the fathers of the constitution-第15章

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s　movementor　at　least　in　sympathy　with　itwere　some　of　the　strongest　men　in　civil　as　in　military　life；　who；　while　not　fomenting　insurrection；　were　willing　to　bring　pressure　to　bear　on　Congress　and　the　States。　Congress　was　unable　or　unwilling　to　act；　and　in　March；　1783；　a　second　paper；　this　time　anonymous；　was　circulated　urging　the　men　not　to　disband　until　the　question　of　pay　had　been　settled　and　recommending　a　meeting　of　officers　on　the　following　day。　If　Washington's　influence　was　not　counted　upon；　it　was　at　least　hoped　that　he　would　not　interfere；　but　as　soon　as　he　learned　of　what　had　been　done　he　issued　general　orders　calling　for　a　meeting　of　officers　on　a　later　day；　thus　superseding　the　irregular　meeting　that　had　been　suggested。　On　the　day　appointed　the　Commander…in…Chief　appeared　and　spoke　with　so　much　warmth　and　feeling　that　his　〃little　address　。　。　。　drew　tears　from　many　of　the　officers。〃　He　inveighed　against　the　unsigned　paper　and　against　the　methods　that　were　talked　of；　for　they　would　mean　the　disgrace　of　the　army；　and　he　appealed　to　the　patriotism　of　the　officers；　promising　his　best　efforts　in　their　behalf。　The　effect　was　so　strong　that；　when　Washington　withdrew；　resolutions　were　adopted　unanimously　expressing　their　loyalty　and　their　faith　in　the　justice　of　Congress　and　denouncing　the　anonymous　circular。　The　general　apprehension　was　not　diminished　by　another　incident　in　June。　Some　eighty　troops　of　the　Pennsylvania　line　in　camp　at　Lancaster　marched　to　Philadelphia　and　drew　up　before　the　State　House；　where　Congress　was　sitting。　Their　purpose　was　to　demand　better　treatment　and　the　payment　of　what　was　owed　to　them。　So　far　it　was　an　orderly　demonstration；　although　not　in　keeping　with　military　regulations；　in　fact　the　men　had　broken　away　from　camp　under　the　lead　of　noncommissioned　officers。　But　when　they　had　been　stimulated　by　drink　the　disorder　became　serious。　The　humiliating　feature　of　the　situation　was　that　Congress　could　do　nothing；　even　in　self…protection。　They　appealed；　to　the　Pennsylvania　authorities　and；　when　assistance　was　refused；　the　members　of　Congress　in　alarm　fled　in　the　night　and　three　days　later　gathered　in　the　college　building　in　Princeton。　Congress　became　the　butt　of　many　jokes；　but　men　could　not　hide　the　chagrin　they　felt　that　their　Government　was　so　weak。　The　feeling　deepened　into　shame　when　the　helplessness　of　Congress　was　displayed　before　the　world。　Weeks　and　even　months　passed　before　a　quorum　could　be　obtained　to　ratify　the　treaty　recognizing　the　independence　of　the　United　States　and　establishing　peace。　Even　after　the　treaty　was　supposed　to　be　in　force　the　States　disregarded　its　provisions　and　Congress　could　do　nothing　more　than　utter　ineffective　protests。　But；　most　humiliating　of　all；　the　British　maintained　their　military　posts　within　the　northwestern　territory　ceded　to　the　United　States；　and　Congress　could　only　request　them　to　retire。　The　Americans'　pride　was　hurt　and　their　pockets　were　touched　as　well；　for　an　important　issue　at　stake　was　the　control　of　the　lucrative　fur　trade。　So　resentment　grew　into　anger；　but　the　British　held　on；　and　the　United　States　was　powerless　to　make　them　withdraw。　To　make　matters　worse；　the　Confederation；　for　want　of　power　to　levy　taxes；　was　facing　bankruptcy；　and　Congress　was　unable　to　devise　ways　and　means　to　avert　a　crisis。　The　Second　Continental　Congress　had　come　into　existence　in　1775。　It　was　made　up　of　delegations　from　the　various　colonies；　appointed　in　more　or　less　irregular　ways；　and　had　no　more　authority　than　it　might　assume　and　the　various　colonies　were　willing　to　concede；　yet　it　was　the　central　body　under　which　the　Revolution　had　been　inaugurated　and　carried　through　to　a　successful　conclusion。　