public juftice, I cannot omit to mention the obligatio s this country is under to that meritorious clafs of veterans, the non commiffioned oncers and privates, who have been discharged for inability, in confequence of the refolution of congrefs, of the 23d of April, 1782, on an annual pension for life: their peculiar fufferings, their fingular merits and claims to that provision need only to be known, to ineret the feelings of humanity in their behalf: nothing but a punctual payment of their annual allowance can refcue them from the moft complicated mifery; and nothing could be a more melancholy and diftreffing fight, than to behold those who have thed their blood, or loft their limbs in the fervice of their country, without a fhelter, without a friend, and with out the means of obtaining any of the comforts or neceffaries of life, compelled to beg their daily bread from door to door. Suffer me to recommend thofe of this delcription, belonging to your State, to the warmeft patronage of your excellency and your legislature." It is neceffary to fay but a few words on the third topic which was propofed, and which regards particularly the defence of the republic. As there can be little doubt but congrefs will recommend a proper peace establishment for the United States, in which a due attention will be paid to the importance of placing the militia of the union upon a regular and refpectable footing; it this fhould be the cafe, I fhould beg leave to urge the great advantage of it in the strongest terms. The militia of this country muft be confidered as the palladium of. our fecurity, and the first effectual refort in case of hoftility: it is effential, therefore, that the fame fyftem fhould pervade the whole; that the formation and difcipline of the militia of the continent fhould be ab1lutely uniform; and that the fame fpecies of arms, accoutrements, and military apparatus, fhould be introduced in every part of the United States. No one, who has not learned it from experience, can conceive the difficulty, expence, and confùtion which refult from a contrary fyftem, or the vague arrangements which have hitherto prevailed. If, in treating of political points, a greater latitude than ufual has been taken in the courfe of the addrefs, the importance of the crifig, and the magnitude of the objects in difcuffion, must be mv apology: it is, however, neither my with nor expectation, that the preceding ob fervations fhould claim any regard, except fo far as they fhall appear to be dictated by a good intention: confonant to the immutable rules of juftice; calculated to produce a liberal fyftem of policy, and founded on whatever experience may have been acquired by a long and clofe attention to public bulinefs. Here I might fpeak with more confidence, from my actual obfervations; and if it would not fwell this letter (already too prolix) beyond the bounds I had prefcribed myfelf, I could demonstrate to every mind, open to conviction, that in lefs time, and with much lefs expence than has been incurred, the war might have been brought to the fame happy conclufion, if the refources of the continent could have been properly called forth; that the diftreffes and difappointments which have very often occurred, have, in too many inftances, refulted more from a want of energy in the continental government, than a deficiency of means in the particular States; that the inefficacy of the measures, arifing from the want of an adequate authority (K. 3) in in the fupreme power, from a partial compliance with the requifitions of congrefs in fome of the States, and from a failure of punctuality in others, while they tended to damp the zeal of those who were more willing to exert themselves, ferved alfo to accumulate the expences of the war, and to fruftrate the best concerted plans; and that the difcouragement occafioned by the complicated difficulties and embarraff ments, in which our affairs were by this means involved, would have long ago produced the diffolution of any army, lefs patient, lefs virtuous, and lefs persevering, than that which I have had the honour to command. But while I mention thofe things, which are notorious facts, as the defects of our federal conftitution, particularly in the profecution of a war, I beg it may be understood, that as I have ever taken a pleasure in gratefully acknowledging the affiftance and fupport I have derived from every class of citizens; fo fhall I always be happy to do juftice to the unparalleled exertions of the individual States, on many interefting occafions. I have thus freely difclofed what I wifhed to make known before I furrendered up my public trust to those who committed it to me: the tafk is now accomplished; I now bid adieu to your excellency, as the chief magiftrate of your State; at the fame time I bid a laft farewell to the cares of office, and all the employ. ments of public life, It remains, then, to be my final and only requeft, that your excelJency will communicate these fentiments to your legiflature, at their next meeting and that they may be confidered as the legacy of one who has ardently wifhed, on all occafions, to be ufeful to his country, and who, even in the fhade of re tirement, will not fail to implore the divine benediction upon it. I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you prefide, in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a fpirit of fubordination and obedience to government; to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fel low-citizens