The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume XI Part 66

Office of Finance, October 12th, 1781.

Gentlemen,

In consequence of a new arrangement taken with his Excellency, the Chevalier de la Luzerne, Minister Plenipotentiary of France, a further sum of money will be deposited with you, subject to my drafts on behalf of the United States of America, so that I shall continue those drafts, as occasion may require, until, in the whole, they amount to one million two hundred thousand livres tournois, where I shall stop, unless circ.u.mstances should happen to induce an extension of this operation, of which I will advise you; and whenever it is completed, I shall require an account current from you for the whole.

I have not yet had the pleasure of receiving from you any letters directed to me in my official capacity, but I doubt not your punctual care and attention to discharge all my drafts as they fall due.

I have the honor to be, &c.

ROBERT MORRIS.

TO THE LOAN OFFICERS OF THE STATES.

Office of Finance, October 13th, 1781.

Sir,

As the organization of the Treasury Department will soon be completed, it becomes my duty to inform you of that circ.u.mstance, and to request that you will prepare for a full settlement of your accounts. I must also request, that you will be pleased to make out and transmit to me an accurate list of all the certificates issued, with their dates, sums, and the persons to whom they were given. It will be necessary that an account of the public debt be prepared for the public inspection. This cannot be done until the proper materials be obtained from the several offices; wherefore, I make no doubt that you will exert yourself to comply with my request. As I am informed that the late Treasury Board gave orders for sending back the blank certificates, I suppose they are now on the way hither; but, if that should not be the case, I must require an immediate performance of the directions given by the Board, and I must insist that no more certificates be issued on any pretence whatever.

With great respect, I have the honor to be, &c.

ROBERT MORRIS.

TO THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA.

Philadelphia, October 16th, 1781.

Sir,

I would willingly write you an official letter by this post, on the subject of supplies for the year 1782; but I must decline it, until I can obtain the proper estimates, which are now preparing. In the meantime, as I learn that your Legislature are now sitting, I write you this private letter on that subject.

My former public letters will fully have stated my ideas as to the present demands on the existing requisitions of Congress. I hope and expect, that those requisitions will be immediately complied with. It is my decided opinion, founded on the best observations I have been able to make, and the most accurate and extensive information I could possibly obtain, that paper emissions will no longer answer the purpose of carrying on this war, and experience must by this time have convinced every dispa.s.sionate observer, that specific supplies are at once burdensome to the people, and almost useless to the government.

It is unnecessary to draw the conclusion, which I am sure will strike your mind, that a revenue in hard money must be obtained; but I will observe to you, that the present moment is very favorable to that object in your State. While the war is in your country, the expenses of it will be so diffused as to possess its inhabitants of specie, and should it be happily removed to a distance, your commerce will bring in resources equal to your necessities.

I take the liberty to request that you will communicate these sentiments to my worthy friend Colonel Harrison, and I pray you to believe me very sincerely your friend, &c.

ROBERT MORRIS.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

Office of Finance, October 18th, 1781.

Sir,

The honorable committee, on the letter of the Board of War of the 11th instant, have favored me with a perusal of it. I think it my duty, on this occasion, to express my approbation of that attention the Board of War have paid the public service. That letter has opened a subject, which had pressed itself strongly on my mind, and which I had determined to mention to Congress, but was restrained by the hope, that a review of their own proceedings, and a sense of our difficulties would soon have rendered it unnecessary.

This matter being now before them, it would be unpardonable in me not to enforce those sentiments, which I myself am most deeply affected with. I am convinced, that a slight view of the situation, in which their finances now are, will give a strong impression of the necessity there is to guard against pecuniary solicitations from every quarter.

If the revenue were equal to the demands upon it, nothing can be more simple and clear, than that all those demands should be speedily and punctually paid. Unfortunately this is far from being the case. I believe much further than many are aware of. When I say, that I cannot command more than one twentieth of the sum necessary for the current service of the year, I am within the strictest bounds of truth. It is with equal truth that I a.s.sure you, that I have not since my appointment received one s.h.i.+lling from any State in the Union, Pennsylvania excepted. And from Pennsylvania I have received paper money to the amount of the four tenths due to the United States, the appropriation whereof Congress must be thoroughly acquainted with, and seven thousand five hundred pounds in specie, which is applied to the payment of contracts within the State, and still leaves a balance against them for articles of their specific supplies which I have furnished.

The moneys drawn for by permission of the Minister Plenipotentiary of his Most Christian Majesty have been already applied to the public service, and the engagements I have entered into amount to a very considerable sum.

I enclose a few out of many articles, which immediately suggest themselves to me. Had I sought for the smaller instances they would have been numerous, and of course weighty. Instead of this, I have omitted many considerable articles, such for instance, as expense of stores for the hospitals, much of which is now due, and more to be immediately provided for. You will perceive, that I have not even mentioned the expense of transporting military stores, such as shot, sh.e.l.ls, &c. to the camp before York, which the Board of War a.s.sure me will be very great, and indeed it must be so. Neither have I mentioned the expense of transporting money, clothing, medicines, arms, &c. from Boston to this place, and hence to the southward. Besides all this, I am told it will be necessary to procure ten thousand suits of clothes for the ensuing winter. If this be so, that article alone will amount to at least two hundred thousand dollars.

I might go much further, but I shall only observe, that exclusive of all these things the enclosed estimate amounts to above two hundred thousand dollars. Yet attention must be paid to the wants of three large armies. Congress know the extent of my means.

In this situation of things, it is proper to ask on every occasion, before private grants of money are made, whether the public service will not suffer by it. But this is not all, I am bound to observe, that the expectations of our troops now in the field may be much disappointed, and that they will conceive it unjust to dispose of any moneys, which might be spared, unless as an equal division among them.

To press this point any further, would imply a want of that confidence, which I really have in the wisdom and discernment of Congress. They will see, that while the indispensable calls for money to forward general operations continue to be so loud as to draw from me all my private funds, it cannot be expected, that I shall pay warrants in favor of individuals. I am sure they will feel for me, when I mention the pain I suffer from being compelled to refuse money on their resolutions. A regard for their honor is the second motive of my conduct. I hope it is unnecessary to say, that a regard for the public interest is the first. I am far from wis.h.i.+ng to insinuate a line of conduct to Congress; but I must place before their eyes those facts, which it is for their honor and their interest to be informed of. They will draw the proper conclusions.

With the most perfect respect, I am, &c.

ROBERT MORRIS.

ESTIMATE.

Dollars.

Due to the French Treasury for so much borrowed of them at Chester, delivered at the head of the Elk, 26,000

Due to the French army, a quant.i.ty of flour exchanged in the State of New York, to be replaced at the southward, which will require 10,000

Due for transports hired in the Delaware and Chesapeake, 15,000

For flour now purchasing to supply General Heath's army, 10,000

Horses purchased last summer for the Quarter Master General, and shortly to be paid for, 4,000

To recruit and mount Colonel Armand's Legion, 50,000

Saddles and accoutrements for General Greene's army, 14,000

Flour lately purchased in Virginia for General Was.h.i.+ngton's army, and now due, 5,000

Articles necessary for General Greene's army and the transportation of articles to him, and money for essential services, 5,000

Clothing purchased on a credit for Fort Pitt and Wyoming, 5,000

Estimate from the Navy Board at Boston, 40,000

Rum now sending on to General Was.h.i.+ngton's army, 5,000

My own money already advanced for the public service, 12,000 -------- $201,000