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--SATURDAY, Jaw 14, (78K r
GEORGIA STATE GAZETTE
G . R
INDEPENDENT REGISTER.
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FREEDOM of the PRESS, and TRIAL by JUR Y, to remain inviolate forever. Cenfoitmfim ts Gmgia
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AUGUST A: Printed by JOHN E. SMITH, Print* to the State-, Pfays, Articles ts
. Intelligence, Advertifemeyti; &c. will be gratefully received, and every kind of Printing performed.
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(Concludedfrcm our laji, No. LXXXIX.)
A circular Letter from his Excellency Gene
ral Wafliington, Commander in Chief of
the Armies of the United State? of Ame
rica. .« , , ... :
(CIRCULAR.)
Head-Quarters, Newburgh, June 18, 178 J.
S I R, ‘
THE ability of the difch*rge
the debts, wtyich have been incurred
in its defence, is not to be doubted ; an in
clination I flatter myfelf, willno(be winting;
the path of our duty is plain before us: ho
refty will be found on every experiment to be
the best aftd only true policy. Let us then
&s a nation, be jtift; let us fulfil the public
contracts, which Cohgfeffc had undoubtedly
a right to make for thepbrpofe df carrying on
the war,' with the fame good faith we sup
pose ourselves bound to perform our private
engagements. In the mean time let an atten
tion to the cbearful performance of their pro- ,|
per bnfinef3, as individuals ahd as members of
society, be earrieftly inculcated on the citizens
of America} then will they flrengthen the
hands of government, and be Happy under
its prote&idn. Every one will r6ap the fruit
of his labour; every one will enjoy his own
acquifirions, without moleflation add without
danger* .
In this flfte of absolute freedom and perfeft
security, who Will grudge to yield a very lit
tle of his property to support the common in
terests ol society, and ensure the protection
of government i Who does nOt remfember
the frtqiient declarations at the commence
ment of the War, that we should be complete
ly fatisfied if at the expence of one half, we
could defend the remainder of our pofleiTious ?
Where is the man to be found, who wishes to
Tcmain indebted foi* the defence of bis own
person and property to the exertions, the bt a
yeryandthe blood of others, without making
one generous effort to rppay the debt of honor
and gratitude ? In what part of the conti
nent fhatH we find any man or btfdy of men,
who would not biuth to stand up and propofc
measures purposely calculated to fob the fol
dierof his flipend, and the public creditor of
bis due ? And were it poflible fucba flagrant
inftjShce of injustice could ever happen, would*
it not excite the general indignation* and tend
to bring down, upon the authors of fucb mea
sures, the aggravated vengeance of Heaven?
Jf after all, a spirit of difnnien, or a temper
of and perverseness should manifeft
iifelf in any of the Rates if such an tmgra
cious disposition should attempt to frufirate all
fbe happy effe'fts that might be expected to
flow from the union j if there should btf a re
fufal to comply with fcquifitions for funds to
difeharge the annual iutereft of the public
debts, and if that refufal should revive again
all those jealousies and produce all tbofe evils
which are now happily removed ; Congress,
who have in all their tranfaftions shewn a
great degree of magnanirnky and juflice, will
stand juftified in the fight of God and naan ! <
and that slate alone, which puts itfelf in op
pofitionto the aggiegate wisdom of the Con
tinent, and follows fucb mistaken and perni
cious councils, will be refponfibie for all tfaf
confequances.
For my own past, conscious of having aft
ed while a servant of the public, in the man
ner I conceivod bcft-luiud to piotaoie the teal
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interest of my .country; having, in conft
queoce ot my fixed belief, in some measure
pledged myfelt to the army, that coun
try would finally do them complete and ample
just ice, ahd nbt wilhing to conceal any in
stance of my official conduft from the eyes of
the world, I have thought propter to transmit
to your forcellency the inclofed colletlion of
papers relative to the half-pay commu
tation granted by Congrtffs the officers of
the army; from these communications, my
decided fehtiments will be clearly compre
hended, together with the coriclufive reasons,
which induced me, at an early period,,to re
commend the adoption of this measure in
the most earnest and serious manner. As
the proceedings of Congress, the army, ihd
mvfelf, are open to all, and contain in my
opinion, fufficient information to remove the
prejudices and errors which tnay have been
entertained by any, I think it unnecessary to
fay any thing more, than just to observe, tbap
the resolutions of r ongrefs, now alluded to,
are as undoubtedly and absolutely binding
upon the United States, as the most solemn
ads of confederation or leciflation.