of the United States at large; and particularly for their bre thren who have ferved in the field; and finally, that he would moft gracioufly be pleased to difpofe us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of the mind, which were the characteristics of the divine Author of our bleffed religion; without an humble imitation of whofe example, in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation. I have the honour to be, with much efteem and refpect, Sir, Your excellency's most obedient, and most humble fervant, G. WASHINGTON. His Excellency William Greene, Efq. Governor of the State of Rhode Inland. General Washington's farewell Orders to the Armies of the United 'States. TH Rocky Hill, near Princeton, Nov. 2, 1783. HE United States in congrefs affembled, after giving the most honourable teftimony to the merits of the federal armies, and prefenting them with the thanks of their country, for their long, eminent and faithful fervice, having thought proper, by their proclamation bearing date the 18th of Octo ber laft, to discharge fuch part of the troops as were engaged for the war, and to permit the officers on furlough to retire from fervice, from and after to-morrow, which proclamation having been communicated in the public papers for the information and government of all concern ed; it only remains for the commander in chief to addrefs himself once more, and that for the laft time, to the armies of the United States (however widely difperfed individuals who compofed them may be), and to bid them an affectionate, a long farewell. But before the commander in chief takes his final leave of thofe he holds most dear, he wishes to indulge himself a few moments in calling to mind a flight review of the past;-he will then take the liberty of exploring, with his military friends, their future profpects, of advifing the general line of conduct which in his opinion ought to be purfued; and he will conclude the addrefs, by expreffing the obligations he feels himself under for the fpirited and able affistance he has experienced from them, in the performance of an arduous office. A contemplation of the complete attainment (at a period earlier than could have been expected) of the object for which we contended against To formidable a power, cannot but infpire us with aftonifliment and gratitude. The disadvantageous circumstances on our part under which the war was undertaken, can never be forgotten.-The fingular interpofitions of Providence in our feeble condition, were fuch as could fearce ly escape the attention of the most unobferving-while the unparalleled perfeverance of the armies of the United States, through almost every poffible fuffering and difcouragement, for the fpace of eight long years, was little fort of a standing mira-` cle. It is not the meaning, nor within the compafs of this address, to detail the hardships peculiarly incident to our fervice, or to defcribe the dif treffes which in feveral inftances have refulted from the extremes of hunger and nakedness, combined with the rigours of an inclement feafon;-nor is it neceffary to dwell on the dark fide of our paft affairs. Every American officer and foldier muft now confole himself for any unpleafant circumstances which may have occurred, by a recollection of the uncommon fcenes in which he has been called to act no inglorious part, and the astonishing events of which he has been a witnefs; events which have feldom, if ever before, taken place on the stage of human action, nor can they probably ever happen again. For who has before feen a difciplined army formed at once from fuch raw materials? Who that was not a witnefs could imagine that the moft violent local prejudices would ceafe fo foon, and that men who came from the different parts of the continent, ftrongly difpofed by the habits of education to defpife and quarrel with each other, would inftantly become but one patriotic band of brothers? Or who that was not on the fpot, can trace the steps by which fuch a wonderful revolution has been effected, and fuch a glorious period put to all our warlike toils? It is univerfally acknowledged, that the enlarged profpects of happinefs, opened by the confirmation of our independence and fovereignty, almoft exceed the power of defcription and fhall not the brave men who have contributed fo eflentially to thefe ineftimable acquifitions, retiring victorious from the field of war to the field of agriculture, par (K 4) ticipate ticipate in all the bleffings which have been obtained? In fuch a republic, who will exclude them from the rights of citizens, and the fruits of their labours? In fuch a country, to happily circumftanced, the purfuits of commerce, and the cultivation of the foil, will unfold to industry the certain road to competence. To thofe hardy foldiers, who are actuated by the fpirit of adventure, the fisheries will afford ample and profitable employment; and the extentive and fertile regions of the Weft will yield a moft happy afylum to thofe who, fond of domestic enjoyment, are feeking for perfonal independence. Nor is it pofiible to conceive that any one of the United States will prefer a national bankruptcy, and the diffolution of the union, to a compliance with the requifitions of congrefs, and the payment of its juft debts, fo that the officers and foldiers may expect confiderable afliftance, in recommencing their civil occupations, from the fums due to them from the public, which must and will most inevitably be paid. temperate conduct;-let