[269] Ibid. 208.
[270] Ibid. 221.
[271] Life of Hamilton, II. 233, 234. See also his resolutions on the defects of the federal government, intended to be offered in Congress in 1783, and especially the eighth resolution. Works of Hamilton, II. 269.
[272] Hamilton himself, in some papers which he published in 1781, under the title of The Continentalist, gave the general sum of American statesmanship and its opportunities, down to that period. The events of the next seven years gave it a wonderful development. "It would be the extreme of vanity in us," said he, "not to be sensible that we began this revolution with very vague and confined notions of the practical business of government. To the greater part of us, it was a novelty; of those who under the former constitution had had opportunities of acquiring experience, a large proportion adhered to the opposite side, and the remainder can only be supposed to have possessed ideas adapted to the narrow colonial sphere in which they had been accustomed to move, not of that enlarged kind suited to the government of an independent nation. There were, no doubt, exceptions to these observations;—men in all respects qualified for conducting the public affairs with skill and advantage;—but their number was small; they were not always brought forward in our councils; and when they were, their influence was too commonly borne down by the prevailing torrent of ignorance and prejudice. On a retrospect, however, of our transactions, under the disadvantages with which we commenced, it is perhaps more to be wondered at, that we have done so well, than that we have not done better. There are, indeed, some traits in our conduct, as conspicuous for sound policy as others for magnanimity. But, on the other hand, it must also be confessed, there have been many false steps, many chimerical projects and Utopian speculations, in the management of our civil as well as of our military affairs. A part of these were the natural effects of the spirit of the times, dictated by our situation. An extreme jealousy of power is the attendant on all popular revolutions, and has seldom been without its evils. It is to this source we are to trace many of the fatal mistakes, which have so deeply endangered the common cause; particularly that defect which will be the object of these remarks,—a want of power in Congress." Works, II. 186.
[273] Secret Journals, II. 7, 8.
[274] Ibid. 59.
[275] Articles of Confederation, Art. VI., IX. The expression in the sixth article was: "No State shall lay any imposts, &c. that shall interfere with any stipulations in treaties entered into by the United States with any king, prince, or state, in pursuance of any treaties already proposed by Congress to the court of France and Spain." The ninth article saved to the States the general power of levying duties and laying prohibitions.
[276] Secret Journals, II. 65, 66. Art. XIII of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with France. The expression employed was, "goods movable and immovable," and the right of succession was given, ab intestato, without first obtaining letters of naturalization.
[277] See a report on this projet of the treaty, made by Mr. Madison, July 17, 1782. Secret Journals, II. 142-144.
[278] Ibid.