As to the idea, which, I am informed, haft
in some prevailed, that the half pay
and commutation are to be regarded merely in
* the odious light of a pension, it ought to be
exploded forever: That provifiotf fliould be
viewed, ,sis it really was, a reasonable com
pensation offered by Congrefs* at a time when
they had nothing else to give to the officers of
the army, for services then to be performed,
it was the only fheans to prevent a total de
reliction to the service : It was a part of their
hire; I may be allowed to fay, it Was the
price of their blood, and of your indepen
dence; it is therefore more than a common
debt, it is a debt of hetaor; it can never be
considered as a pension, or gratuity, nor can
celled until it is fairly difchargCd.
With regard to the difiinefion between of
ficers and fotdiers, it is fufficient that the uni
form experience of every nation of the world,
' combined with out own, proves the utility
/ amd propriety of .the diferimination. -Re-
Wards in proportion tef the aids the public
draws from them, are unquestionable due to
all its servants. In some ijnes, the foldier*
have perhaps generally had aft ample compen
sation for their services, by tbe large bounties
which have been paid to them, as their Officers
will teceive in the proposed commutation; in
others, if, besides the donation of land, the
payment of arrearages of clothing and wages,
(rn which articles all the component parts of
tbe army tnuft be put upon the. fame footing)
we take into the esti mate, the bounties many
of the foldicrs have received, and the gratuity
, of one yeai’s full pay, which is promised to
all, pofliMy their fiiuation (every circumstance
being duly considered) will not be deemed
left eligible than that of the officer*. Should
a further reward, however, be judged equi
table, I will venture to assert, no man will
enjoy grelUr famfaflion than mvfelf in feeing
an exemptipn from taxes for a limited time
(which has been petitioned for in some in
stances) or any other adequate immunity or *
commentation granted So the brave defenders
of their country’s cause: But neither the
adoption or rejection of this proposition will
in any manner affect, much left militate agaigft
tbe ad cf Congress, by which they have |K j
sered five years full pay, in lieu of the I
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pay for life, which had been before promised
to the officers of the army.
Before l conclude the fubjeft of public juf
tire, I cannot omit to mention tbe obligations
this country is tmddr to that meritorious class
of veterans, the non-commifiioned officers
and privates, Who have been difeharged for in
ability, in consequence of the resolution of
Coopt est, of the ajd of April, jyßx, on an
annual pension for life j Their peculiar fuft
ferings, tbeir Angular merits and claim* to
that provision need only be known, to interest
the feelings of humanity in their behalf: No
thing but a pundual payment of their annual
allowance can refctie them from the mod-com
plicated ttiifery ; and nothing conld be a more
melancholy and distressing fight than to be
hold thoJe who>have shed their blood, or loft
their limbs in tfie fei vice of tbeir country,
without a Ihelter, without a friend, and with
out the means of obtaining any of tbe com*
forts or neceflaries of life, compelled to beg
their daily bread from 4oor to door. Fuffec
me to recommend thofo of this description,
belonging to your state, to the warmest pa
tronage of your £xcellency and you* Legis
lature.
It Is neceffafy to fay but a few words on!
the third topic which was proposed, and which:
regards particularly the defence of tbe
public. As there can be but little doubt but
congress will recommend a proper peace efta
bliftimcnt for the United States, in Whicffi a
due attention will be paid to the importance of*
placing the militia of the unipn upon a regular
and refpt&able footing; if this thould be the
case, I Would bfcg leave to urge the great ad*»
vantage of it in the strongest terms.
The militia of this country roust be consi
dered as the palladium of our security, and.
the firft effetfnal refolt in case pf hoftility*
It is eftential, therefore, that the firm* fyflem
Ihbuld pervade the fHiole ; that the formation
and difeipline cf the militia of the continent
fiiould be abfolutdly uniform; anJ that tb#
fame fort of arms, accoutrements, and mili
tary apparatus, ftmuld be introduced in every
part of the United States. No one who has oof
lean ed it from experience, can conceive th©
difficulty, expence and confafion, which re
sult from a contrary fyflem, Or the
rangements which fiaVe hitherto prevailed. •
* , If, in treating, of political points, a great
er latitude than ufOal has been taken in th©
course of -this ad d refs, the importance of the
crisis, and the magnitude of theobjefls indif-
Ouffion, most be my apology, it i»« however,
neither my with nor expectation, that the pre
ceding obfervaiions ffiould claim any regard,
excej t so far as they ftiall appear to be dilat
ed by a good intention ; confonißt to the im
mutable rule of justice; calculated to produce
a liberal* fyflem of policy, and founded o*
whatever experience may have been acquired' *
by a king ahd elofe attention to public hnfineft.
Her© I might speak With more confidence,
fmm my afloal observations; and, if it would
not swell this letter (already too prolix) be
. yond tbe bounds I bad preferred myfetf, I
could demonflrate to every piind, open to
conviction, that in left time, and w * s b much
left expence than has been incurred, the war.
might have been brought to the fame happy
conclusion, if the resources of the Continent
could have been properly called forth: that
I the distresses and difappointmenta which bare
very often occurred, have, in too many sa«