the fathers of the constitution-第16章

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e…half　million　dollars　from　requisitions；　and　for　the　fourteen　months　ending　January　1；　1786；　the　income　was　at　the　rate　of　less　than　375；000　a　year；　which　was　not　enough；　as　a　committee　of　Congress　reported；　〃for　the　bare　maintenance　of　the　Federal　Government　on　the　most　economical　establishment　and　in　time　of　profound　peace。〃　In　fact；　the　income　was　not　sufficient　even　to　meet　the　interest　on　the　foreign　debt。　In　the　absence　of　other　means　of　obtaining　funds　Congress　had　resorted　early　to　the　unfortunate　expedient　of　issuing　paper　money　based　solely　on　the　good　faith　of　the　States　to　redeem　it。　This　fiat　money　held　its　value　for　some　little　time；　then　it　began　to　shrink　and；　once　started　on　the　downward　path；　its　fall　was　rapid。　Congress　tried　to　meet　the　emergency　by　issuing　paper　in　increasing　quantities　until　the　inevitable　happened：　the　paper　money　ceased　to　have　any　value　and　practically　disappeared　from　circulation。　Jefferson　said　that　by　the　end　of　1781　one　thousand　dollars　of　Continental　scrip　was　worth　about　one　dollar　in　specie。　The　States　had　already　issued　paper　money　of　their　own；　and　their　experience　ought　to　have　taught　them　a　lesson；　but　with　the　coming　of　hard　times　after　the　war；　they　once　more　proposed　by　issuing　paper　to　relieve　the　〃scarcity　of　money〃　which　was　commonly　supposed　to　be　one　of　the　principal　evils　of　the　day。　In　1785　and　1786　paper　money　parties　appeared　in　almost　all　the　States。　In　some　of　these　the　conservative　element　was　strong　enough　to　prevent　action；　but　in　others　the　movement　had　to　run　its　fatal　course。　The　futility　of　what　they　were　doing　should　have　been　revealed　to　all　concerned　by　proposals　seriously　made　that　the　paper　money　which　was　issued　should　depreciate　at　a　regular　rate　each　year　until　it　should　finally　disappear。　The　experience　of　Rhode　Island　is　not　to　be　regarded　as　typical　of　what　was　happening　throughout　the　country　but　is；　indeed；　rather　to　be　considered　as　exceptional。　Yet　it　attracted　widespread　attention　and　revealed　to　anxious　observers　the　dangers　to　which　the　country　was　subject　if　the　existing　condition　of　affairs　were　allowed　to　continue。　The　machinery　of　the　State　Government　was　captured　by　the　paper…money　party　in　the　spring　election　of　1786。　The　results　were　disappointing　to　the　adherents　of　the　paper…money　cause；　for　when　the　money　was　issued　depreciation　began　at　once；　and　those　who　tried　to　pay　their　bills　discovered　that　a　heavy　discount　was　demanded。　In　response　to　indignant　demands　the　legislature　of　Rhode　Island　passed　an　act　to　force　the　acceptance　of　paper　money　under　penalty　and　thereupon　tradesmen　refused　to　make　any　sales　at　all　some　closed　their　shops；　and　others　tried　to　carry　on　business　by　exchange　of　wares。　The　farmers　then　retaliated　by　refusing　to　sell　their　produce　to　the　shopkeepers；　and　general　confusion　and　acute　distress　followed。　It　was　mainly　a　quarrel　between　the　farmers　and　the　merchants；　but　it　easily　grew　into　a　division　between　town　and　country；　and　there　followed　a　whole　series　of　town　meetings　and　county　conventions。　The　old　line　of　cleavage　was　fairly　well　represented　by　the　excommunication　of　a　member　of　St。　John's　Episcopal　Church　of　Providence　for　tendering　bank　notes；　and　the　expulsion　of　a　member　of　the　Society　of　the　Cincinnati　for　a　similar　cause。　The　contest　culminated　in　the　case　of　Trevett　vs。　Weeden；　1786；　which　is　memorable　in　the　judicial　annals　of　the　United　States。　The　legislature；　not　being　satisfied　with　ordinary　methods　of　enforcement；　had　provided　for　the　summary　trial　of　offenders　without　a　jury　before　a　court　whose　judges　were　removable　by　the　Assembly　and　were　therefore　supposedly　subservient　to　its　wishes。　