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Volume I: Pages:
103-108
UNITED STATES, October 25,
1791.
Fellow-Citizens of the Senate
and House of Representatives:
I meet you upon the present
occasion with the feelings which
are naturally inspired by a
strong impression of the
prosperous situations of our
common country, and by a
persuasion equally strong that
the labors of the session which
has just commenced will, under
the guidance of a spirit no less
prudent than patriotic, issue in
measures conducive to the
stability and increase of
national prosperity.
Numerous as are the providential
blessings which demand our
grateful acknowledgments, the
abundance with which another
year has again rewarded the
industry of the husbandman is
too important to escape
recollection.
Your own observations in your
respective situations will have
satisfied you of the progressive
state of agriculture,
manufactures, commerce, and
navigation. In tracing their
causes you will have remarked
with particular pleasure the
happy effects of that revival of
confidence, public as well as
private, to which the
Constitution and laws of the
United States have so eminently
contributed; and you will have
observed with no less interest
new and decisive proofs of the
increasing reputation and credit
of the nation. But you
nevertheless can not fail to
derive satisfaction from the
confirmation of these
circumstances which will be
disclosed in the several
official communications that
will be made to you in the
course of your deliberations.
The rapid subscriptions to the
Bank of the United States, which
completed the sum allowed to be
subscribed in a single day, is
among the striking and pleasing
evidences which present
themselves, not only of
confidence in the Government,
but of resource in the
community.
In the interval of your recess
due attention has been paid to
the execution of the different
objects which were specially
provided for by the laws and
resolutions of the last session.
Among the most important of
these is the defense and
security of the western
frontiers. To accomplish it on
the most humane principles was a
primary wish.
Accordingly, at the same time
the treaties have been
provisionally concluded and
other proper means used to
attach the wavering and to
confirm in their friendship the
well-disposed tribes of Indians,
effectual measures have been
adopted to make those of a
hostile description sensible
that a pacification was desired
upon terms of moderation and
justice.
Those measures having proved
unsuccessful, it became
necessary to convince the
refractory of the power of the
United States to punish their
depredations. Offensive
operations have therefore been
directed, to be conducted,
however, as consistently as
possible with the dictates of
humanity.
Some of these have been crowned
with full success and others are
yet depending. The expeditions
which have been completed were
carried on under the authority
and at the expense of the United
States by the militia of
Kentucky, whose enterprise,
intrepidity, and good conduct
are entitled of peculiar
commendation.
Overtures of peace are still
continued to the deluded tribes,
and considerable numbers of
individuals belonging to them
have lately renounced all
further opposition, removed from
their former situations, and
placed themselves under the
immediate protection of the
United States.
It is sincerely to be desired
that all need of coercion in
future may cease and that an
intimate intercourse may
succeed, calculated to advance
the happiness of the Indians and
to attach them firmly to the
United States.
In order to this it seems
necessary__
That they should experience the
benefits of an impartial
dispensation of justice.
That the mode of alienating
their lands, the main source of
discontent and war, should be so
defined and regulated as to
obviate imposition and as far as
may be practicable controversy
concerning the reality and
extent of the alienations which
are made.
That commerce with them should
be promoted under regulations
tending to secure an equitable
deportment toward them, and that
such rational experiments should
be made for imparting to them
the blessings of civilization as
may from time to time suit their
condition.
That the Executive of the United
States should be enabled to
employ the means to which the
Indians have been long
accustomed for uniting their
immediate interests with the
preservation of peace.
And that efficacious provision
should be made for inflicting
adequate penalties upon all
those who, by violating their
rights, shall infringe the
treaties and endanger the peace
of the Union.
A system corresponding with the
mild principles of religion and
philanthropy toward an
unenlightened race of men, whose
happiness materially depends on
the conduct of the United
States, would be as honorable to
the national character as
conformable to the dictates of
sound policy.
The powers specially vested in
me by the act laying certain
duties on distilled spirits,
which respect the subdivisions
of the districts into surveys,
the appointment of officers, and
the assignment of compensations,
have likewise been carried into
effect. In a manner in which
both materials and experience
were wanting to guide the
calculation it will be readily
conceived that there must have
been difficulty in such an
adjustment of the rates of
compensation as would conciliate
a reasonable competency with a
proper regard to the limits
prescribed by the law. It is
hoped that the circumspection
which has been used will be
found in the result to have
secured the last of the two
objects; but it is probable that
with a view to the first in some
instances a revision of the
provision will be found
advisable.
The impressions with which this
law has been received by the
community have been upon the
whole such as were to be
expected among enlightened and
well-disposed citizens from the
propriety and necessity of the
measure. The novelty, however,
of the tax in a considerable
part of the United States and a
misconception of some of its
provisions have given occasion
in particular places to some
degree of discontent; but it is
satisfactory to know that this
disposition yields to proper
explanations and more just
apprehensions of the true nature
of the law, and I entertain a
full confidence that it will in
all give way to motives which
arise out of a just sense of
duty and a virtuous regard to
the public welfare.
If there are any circumstances
in the law which consistently
with its main design may be so
varied as to remove any
well-intentioned objections that
may happen to exist, it will
consist with a wise moderation
to make the proper variations.
It is desirable on all occasions
to unite with a steady and firm
adherence to constitutional and
necessary acts of Government the
fullest evidence of a
disposition as far as may be
practicable to consult the
wishes of every part of the
community and to lay the
foundations of the public
administration in the affections
of the people.
