Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

SATURDAY, June 7, 1788# i-AAAIA.J GEORGIA STATE GAZETTE OR INDEPENDENT REGISTER. FKEE DO M of the F R ESS. and T R I A I h. 1 IT R v i Rt A L br JUR Y, to remam ...violate forever. CcnJUtuU. ./ Cnriia. *U GU ST A: Print'd by JO.HN E. SMITH, Printer to the State; Mays, ArUclet} , Intelligence, Advertisements, &c. will be gratefully received, and every kind of Printing terfermd. cr .jggssßggg.. .. , - . . v ♦ Mr. SMITH, fy giving (befollowing a place in yhur paper , you will oblige several of your fub/cribers. H circular Letter from his Excellency Gene-, ral Washington, Commander in Chief of the Armies of the United States of Ame rica. (CIRCULAR.) HeaJ-£>uarters, Newburgh , Jupe 18, 1783. SIR, THE great objeft for which I had the ho nor to hold an appointment in the ler *ice of my country being accomplished, I am now preparing to resign it into the hands of Congress, and return to that domestic retire ment, which, it is well known, I left with the greatest relutfance; a retirement for which I have never ceased to sigh through a long and painful absence, in which, (remote from the noifs and trouble of the world) I meditate to pass the remainder of life, in a Hate of undisturbed repose ; but, before I car ry this resolution into effeft, I think it a du ty incumbent on me to make this my last of ficial communication, to congratulate you on the glorious events which Hdhven has been pleased to produce in our favor, to offer my sentiments refpefting some important fub yefts, which appear to me to be intimately connetled with the tranquilicy of the United States, toT take nfy leave of your Excellency as a public charaftcr, and to give my" final blcifrags to thatfcountry in whefe fcrvice I have spent the prime of my life * for whose fake I have confomed so many anxious days and watchful nighttf, and whose bappmefs, being extremely dear to me,' will always constitute no inconsiderable part of my own. ImprefTed with the Kvelieft sensibility on this pleasing occasion,• I will claim the indul gence of dilating the more co/lioufly on the iubjeft of our mutual felicitation. When we confider the magnitude of the prize we con tended for, the doubtful nature of the contest, and the Favorable manner in which it has ter minated, We shall find the greatest poflible reason for gratitude and rejoicing * this is a theme that will afford infinite delight to every benevolent and liberal mind, whether the e vent in contemplation be considered as the source of present enjoyment, or the parent of future happiness; and we (hall have equal occasion to felicitate ourselves on the lot which providence has aflrghed us, whether we view it in a natural, of a political, or a moral point of light. The citizens of America, placed in the Xtioff enviable condition, as the foie lords and proprietors of avast trail of continent, com prehending all the various foils and climates of the world, and abounding with all the ne ceflaries and conveniences of life, and now by the late fatisfailory pacification’, acknow ledged to bepofiefled of absolute freedom and independency, they are from this period to be considered as theaftors on a moftconfpicuous theatre, which seems to be peculiarly desig nated by providence for the difplayof human greatneis And felicity: Here they are not only surrounded with every thing that can contribute to the completion of private and domestic enjoyment, but Heaven has crowned all its other bleiTmgs by giving a surer oppor tunity f*?r political happiness, than any other nation has ever been favored with,. Nothing c> n il’uftrat? these more forcibly than a recollection of the happy conjuncture be adduced to prove, that without an entire of tijnes and circumfiances, under which our republic assumed its rank among the nations. Theioundation of our empire was not laid in the gloomy age of ignorance and fupcrftition, but at the epocha when the rights of mankind were better understood and more clearly de fined., than at any former period : Researches of the human mind after social happiness have been carried to a great extent: The treasures of knowledge, acquired by the labours of philosophers, i'ages and legislators, through a long fucceflion of years, are laid open forufe, and tbeir collected wisdom may be happily applied in the eftablirtiment of odr forms of government: The free cultivation of letters, .the unbounded extension of commerce, the progressive refinement of manners, the grow ing liberality of sentiment, and above all, the pure and benign light of revelation, have had a meliorating influence on mankind, and en creafed the bldlings of society. At this au spicious period the United States came into existence as a nation, and if their citizens thould not be completely free and happy, the fault will be entirely their own. Such is our situation, and fuclrare our pro fpefts ; but notwithftauding the oup of blefling is thus reached out to us, notwithstanding happiness is ours, if we have a difpolition to seize the occasion and make it our own ; yet it appears to me, there is an option still left to the Unred States of America, whether •they will be refpeftable and prosperous, or contemptible and miserable as a nation ; this