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49. Before I conclude the fubject on public justice, I cannot omit to mention the obligations this country is under to that meritorious clafs of veterans, the non-commiffioned officers and privates, who have been discharged for inability, in confequence of the refolution of congrefs, of the 23d of April, 1782, on an annual penfion for life.

50. Their peculiar fufferings, their fingular merits and claims to that provifion, need only to be known, to interest the feelings of humanity in their behalf.

51. Nothing but a punctual payment of their annual allowance, can rescue them from the most complicated mifery; and nothing could be a more melancholy and diftreffing fight, than to behold those who have fhed their blood, or loft their limbs in the fervice of their country, without a fhelter, without a friend, and without the means of obtaining any of the comforts or neceffaries of life, compelled to beg their bread daily from door to door. Suffer me to recommend those of this description, belonging to your state, to the warmest patronage of your excellency and your legislature.

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52. 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. If this fhould be the cafe, I fhould beg leave to urge the great advantage of it in the strongest terms.

53. The militia of this country must be confidered as the palladium of our fecurity, and the firft effectual resort in cafe of hoftility. It is effential, therefore, that the fame system should pervade the whole; that the formation' and difcipline of the militia of the continent should be abfolutely uniform; and that the fame fpecies of arms, accoutrements, and military apparatus, fhould be introduced in every part of the United States.

54. No one, who has not learned it from experience, can conceive the difficulty, expenfe and confufion, which refult from a contrary fyftem, or the vague arrangements which have hitherto prevailed.

55. If, in treating of political points, a greater latitude than ufual has been taken in the courfe of the addrefs; the importance of the crifis, and the magnitude of the objects in difcuffion, must be my apology.

56. It is, however, neither my wifh nor expectation, that the preceding obfervations fhould claim any regard, except so far as they fhall appear to be dictated by a good intention, confonant to the immutable rules of juftice; calculated to produce a liberal system of policy, and founded on whatever experience may have been acquired, by a long and close attention to public business.

57. Here I might speak with more confidence, from my actual obfervations ; and if it would not fwell this letter, (already too prolix,) beyond the bounds I had prescribed myfelf, I could demonftrate to every mind, open to conviction, that in lefs time, and with much less expense 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;

58. That the distresses and disappointments 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;

59. That the inefficacy of the measures, arifing from the want of an adequate authority in the supreme 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, served also to accumulate the expenfes of the war, and to frustrate the best concerted plans;

60. And that the difcouragement occafioned by the complicated difficulties and embarraffments, in which our affairs were by this means involved, would have long ago produced the diffolution of any army, less patient, lefs virtuous, and lefs perfevering, than that which I have had the honor to command.

61. But while I mention those things which are notorious facts, as the defects of our federal conftitution, particularly in the profecution of a war, I beg it may be underftood, that as I have ever taken a pleasure in gratefully ac

knowledging the affiftance and fupport I have derived from every class of citizens; fo fhall I always be happy to do justice to the unparalleled exertions of the individual states, on many interefting occafions.

62. I have thus freely difclofed what I wifhed to make known, before I furrendered up my public trust to thofe who cominitted it to me. The task is now accomplished ; I now bid adieu to your excellency, as the chief magistrate of your state ; at the fame time I bid a laft farewell to the cares of office, and all the employments of public life.

63. It remains, then, to be my final and only request, that your excellency will communicate thefe fentiments to your legislature, at their next meeting; and that they may be confidered as the legacy of one who has ardently wished, on all occafions, to be useful to his country, and who, even in the fhade of retirement, will not fail to implore the divine benediction upon it.

64. 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 spirit of subordination and obedience to government; to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another; for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have ferved in the field;

65. And, finally, that he would moft graciously be pleased to dispose 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.

66. I have the honor to be, with much esteem and respect, fir, your excellency's most obedient and most humble fervant,

GEO: WASHINGTON.

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

1. WE, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, infure domeftic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and fecure the bleffings of liberty to ourfelves and our pofterity, do ordain and establish this conftitution for the United States of America.

ARTICLE FIRST.

[I.] SECTION FIRST. [1.]

2. All legislative powers herein granted fhall be vested. in a congrefs of the United States, which fhall confift of a fenate and house of reprefentatives.

SECTION SECOND. [2.]

The houfe of reprefentatives fhall confift of members. chofen every fecond year by the people of the feveral states, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requifite for electors of the moft numerous branch of the state legiflature.

4. No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been feven years a citizen of the United States, and who fhall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he fhall be chofen.

5. Representatives and direct taxes fhall be apportioned among the feveral flates, which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, which fhall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to serve for a term of years, and excluding indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other perfons. The actual enumeration fhall be made within three years after the first meeting of the congrefs of the United States, and within every fubfequent term of ten years, in fuch manner as they fhall by law direct.

6. The number of representatives fhall not exceed one for every thirty thoufand, but each state shall have at least one representative; and till fuch enumeration fhall be made, the state of New-Hampshire fhall be entitled to choose three, Maffachusetts eight, Rhode-Ifland and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York fix, New-Jerfey four,

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Pennfylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland fix, Virginia ten, North-Carolina five, South-Carolina five, and Georgia three.

7. When vacancies happen in the representation from any state, the executive authority thereof fhall issue writs of election to fill fuch vacancies. The houfe of reprefentatives fhall choose their speaker and other officers; and fhall have the fole power of impeachment.

SECTION THIRD. [3.]

8. The fenate of the United States fhall be composed of two fenators from each ftate, chofen by the legislature thereof, for fix years; and each fenator fhall have one vote.

9. Immediately after they fhall be affembled in confes quence of the first election, they fhall be divided as equally as may be into three claffes. The feats of the fenators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the second year, of the second clafs at the expiration of the fourth year, and of the third class at the expiration of the fixth year, fo that one third may be chofen every fecond year; and if vacancies happen by refignation, or otherwife, during the recefs of the legislature of any state, the executive thereof may make temporary appointments till the next meeting of the legiflature, which fhall then fill fuch vacancies.

10. No perfon fhall be a fenator who shall not have attained to the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States, and who fhall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that ftate for which he fhall be chofen. The vice-prefident of the United States fhall be president of the fenate, but fhall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.

11. The fenate fhall choose their other officers, and alfo a prefident pro tempore, in the absence of the vice-prefident, or when he fhall exercise the office of prefident of the United States.

12. The fenate shall have the fole power to try all impeachments. When fitting for that purpose, they fhall be on oath or affirmation. When the prefident of the United States is tried, the chief justice shall preside: and no person fhall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members present.

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13. Judgment in cafes of impeachment fhall not extend

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