autobiography-第11部分

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　　　　　　　　The　bill　on　the　subject　of　slaves　was　a　mere　digest　of　the　existing　laws　respecting　them；　without　any　intimation　of　a　plan　for　a　future　&　general　emancipation。　　It　was　thought　better　that　this　should　be　kept　back；　and　attempted　only　by　way　of　amendment　whenever　the　bill　should　be　brought　on。　　The　principles　of　the　amendment　however　were　agreed　on；　that　is　to　say；　the　freedom　of　all　born　after　a　certain　day；　and　deportation　at　a　proper　age。　　But　it　was　found　that　the　public　mind　would　not　yet　bear　the　proposition；　nor　will　it　bear　it　even　at　this　day。　　Yet　the　day　is　not　distant　when　it　must　bear　and　adopt　it；　or　worse　will　follow。　　Nothing　is　more　certainly　written　in　the　book　of　fate　than　that　these　people　are　to　be　free。　Nor　is　it　less　certain　that　the　two　races；　equally　free；　cannot　live　in　the　same　government。　　Nature；　habit；　opinion　has　drawn　indelible　lines　of　distinction　between　them。　　It　is　still　in　our　power　to　direct　the　process　of　emancipation　and　deportation　peaceably　and　in　such　slow　degree　as　that　the　evil　will　wear　off　insensibly；　and　their　place　be　pari　passu　filled　up　by　free　white　laborers。　　If　on　the　contrary　it　is　left　to　force　itself　on；　human　nature　must　shudder　at　the　prospect　held　up。　　We　should　in　vain　look　for　an　example　in　the　Spanish　deportation　or　deletion　of　the　Moors。　　This　precedent　would　fall　far　short　of　our　case。

　　　　　　　　I　considered　4　of　these　bills；　passed　or　reported；　as　forming　a　system　by　which　every　fibre　would　be　eradicated　of　antient　or　future　aristocracy；　and　a　foundation　laid　for　a　government　truly　republican。　The　repeal　of　the　laws　of　entail　would　prevent　the　accumulation　and　perpetuation　of　wealth　in　select　families；　and　preserve　the　soil　of　the　country　from　being　daily　more　&　more　absorbed　in　Mortmain。　　The　abolition　of　primogeniture；　and　equal　partition　of　inheritances　removed　the　feudal　and　unnatural　distinctions　which　made　one　member　of　every　family　rich；　and　all　the　rest　poor；　substituting　equal　partition；　the　best　of　all　Agrarian　laws。　　The　restoration　of　the　rights　of　conscience　relieved　the　people　from　taxation　for　the　support　of　a　religion　not　theirs；　for　the　establishment　was　truly　of　the　religion　of　the　rich；　the　dissenting　sects　being　entirely　composed　of　the　less　wealthy　people；　and　these；　by　the　bill　for　a　general　education；　would　be　qualified　to　understand　their　rights；　to　maintain　them；　and　to　exercise　with　intelligence　their　parts　in　self…government：　and　all　this　would　be　effected　without　the　violation　of　a　single　natural　right　of　any　one　individual　citizen。　　To　these　too　might　be　added；　as　a　further　security；　the　introduction　of　the　trial　by　jury；　into　the　Chancery　courts；　which　have　already　ingulfed　and　continue　to　ingulf；　so　great　a　proportion　of　the　jurisdiction　over　our　property。

　　　　　　　　On　the　1st　of　June　1779。　I　was　appointed　Governor　of　the　Commonwealth　and　retired　from　the　legislature。　　Being　elected　also　one　of　the　Visitors　of　Wm。　&　Mary　college；　a　self…electing　body；　I　effected；　during　my　residence　in　Williamsburg　that　year；　a　change　in　the　organization　of　that　institution　by　abolishing　the　Grammar　school；　and　the　two　professorships　of　Divinity　&　Oriental　languages；　and　substituting　a　professorship　of　Law　&　Police；　one　of　Anatomy　Medicine　and　Chemistry；　and　one　of　Modern　languages；　and　the　charter　confining　us　to　six　professorships；　we　added　the　law　of　Nature　&　Nations；　&　the　Fine　Arts　to　the　duties　of　the　Moral　professor；　and　Natural　history　to　those　of　the　professor　of　Mathematics　and　Natural　philosophy。

