Life and Times of Washington, vol 2 (Revised, Enlarged, and Enriched) | Page 6

emitted, moneys borrowed, or debts contracted by
Congress before this confederation, shall be charges on the United
States; that every State shall abide by the determinations of Congress
on all questions submitted to them by this confederation; that the
articles of it shall be inviolably observed by every State, and that no
alteration in any of the articles shall be made, unless agreed to by
Congress, and afterward confirmed by the legislature of every State.
Such was the substance of this confederation or union. After much
discussion, at thirty-nine sittings, the articles were approved by
Congress, transmitted to the several State Legislatures, and, meeting
with their approbation, were ratified by all the delegates on the 15th of
November, 1778.

Congress maintained an erect posture, although its affairs then wore the
most gloomy aspect. It was under the provisions of this confederation
that the war was afterward carried on, and, considered as a first essay of
legislative wisdom, it discovers a good understanding, and a
respectable knowledge of the structure of society. Had peace been
concluded before the settlement of this confederation, the States would
probably have broken down into so many independent governments,
and the strength of the Union been lost in a number of petty
sovereignties.
It is not hazarding much to say that, considering all the circumstances,
it was the best form of government which could have been framed at
that time. Its radical defect arose from its being a confederation of
independent States, in which the central government had no direct
recourse to the people. It required all grants of men or money to be
obtained from the State governments, who were often, during the war,
extremely dilatory in complying with the requisitions of Congress. This
defect was strongly felt by Washington, who was often compelled to
exert his personal influence, which, in all the States, was immense, to
obtain the supplies which Congress had no power to exact. We shall
see hereafter, that in forming the new constitution, a work in which
Washington took a leading part, this defect was remedied.
While Congress was beginning to form these articles of confederation,
and Washington was giving a new aspect to the war in New Jersey, the
people of Great Britain, long accustomed to colonial complaints and
quarrels, and attentive merely to their own immediate interests, paid no
due regard to the progress of the contest or to the importance of the
principles in which it originated. Large majorities in both houses of
parliament supported the ministry in all their violent proceedings, and
although a small minority, including several men of distinguished
talents, who trembled for the fate of British liberty if the court should
succeed in establishing its claims against the colonists, vigorously
opposed the measures of administration, yet the great body of the
people manifested a loyal zeal in favor of the war, and the ill success of
the Colonists in the campaign of 1776, gave that zeal additional energy.
But amidst all the popularity of their warlike operations, the difficulties
of the ministry soon began to multiply. In consequence of hostilities
with the American provinces, the British West India islands

experienced a scarcity of the necessaries of life. About the time when
the West India fleet was about to set sail, under convoy, on its
homeward voyage, it was discovered that the negroes of Jamaica
meditated an insurrection. By means of the draughts to complete the
army in America, the military force in that island had been weakened,
and the ships of war were detained to assist in suppressing the attempts
of the negroes. By this delay the Americans gained time for equipping
their privateers. After the fleet sailed it was dispersed by stormy
weather and many of the ships, richly laden, fell into the hands of the
American cruisers who were permitted to sell their prizes in the ports of
France, both in Europe and in the West Indies.
The conduct of France was now so openly manifested that it could no
longer be winked at, and it drew forth a remonstrance from the British
cabinet. The remonstrance was civilly answered, and the traffic in
British prizes was carried on somewhat more covertly in the French
ports in Europe; but it was evident that both France and Spain were in a
state of active preparation for war. The British ministry could no longer
shut their eyes against the gathering storm, and began to prepare for it.
About the middle of October (1776) they put sixteen additional ships
into commission, and made every exertion to man them.
On the 31st of October the parliament met and was opened by a speech
from the throne, in which his majesty stated that it would have given
him much satisfaction if he had been able to inform them that the