Had　this　Congress　grappled　firmly　with　the　financial　problem　and　forced　through　a　system　of　direct　taxation；　the　subsequent　woes　of　the　Confederation　might　have　been　mitigated　and　perhaps　averted。　In　their　enthusiasm　over　the　Declaration　of　Independence　the　peopleby　whom　is　meant　the　articulate　class　consisting　largely　of　the　governing　and　commercial　elementswould　probably　have　accepted　such　a　usurpation　of　authority。　But　with　their　lack　of　experience　it　is　not　surprising　that　the　delegates　to　Congress　did　not　appreciate　the　necessity　of　such　radical　action　and　so　were　unwilling　to　take　the　responsibility　for　it。　They　counted　upon　the　goodwill　and　support　of　their　constituents；　which　simmered　down　to　a　reliance　upon　voluntary　grants　from　the　States　in　response　to　appeals　from　Congress。　These　desultory　grants　proved　to　be　so　unsatisfactory　that；　in　1781；　even　before　the　Articles　of　Confederation　had　been　ratified；　Congress　asked　for　a　grant　of　additional　power　to　levy　a　duty　of　five　per　cent　ad　valorem　upon　all　goods　imported　into　the　United　States；　the　revenue　from　which　was　to　be　applied　to　the　discharge　of　the　principal　and　interest　on　debts　〃contracted　。　。　。　for　supporting　the　present　war。〃　Twelve　States　agreed；　but　Rhode　Island；　after　some　hesitation；　finally　rejected　the　measure　in　November；　1782。　The　Articles　of　Confederation　authorized　a　system　of　requisitions　apportioned　among　the　〃several　States　in　proportion　to　the　value　of　all　land　within　each　State。〃　But；　as　there　was　no　power　vested　in　Congress　to　force　the　States　to　comply；　the　situation　was　in　no　way　improved　when　the　Articles　were　ratified　and　put　into　operation。　In　fact；　matters　grew　worse　as　Congress　itself　steadily　lost　ground　in　popular　estimation；　until　it　had　become　little　better　than　a　laughing…stock；　and　with　the　ending　of　the　war　its　requests　were　more　honored　in　the　breach　than　in　the　observance。　In　1782　Congress　asked　for　8；000；000　and　the　following　year　for　2；000；000　more；　but　by　the　end　of　1783　less　than　1；500；000　had　been　paid　in。　In　the　same　year；　1783；　Congress　made　another　attempt　to　remedy　the　financial　situation　by　proposing　the　so…called　Revenue　Amendment；　according　to　which　a　specific　duty　was　to　be　laid　upon　certain　articles　and　a　general　duty　of　five　per　cent　ad　valorem　upon　all　other　goods；　to　be　in　operation　for　twenty…five　years。　In　addition　to　this　it　was　proposed　that　for　the　same　period　of　time　1；500；000　annually　should　be　raised　by　requisitions；　and　the　definite　amount　for　each　State　was　specified　until　〃the　rule　of　the　Confederation〃　could　be　carried　into　practice：　It　was　then　proposed　that　the　article　providing　for　the　proportion　of　requisitions　should　be　changed　so　as　to　be　based　not　upon　land　values　but　upon　population；　in　estimating　which　slaves　should　be　counted　at　three…fifths　of　their　number。　In　the　course　of　three　years　thereafter　only　two　States　accepted　the　proposals　in　full；　seven　agreed　to　them　in　part；　and　four　failed　to　act　at　all。　Congress　in　despair　then　made　a　further　representation　to　the　States　upon　the　critical　condition　of　the　finances　and　accompanied　this　with　an　urgent　appeal；　which　resulted　in　all　the　States　except　New　York　agreeing　to　the　proposed　impost。　But　the　refusal　of　one　State　was　sufficient　to　block　the　whole　measure；　and　there　was　no　further　hope　for　a　treasury　that　was　practically　bankrupt。　In　five　years　Congress　had　received　less　than　two　and　one…half　million　dollars　from　requisitions；　and　for　the　fourteen　months　ending　January　1；　1786；　the　in