In　the　case　in　question　the　Superior　Court　boldly　declared　the　enforcing　act　to　be　unconstitutional；　and　for　their　contumacious　behavior　the　judges　were　summoned　before　the　legislature。　They　escaped　punishment；　but　only　one　of　them　was　reelected　to　office。　Meanwhile　disorders　of　a　more　serious　sort；　which　startled　the　whole　country；　occurred　in　Massachusetts。　It　is　doubtful　if　a　satisfactory　explanation　ever　will　be　found；　at　least　one　which　will　be　universally　accepted；　as　to　the　causes　and　origin　of　Shays'　Rebellion　in　1786。　Some　historians　maintain　that　the　uprising　resulted　primarily　from　a　scarcity　of　money；　from　a　shortage　in　the　circulating　medium；　that；　while　the　eastern　counties　were　keeping　up　their　foreign　trade　sufficiently　at　least　to　bring　in　enough　metallic　currency　to　relieve　the　stringency　and　could　also　use　various　forms　of　credit；　the　western　counties　had　no　such　remedy。　Others　are　inclined　to　think　that　the　difficulties　of　the　farmers　in　western　Massachusetts　were　caused　largely　by　the　return　to　normal　conditions　after　the　extraordinarily　good　times　between　1776　and　1780；　and　that　it　was　the　discomfort　attending　the　process　that　drove　them　to　revolt。　Another　explanation　reminds　one　of　present…day　charges　against　undue　influence　of　high　financial　circles；　when　it　is　insinuated　and　even　directly　charged　that　the　rebellion　was　fostered　by　conservative　interests　who　were　trying　to　create　a　public　opinion　in　favor　of　a　more　strongly　organized　government。　Whatever　other　causes　there　may　have　been；　the　immediate　source　of　trouble　was　the　enforced　payment　of　indebtedness；　which　to　a　large　extent　had　been　allowed　to　remain　in　abeyance　during　the　war。　This　postponement　of　settlement　had　not　been　merely　for　humanitarian　reasons；　it　would　have　been　the　height　of　folly　to　collect　when　the　currency　was　greatly　depreciated。　But　conditions　were　supposed　to　have　been　restored　to　normal　with　the　cessation　of　hostilities；　and　creditors　were　generally　inclined　to　demand　payment。　These　demands；　coinciding　with　the　heavy　taxes；　drove　the　people　of　western　Massachusetts　into　revolt。　Feeling　ran　high　against　lawyers　who　prosecuted　suits　for　creditors；　and　this　antagonism　was　easily　transferred　to　the　courts　in　which　the　suits　were　brought。　The　rebellion　in　Massachusetts　accordingly　took　the　form　of　a　demonstration　against　the　courts。　A　paper　was　carried　from　town　to　town　in　the　County　of　Worcester；　in　which　the　signers　promised　to　do　their　utmost　〃to　prevent　the　sitting　of　the　Inferior　Court　of　Common　Pleas　for　the　county；　or　of　any　other　court　that　should　attempt　to　take　property　by　distress。〃　The　Massachusetts　Legislature　adjourned　in　July；　1786；　without　remedying　the　trouble　and　also　without　authorizing　an　issue　of　paper　money　which　the　hardpressed　debtors　were　demanding。　In　the　months　following　mobs　prevented　the　courts　from　sitting　in　various　towns。　A　special　session　of　the　legislature　was　then　called　by　the　Governor　but；　when　that　special　session　had　adjourned　on　the　18th　of　November；　it　might　just　as　well　have　never　met。　It　had　attempted　to　remedy　various　grievances　and　had　made　concessions　to　the　malcontents；　but　it　had　also　passed　measures　to　strengthen　the　hands　of　the　Governor。　This　only　seemed　to　inflame　the　rioters；　and　the　disorders　increased。　After　the　lower　courts　a　move　was　made　against　the　State　Supreme　Court；　and　plans　were　laid　for　a　concerted　movement　against　the　cities　in　the　eastern　part　of　the　State。　Civil　war　seemed　imminent。　The　insurgents　were　led　by　Daniel　Shays；　an　officer