Congress assembles under the Confederation[155]
Treaty of Peace signed[155]
Treaty of Alliance with France[156]
Delay of the States in complying with the Requisitions of Congress[156]
Washington addresses Letters to the States on the Subject of Finance, and completing their Quotas of Troops[157]
Force of the Army[158]
Discontents in the Army[158]
The Newburgh Addresses[159]
Congress votes an Establishment of Half-Pay for the Officers[160]
Impracticable Adherence to the Principles of Civil Liberty[161]
Provision for the Officers found to be inadequate[162]
Congress recommends to the States to make Provision for the Officers and Soldiers[162]
Pennsylvania places her Officers upon Half-Pay for Life[163]
Congress pass a Resolve giving Half-Pay for Life to the Officers[163]
Disappointment of the Officers[164]
The Congress of the Confederation refuse to redeem the Pledge of the Revolutionary Congress[164]
Officers offer to commute the Half-Pay for Life[165]
Breach of Public Faith[166]
Situation of Washington[167]
Anonymous Address circulated among the Officers at Newburgh[168]
Washington forbids an Assemblage at the Call of an Anonymous Paper[168]
He appoints a Day to hear the Report of their Committee[168]
The Officers again refer their Claims to the Consideration of Congress[169]
Half-Pay commuted to Five Years' Full Pay[170]
The Army disbanded[170]
Value of the Votes which fixed the Compensation of the Officers[171]

CHAPTER II.
1781-1783.

Financial Difficulties of the Confederation.—Revolutionary Debt.—Revenue System of 1783.

Public Debt of the United States[172]
Congress recommend a Duty upon Importations[173]
Office of Superintendent of Finance established[174]
Rhode Island refuses to grant to Congress the Power of Levying Duties[174]
Virginia repeals the Act by which she had granted this Power to Congress[175]
No Means of paying the Public Debts[175]
Another Plan for collecting Revenues recommended to the States[176]
Strong Appeal to the People in Favor of it[177]
Claims of the various Classes of the Public Creditors[178]
Character of the United States involved[179]
The Confederation a Government for Purposes of War[181]
Its Great Defects[181]
The Moral Feelings an Unsafe Reliance for the Operations of Government[183]
Proofs of this in the History of the Confederation[184]
Design of the Framers of the Revenue System[185]
Claims of the Army[186]
Wisdom of proposing a Scheme of Finance during the Continuance of the War[186]
Influence of the Revenue System of 1783[188]
The System of 1783 different from the Present Constitution[188]
Note on the Half-Pay for the Officers of the Revolution[190]
Note on the Newburgh Addresses[194]

CHAPTER III.
1781-1783.

Opinions and Efforts of Washington, and of Hamilton.—Decline of the Confederation.

Washington's Relations to the People of this Country[200]
His Address to them on resigning his Office[201]
His Views at the Close of the War[202]
Hamilton's Opinions[203]
His Advice and Suggestions[204]
The Necessity for a Complete Sovereignty in Congress[204]
Hamilton's Entry into Congress[206]
Nature of a Federal Constitution not understood[206]
Hamilton urges the Necessity of vesting the Appointment of Collectors of Revenue in the General Government[208]
Ratio of Contribution by the States to the Treasury uncertain[210]
Hamilton desires to change the Principle of the Confederation[211]
Advises General Taxes to be collected under Continental Authority[212]
An Attempt to substitute Specific Taxes on Land and Houses[212]
It is determined to adopt Population as the Basis of Contribution[213]
Hamilton's Views on a Peace Establishment[214]
Committee to arrange the Details of such a System[215]
An Army and Navy necessary[216]
No Provision in the Articles of Confederation for their Maintenance during Peace[216]
Hamilton advises Federal Provision for Defence[219]
Congress driven from Philadelphia[220]
Hamilton examines the Confederation[221]
Its Defects[222], [223]
He proposes to revise it[224]
His Plan unsuccessful[224]
Improvement in the Revenue System[225]
Causes of the Decline of a National Spirit[226]
Falling off in the Attendance of Members of Congress[226]
Results of the Confederation[228]
Its Defects displayed[229]
Another Government necessary for the great Duties of Peace[230]

BOOK III.