it be remembered, that the unbiaffed voice of the free citizens of the United States has promifed the just reward, and given the merited applaute ;let it be known and remembered, that the reputation of the federal armies is established beyond the reach of malevolence; and ler a confcioufnefs of their atchievements, and fame, ftill excite the men who compofed them to honourable actions, under the perfuafion, that the private virtues of economy, prudence, and industry, will not be lefs amiable in civil life, than the more fplendid qualities of valour, perseverance, and enterprize, were in the field :-every one may rest afsured that much, very much of the future happiness of the officers and men will depend upon the wife and manly conduct which fhall be adopted by them, when they are mingled with the great body of the community. And although the general has fo frequently given it as his opinion, in the most public and explicit manner, that unless the principles of the federal government were properly fupported, and the powers of the union increased, the honour, dignity, and juftice of the nation, would be loft for ever; yet he cannot help repeating on this occafion fo interefting a fentiment, and leav ing it as his last injunction to every officer and every foldier who may view the fubject in the fame ferious point of light, to add his best endeavours to thofe of his worthy fel low-citizens, towards effecting these great and valuable purposes, on which our very existence as a nation fo materially depends. In order to effect this defirable purpose, and to remove the preju dices which may have taken poffeffion of the minds of any of the good people of the States, it is earneftly recommended to all the troops, that, with itrong attachments to the union, they fhould carry with them into civil fociety the most conciliat ing dispositions; and that they fiould prove themfelves not lefs virtuous and ufeful as citizens, than they have been perfevering and victorious as foldiers.-What though there fhould be fame envious individuals, who are unwilling to pay the debt the public has contracted, or to yield the tribute due to merit; yet let fuch unworthy treatment produce no invective, or any instance of in The commander in chief conceives little is now wanting to enable the foldier to change the mili tary character into that of a citizen, but that steady and decent tenour of behavioura behaviour, which has generally dif tinguished not only the army under his immediate command, but the different detachments and feparate armies, through the courfe of the war. From their good fenfe and prudence he anticipated the happiest confequences: and while he congratulates them on the glorious occafion which renders their fervices in the field no longer neceffary, he wishes to exprefs the ftrong obligations he feels himself under for the affiftance he has received from every clafs, and in every instance He prefents his thanks, in the most ferious and affectionate manner, to the general officers, as well for their counsel on many interefting occafions, as for their ardour in promoting the fuccefs of the plans he had adopted; to the commandants of regiments and corps, and to the officers for their zeal and attention in carrying his orders promptly into execution; to the staff, for their alacrity and exactnefs in performing the duties of their feveral departments; and to the non-commiffioned officers and private foldiers, for their extraordinary patience in fuffering, as well as their invincible fortitude in action. To various branches of the army the general takes this laft and folemn opportunity of profeffing his inviolable attachment and friendship-He wishes more than bare profeffions were in his power, that he was really able to be useful to them all in future life. He flatters himself, however, they will do him the juftice to believe, that whatever could with propriety be attempted by him, has been done. And being now to conclude these his last public orders, to take his ultimate leave, in a fhort time, of the military character, and to bid a final adieu to the armies he has fo long had the honour to command, he can only again of fer, in their behalf, his recommendations to their grateful country, and his prayers to the God of ar mies.-May ample juftice be done them here, and may the choicest of heaven's favours, both here and hereafter, attend thofe who, under the divine aufpices, have fecured innumerable bleffings for others! With thefe wishes, and this benediction, the commander in chief is about to retire from fervice-The curtain of feparation will foon be drawn-and the military icene to him will be closed for ever. WE, the officers of the part of the army remaining on the banks of the Hudfon, have received your excellency's ferious and farewell addrefs, to the armies of the United States. We beg you to accept our unfeigned thanks for the cominunication, and your affectionate affurances of inviolable attachment and friend, fhip. If your attempts to ensure to the armies the juft, the promised rewards, of their long, fevere, and dangerous fervices, have failed of fuccefs, we believe it has arisen from caufes not in your excellency's power to controul. With extreme regret do we reflect on the occation which called for fuch endeavours. while we thank your excellency for thefe exertions in favour of the troops you have fo fuccesfully com manded, we pray it may be believ ed, that in this fentiment our own particular interefts have but a fe But condary |