him – The people of Massachusetts for instance are far advanced in this doctrine, & the men of property and the men of reflection and principle there are determined to endevor to establisha protect them in their lawful pursuits, and what will be efficient in all cases of internal commotions or foreign invasions – They mean that liberty shall form the basis, liberty resulting from an equal and firm administration of Law, – They wish for a general government of Unity as they see that the local Legislatures must naturally and necessarily tend to retard the general government –

We have arrived at that point of time, in which we are forced to see our own humiliation as a nation and that a progression in this line cannot be productive of happiness either private or public – Something is wanting – and something must be done, or we shall be involved in all the horror of faction and civil war, without a prospect of its termination every tried friend for the Liberty of his Country is bound to reflect, and step forward to prevent the dreadful consequences, which shall result from a government of events – Unless this is done we shall be liable to be ruled by an Abritary and Capricious armed tyranny – whose word and will must be Law –

The indians on the frontiers are giving indisputable evidence of their hostile dispositions – Congress anxiously desirous of averting the evils on the frontiers have unanimously agreed to augment the troops now in service to a legionary corps of 2040 noncommissioned officers and privates –The additionals are to be raised as follows. –

Connecticut 180

Infantry and artillery{ Rhode I. 120

Massachusetts 660

New Hampshire 260

Cavalry{ Maryland 60

Virginia 60

1340

This measure is important and will tend to strengthning the principle of government if necessary as well as to defend the frontiers –of strentheng in perfect confidence.

I mention the idea of strengthning govern as confidential – But the State of Massachusetts requires the greatest assistance, and Congress are fully impressed with the importance of supporting her with great exertions –

I received your favor respecting Desdevans who, has been teizing congress for a great number of years – he is now at lake Champlain – I never have been convinced of his services to the Union, although he has received very considerable emoluments for them –

The death of our common friend Genl Greene has been too melancholy and affecting a theme to write upon, I therefore have been & am silent.

Mrs Knox has lately presented me with another daughter who with its mother are well – She unites with me in presenting our most] affectionate respects to you & Mrs Washington, and

I am my dear Sir

with and ardent wishes for

Your permanent and perfect felicity

Your sincere friend & very

humble Servt

His Excellency

General Washington Mount Vernon –

Private

His Excellency Genl

Washington 23 Oct

1786

Review

1. 1) According to Henry Knox why was the federal union in peril in 1786?

2. 2) What motives did Knox attribute to the rebels in Western Massachusetts?

3. 3) According to Knox what steps needed to be taken to address the problems he described?