　　　　　　　　Being　now；　as　it　were；　identified　with　the　Commonwealth　itself；　to　write　my　own　history　during　the　two　years　of　my　administration；　would　be　to　write　the　public　history　of　that　portion　of　the　revolution　within　this　state。　　This　has　been　done　by　others；　and　particularly　by　Mr。　Girardin；　who　wrote　his　Continuation　of　Burke's　history　of　Virginia　while　at　Milton；　in　this　neighborhood；　had　free　access　to　all　my　papers　while　composing　it；　and　has　given　as　faithful　an　account　as　I　could　myself。　　For　this　portion　therefore　of　my　own　life；　I　refer　altogether　to　his　history。　　From　a　belief　that　under　the　pressure　of　the　invasion　under　which　we　were　then　laboring　the　public　would　have　more　confidence　in　a　Military　chief；　and　that　the　Military　commander；　being　invested　with　the　Civil　power　also；　both　might　be　wielded　with　more　energy　promptitude　and　effect　for　the　defence　of　the　state；　I　resigned　the　administration　at　the　end　of　my　2d。　year；　and　General　Nelson　was　appointed　to　succeed　me。

　　　　　　　　Soon　after　my　leaving　Congress　in　Sep。　'76；　to　wit　on　the　last　day　of　that　month；　I　had　been　appointed；　with　Dr。　Franklin；　to　go　to　France；　as　a　Commissioner　to　negotiate　treaties　of　alliance　and　commerce　with　that　government。　　Silas　Deane；　then　in　France；　acting　as　agent　（*　2）　for　procuring　military　stores；　was　joined　with　us　in　commission。　　But　such　was　the　state　of　my　family　that　I　could　not　leave　it；　nor　could　I　expose　it　to　the　dangers　of　the　sea；　and　of　capture　by　the　British　ships；　then　covering　the　ocean。　　I　saw　too　that　the　laboring　oar　was　really　at　home；　where　much　was　to　be　done　of　the　most　permanent　interest　in　new　modelling　our　governments；　and　much　to　defend　our　fanes　and　fire…sides　from　the　desolations　of　an　invading　enemy　pressing　on　our　country　in　every　point。　　I　declined　therefore　and　Dr。　Lee　was　appointed　in　my　place。　　On　the　15th。　of　June　1781。　　I　had　been　appointed　with　Mr。　Adams；　Dr。　Franklin；　Mr。　Jay；　and　Mr。　Laurens　a　Minister　plenipotentiary　for　negotiating　peace；　then　expected　to　be　effected　thro'　the　mediation　of　the　Empress　of　Russia。　　The　same　reasons　obliged　me　still　to　decline；　and　the　negotiation　was　in　fact　never　entered　on。　　But；　in　the　autumn　of　the　next　year　1782　Congress　receiving　assurances　that　a　general　peace　would　be　concluded　in　the　winter　and　spring；　they　renewed　my　appointment　on　the　13th。　of　Nov。　　of　that　year。　　I　had　two　months　before　that　lost　the　cherished　companion　of　my　life；　in　whose　affections；　unabated　on　both　sides；　I　had　lived　the　last　ten　years　in　unchequered　happiness。　　With　the　public　interests；　the　state　of　my　mind　concurred　in　recommending　the　change　of　scene　proposed；　and　I　accepted　the　appointment；　and　left　Monticello　on　the　19th。　of　Dec。　1782。　for　Philadelphia；　where　I　arrived　on　the　27th。　　The　Minister　of　France；　Luzerne；　offered　me　a　passage　in　the　Romulus　frigate；　which　I　accepting。　　But　she　was　then　lying　a　few　miles　below　Baltimore　blocked　up　in　the　ice。　　I　remained　therefore　a　month　in　Philadelphia；　looking　over　the　papers　in　the　office　of　State　in　order　to　possess　myself　of　the　general　state　of　our　foreign　relations；　and　then　went　to　Baltimore　to　await　the　liberation　of　the　frigate　from　the　ice。　After　waiting　there　nearly　a　month；　we　received　information　that　a　Provisional　treaty　of　peace　had　been　signed　by　our　Commissioners　on　the　3d。　of　Sept。　1782。　to　become　absolute　on　the　conclusion　of　peace　between　France　and　Great　Britain。　　Considering　my　proceeding　to　Europe　as　now　of　no　utility　to　the　public；　I　returned　immediately　to　Philadelphia　to　take　the　orders　of　Congress；　and　was　excused　by　them　from　further　proceeding。　　I　therefore　returned　home；　where　I　arrived　on　the　15th。　of　May；　1783。