is the time of their political probation ; this is the moment, when the eyes of the whole woild are turned upon them ; this is the mo ment to efiablifh or ruin their national cha raf.ersfor ever; this is the favorable moment to give such a tone to the federal got'ernment as will enable it to answer the ends of its in stitution ; or this may be the Hl-fated moment for relaxing the powers of the union, annihi lating the cement of the confederation, and exposing us to become the sport of European ; politics, which would play one state against another, to prevent their growing importance, and to serve their own interested purposes. For according to the fyflem of policy the dates ftiall adopt at this moment, they will stand or falland, by their, confixnnfirm or laffr,— it is yet to be decided, whether the revolu tion must ultimately be considered as a blefling or a curfe; —a blefling or a curse, not to the present age alone, for with our fate will the destiny of unborn millions be involved. With this convi&ion of the importance of' the< present crisis, silence in me would be a crime ; I will therefore speak to your Excel lency the language of freedom and of sinceri ty, without disguise. lam aware, however, tbofe who differ from me in political senti ments may, perhaps, remark, I am stepping out of the proper line of ray duty ; and they may poflibly aferibe to arrogance or ostenta tion, what I know is alone the refolt of the purest intention ; but the reftitude of my own heart, which disdains such unworthy motives; the part I have hitherto afted in life, the de termination I have formed of not taking any share in public business hereafter ; the ardent desire I feel, and shall continue to manifeft, of quietly enjoying in private life, after all the toils of war, the benefits of a wife and liberal government, will, I flatter myfelf, sooner or later coavince »y‘cou»tryiaen f that THE ... V ... . _ .!* _ .. 7‘ ’ ' ' - * fNo T yyytt i I could have no finifler view# in delivering with so little reserve, the opinions contained in this addrcfs. There are four things which I humbly con ceive are eflential to the well being, I may even venture to fay, to the exigence of the United States as an independent power. isl. An indifloluble union of the Hates un der one federal head. adly. A sacred regard to public jnflice. 3dly. The adoption of a proper peace eflablithment, Andy 4thly. The prevalence of that pacific and friendly disposition among the people of the United States, which will induce them to for get their local prejudices and politics, to make those mutual concefiions which are reqmfite to the general profperiry, and, in son e in i fiances, to facrifice their individual advan tages to’ the interest of the community. These ard the pillars on which the glorious fabric of our independency and national cha racter mull be supported —Liberty is the ba sis—and whoever would dare to sap the foun dation, or overturn the flrufture, under what ever specious pretexts he may attempt it, will merit the bitterell execration, and the fevered punilhment, which can be inflicted by his in jured country. , On the three fir ft articles I will make ft few* oblervations; leaving the lall to the good sense, and serious eonfideration of those iin-* mediately concerned. Under-the firft head, although it may not be necessary or proper for me in this plate to enter into a particular disquisition of the prin ciples of the union, and to take up the great question which has been frequently agitated, whether it be expedient and requisite for the Hates to delegate a larger proportion of power to Congress, or not; yet it will be a part of my duty, and that of every true patriot, to assent, without reserve, and to infifl upon the following propofitionß:—That tinlefs the Hates will fuffer Congress to exercise those prero gatives they are undoubtedly invefled with by the conflitution, every thing mufl very rapid ly tend to anarchy and confufion. That it is indifpenfible to the happiness of the individual Hates, that there Ihould be lodged, somewhere a supreme power to regulate and govern the - —general luiiceiim of the confederated repub lie, without which the union cannot be of long duration. That there mnH be a faithful and pointed compliance on the part of every Hate with the late proposals and demands of Congress, or the mofl fatal consequences Will ensue. That whatever measures have a tendency to diflolve the i nion, or contribute to violate or leflen the sovereign authority, ought to be considered as hoflile to tbe liberty and inde pendency of America, and the authors of them treated accordingly.— And laHly, that uniefs we can be enabled* by the concurrence of tho Hates, to participate of the fruits of the re volution, and enjoy tbe effem.ial benefits of ci vil society, under a form of government so free and uncorrupted, so happily guarded againH the danger of opprefiion, as has been devised and adopted by the articles of confe deration, it will be a fubjed of regret, that so much blood and rreafure have been lavished for no porpofe ; that so many fufferings have been encountered without a compensation, and that so many facrifices have been made in vain. Many other confederations might her* .