A

SUMMARY VIEW

OF THE

POLITICS OF THE UNITED STATES, &c. &c.

THE Congrefs, which began, and conducted to

its close, that rebellion which fevered the thirteen. flourishing and favoured colonies of America from the kingdom of Great Britain, was compofed of men, who, in point of craftinefs, furpaffed the Roundheads of England, and in point of enterprise and perfeverance very far outstripped the Jacobins of France. If ever hiftory, freed from the fhackles

*I here give a lift of the members who compofed the Congress, at the time when the Declaration of Independence was iffued, and who figned that declaration, which was drawn up by Jefferson. John Hancock, Prefident.

fhackles which they and their English abettors have impofed on her, fhould record their conduct in the language of truth, the will tell the selfish mo

tives

Rhode Island.

Connecticut.

New-York.

New-Jersey.

Pennsylvania,

Delaware,

Maryland.

Virginia

North Carolina.

Stephen Hopkins,
William Ellery.
Roger Sherman,
Samuel Huntington,
William Williams,
Oliver Wolcott.
William Floyd,

Philip Livingston,
Francis Lewis,
Lewis Morris.
Richard Stockton,
John Witherspoon,
Francis Hopkinson,

John Hart,

Abraham Clark.

(Robert Morris,

Benjamin Rufh,

Benjamin Franklin,

John Morton,

George Clymer,

James Smith,

George Taylor,
James Wilfon,

George Rofs.
Cæfar Rodney,
George Read.
Samuel Chafe,

William Paca,

Thomas Stone,

tives by which they were ftimulated to feduce a loyal people from their allegiance to the moft juft and most merciful of Kings; he will detect the fallacy of their pretenfions; the will expose their close-veiled hypocrify and ambition; and their measures of hoftility and perfecution fhe will write in letters of blood. But this, perhaps, is hardly to be hoped for, till time has worn away not only the principal actors, on both fides of the ocean, but the principles alfo which they broached and maintained in defence of their conduct. In the mean time, however, it is neceffary to show the confequences that have resulted to the Americans, from the final triumph of those who taught them to raise their arms against the authority of that Sovereign whom God had placed over them, and commanded them to obey.

A correct opinion of thefe confequences will be eafily formed from a perufal of the facts, which are fo thickly fown through the following volumes; but to render the feries complete, it will be neceffary to take a view of the most prominent political occurrences in the United States, from the clofe of the rebellion to the year 1794.

The definitive Treaty of Peace, by which his Britannic Majefty granted independence to the Thirteen United States, was figned in 1783, and was celebrated with every demonftration of joy, in the month

THOMAS M'KEAN, who was one of the delegates of Delaware, has fince publicly declared, that he was abfent when this paper was figned, but that he gave it his hearty approbation, and therefore claimed equal bonour with those who were fo happy as to be present.

GEORGE WASHINGTON, who was one of the delegates from Virginia, was with the army. It would be very unjuft, however, to withhold his fhare of the boncur. Thofe of his admirers in England, who are too modeft, or too timid, openly to applaud rebellion, affect to believe that Washington was inveigied into the measure of Independence, of which he fecretly difapproved. All his American friends reprefent this as an atrocious calumny!

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of November, in that year. But it was foon perceived that this event, fo long looked forward to by the people, was far from realizing their wishes and expectations. They had gained independence, but they had loft their Government, with its chief blessings, domeftic quiet, fecurity, and freedom. A rebellion, which, they had begun with the cry of "Liberty and Property," had ended with depriving them of both.

The Congrefs, as it then ftood, was a machine. admirably contrived for the deftroying of fubordination, and the pillaging of property, but totally inadequate to the task of re eftablishing the former, or fecuring the latter. During the war it rolled on, not only uninterrupted by obftacles, but aided by the common danger of its partifans, and by the numerous local "Committees of Safety," which were formed all over the country, and which most zealoufly ferved it, in the double capacity of pioneers and executioners. The war once ended, and the object of that war obtained; the danger having ceafed, and the Committees of Safety having been diffolved, the Congrefs became an inefficient body; and cach State having carefully retained its independent fovereignty, looked to its particular regulations, and its feparate interefts, which we often, not to fay always, oppofed to the regulations and the interefis of all the other States.

A proof of this total inefficiency of the old Congrefs was furnished in the conduct of the several States with refpect to the execution of the treaty of peace. The delegated authority of the Congrefs extended over the State Governments no farther than to the iffuing of "recommendations in the form of laws." Accordingly the treaty ftipulated thus:

"Art. 4. It is agreed that the creditors on either "fide fhall meet with no lawful impediment to the

"recovery of the full value, in fterling money, of "all bona fide debts heretofore contracted.

"Art. 5. It is agreed that Congrefs fhall earnestly "recommend it to the Legislatures of the refpective "States, to provide for the reftitution of all eftates, rights, and properties, which have been confifcated,

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belonging to real British fubjects-and alfo of "the eftates, rights, and properties of perfons refi"dent in diftricts in the poffeffion of his Majefty's

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arms, and who have not borne arms against the "United States; and that perfons of any other de"fcription fhall have free liberty to go to any part or "parts of the Thirteen United States, and therein "to remain twelve months unmolefted in their en"deavours to obtain the reftitution of fuch of their "eftates, rights, and properties, as may have been "confifcated; and that Congress fhall earnestly re"commend to the feveral States a reconfideration and "revifion of all acts or laws regarding the premises, "fo as to render the faid laws or acts perfectly con"fiftent, not only with juftice and equity, but with "that spirit of conciliation, which on the return of "the bleffings of peace fhould univerfally prevail : " and that Congress should earnestly recommend to "the feveral States, that the eftates, rights, and "properties to fuch laft-mentioned perfons fhall be "reftored to them, they refunding to any perfons "who may be now in poffeffion, the bona fide "price (where any has been given) which fuch per"fons may have paid on purchafing any of the faid "lands, rights, or properties, fince the confifca

❝tion.

"And it is agreed that all perfons who have any "intereft in confifcated lands, either by debts, marriage fettlements, or otherwise, shall meet with no "lawful impediment in the profecution of their juft rights.

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"Art.