　　　　　　　　（*　2）　His　ostensible　character　was　to　be　that　of　a　merchant；　his　real　one　that　of　agent　for　military　supplies；　and　also　for　sounding　the　dispositions　of　the　government　of　France；　and　seeing　how　far　they　would　favor　us；　either　secretly　or　openly。　　His　appointment　had　been　by　the　Committee　of　Foreign　Correspondence；　March；　1776。

　　　　　　　　On　the　6th。　of　the　following　month　I　was　appointed　by　the　legislature　a　delegate　to　Congress；　the　appointment　to　take　place　on　the　1st。　of　Nov。　ensuing；　when　that　of　the　existing　delegation　would　expire。　　I　accordingly　left　home　on　the　16th。　of　Oct。　arrived　at　Trenton；　where　Congress　was　sitting；　on　the　3d。　of　Nov。　and　took　my　seat　on　the　4th。；　on　which　day　Congress　adjourned　to　meet　at　Annapolis　on　the　26th。

　　　　　　　　Congress　had　now　become　a　very　small　body；　and　the　members　very　remiss　in　their　attendance　on　it's　duties　insomuch　that　a　majority　of　the　states；　necessary　by　the　Confederation　to　constitute　a　house　even　for　minor　business　did　not　assemble　until　the　13th。　of　December。

　　　　　　　　They　as　early　as　Jan。　7。　1782。　had　turned　their　attention　to　the　monies　current　in　the　several　states；　and　had　directed　the　Financier；　Robert　Morris；　to　report　to　them　a　table　of　rates　at　which　the　foreign　coins　should　be　received　at　the　treasury。　　That　officer；　or　rather　his　assistant；　Gouverneur　Morris；　answered　them　on　the　15th　in　an　able　and　elaborate　statement　of　the　denominations　of　money　current　in　the　several　states；　and　of　the　comparative　value　of　the　foreign　coins　chiefly　in　circulation　with　us。　　He　went　into　the　consideration　of　the　necessity　of　establishing　a　standard　of　value　with　us；　and　of　the　adoption　of　a　money…Unit。　　He　proposed　for　the　Unit　such　a　fraction　of　pure　silver　as　would　be　a　common　measure　of　the　penny　of　every　state；　without　leaving　a　fraction。　　This　common　divisor　he　found　to　be　1　　1440　of　a　dollar；　or　1　　1600　of　the　crown　sterling。　　The　value　of　a　dollar　was　therefore　to　be　expressed　by　1440　units；　and　of　a　crown　by　1600。　　Each　Unit　containing　a　quarter　of　a　grain　of　fine　silver。　　Congress　turning　again　their　attention　to　this　subject　the　following　year；　the　financier；　by　a　letter　of　Apr。　30；　1783。　further　explained　and　urged　the　Unit　he　had　proposed；　but　nothing　more　was　done　on　it　until　the　ensuing　year；　when　it　was　again　taken　up；　and　referred　to　a　commee　of　which　I　was　a　member。　　The　general　views　of　the　financier　were　sound；　and　the　principle　was　ingenious　on　which　he　proposed　to　found　his　Unit。　　But　it　was　too　minute　for　ordinary　use；　too　laborious　for　computation　either　by　the　head　or　in　figures。　　The　price　of　a　loaf　of　bread　1　　20　of　a　dollar　would　be　72。　units。

　　　　　　　　A　pound　of　butter　1　　5　of　a　dollar　288。　units。

　　　　　　　　A　horse　or　bullock　of　80。　D　value　would　require　a　notation　of　6。　figures；　to　wit　115；200；　and　the　public　debt；　suppose　of　80。　millions；　would　require　12。　figures；　to　wit　115；200；000；000　units。　Such　a　system　of　money…arithmetic　would　be　entirely　unmanageable　for　the　common　purposes　of　society。　　I　proposed　t