Pursuant to the authority
contained in the several acts on
that subject, a district of 10
miles square for the permanent
seat of the Government of the
United States has been fixed and
announced by proclamation, which
district will comprehend lands
on both sides of the river
Potomac and the towns of
Alexandria and Georgetown. A
city has also been laid out
agreeably to a plan which will
be placed before Congress, and
as there is a prospect, favored
by the rate of sales which have
already taken place, of ample
funds for carrying on the
necessary public buildings,
there is every expectation of
their due progress.
The completion of the census of
the inhabitants, for which
provision was made by law, has
been duly notified (excepting
one instance in which the return
has been informal, and another
in which it has been omitted or
miscarried), and the returns of
the officers who were charged
with this duty, which will be
laid before you, will give you
the pleasing assurance that the
present population of the United
States borders on 4,000,000
persons.
It is proper also to inform you
that a further loan of 2,500,000
florins has been completed in
Holland, the terms of which are
similar to those of the one last
announced, except as to a small
reduction of charges. Another,
on like terms, for 6,000,000
florins, had been set on foot
under circumstances that assured
an immediate completion.
Gentlemen of the Senate:
Two treaties which have been
provisionally concluded with the
Cherokees and Six Nations of
Indians will be laid before you
for your consideration and
ratification.
Gentlemen of the House of
Representatives:
In entering upon the discharge
of your legislative trust you
must anticipate with pleasure
that many of the difficulties
necessarily incident to the
first arrangements of a new
government for an extensive
country have been happily
surmounted by the zealous and
judicious exertions of your
predecessors in cooperation with
the other branch of the
Legislature. The
important objects which remain
to be accomplished will, I am
persuaded, be conducted upon
principles equally comprehensive
and equally well calculated of
the advancement of the general
weal.
The time limited for receiving
subscriptions to the loans
proposed by the act making
provision for the debt of the
United States having expired,
statements from the proper
department will as soon as
possible apprise you of the
exact result. Enough, however,
is known already to afford an
assurance that the views of that
act have been substantially
fulfilled. The subscription in
the domestic debt of the United
States has embraced by far the
greatest proportion of that
debt, affording at the same time
proof of the general
satisfaction of the public
creditors with the system which
has been proposed to their
acceptance and of the spirit of
accommodation to the convenience
of the Government with which
they are actuated. The
subscriptions in the debts of
the respective States as far as
the provisions of the law have
permitted may be said to be yet
more general. The part of the
debt of the United States which
remains unsubscribed will
naturally engage your further
deliberations.
It is particularly pleasing to
me to be able to announce to you
that the revenues which have
been established promise to be
adequate to their objects, and
may be permitted, if no
unforeseen exigency occurs, to
supersede for the present the
necessity of any new burthens
upon our constituents.
An object which will claim your
early attention is a provision
for the current service of the
ensuing year, together with such
ascertained demands upon the
Treasury as require to be
immediately discharged, and such
casualties as may have arisen in
the execution of the public
business, for which no specific
appropriation may have yet been
made; of all which a proper
estimate will be laid before
you.
Gentlemen of the Senate and
of the House of Representatives:
I shall content myself with a
general reference to former
communications for several
objects upon which the urgency
of other affairs has hitherto
postponed any definitive
resolution. Their importance
will recall them to your
attention, and I trust that the
progress already made in the
most arduous arrangements of the
Government will afford you
leisure to resume them with
advantage.
There are, however, some of them
of which I can not forbear a
more particular mention. These
are the militia, the post office
and post roads, the mint,
weights and measures, a
provision for the sale of the
vacant lands of the United
States.
The first is certainly an object
of primary importance whether
viewed in reference to the
national security to the
satisfaction of the community or
to the preservation of order. In
connection with this the
establishment of competent
magazines and arsenals and the
fortification of such places as
are peculiarly important and
vulnerable naturally present
themselves to consideration. The
safety of the United States
under divine protection ought to
rest on the basis of systematic
and solid arrangements, exposed
as little as possible to the
hazards of fortuitous
circumstances.
The importance of the post
office and post roads on a plan
sufficiently liberal and
comprehensive, as they respect
the expedition, safety, and
facility of communication, is
increased by their
instrumentality in diffusing a
knowledge of the laws and
proceedings of the Government,
which, while it contributes to
the security of the people,
serves also to guard them
against the effects of
misrepresentation and
misconception. The establishment
of additional cross posts,
especially to some of the
important points in the Western
and Northern parts of the Union,
can not fail to be of material
utility.
The disorders in the existing
currency, and especially the
scarcity of small change, a
scarcity so peculiarly
distressing to the poorer
classes, strongly recommend the
carrying into immediate effect
the resolution already entered
into concerning the
establishment of a mint.
Measures have been taken
pursuant to that resolution for
procuring some of the most
necessary artists, together with
the requisite apparatus.
An uniformity in the weights and
measures of the country is among
the important objects submitted
to you by the Constitution, and
if it can be derived from a
standard at once invariable and
universal, must be no less
honorable to the public councils
than conducive to the public
convenience.
A provision for the sale of the
vacant lands of the United
States is particularly urged,
among other reasons, by the
important considerations that
they are pledged as a fund for
reimbursing the public debt;
that if timely and judiciously
applied they may save the
necessity of burthening our
citizens with new taxes for the
extinguishment of the principal;
and that being free to discharge
the principal but in a limited
proportion, no opportunity ought
to be lost for availing the
public of its right.
Go. WASHINGTON
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