autobiography-第12部分

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ly　unmanageable　for　the　common　purposes　of　society。　　I　proposed　therefore；　instead　of　this；　to　adopt　the　Dollar　as　our　Unit　of　account　and　payment；　and　that　it's　divisions　and　sub…divisions　should　be　in　the　decimal　ratio。　I　wrote　some　Notes　on　the　subject；　which　I　submitted　to　the　consideration　of　the　financier。　　I　received　his　answer　and　adherence　to　his　general　system；　only　agreeing　to　take　for　his　Unit　100。　of　those　he　first　proposed；　so　that　a　Dollar　should　be　14　40　　100　and　a　crown　16。　units。　　I　replied　to　this　and　printed　my　notes　and　reply　on　a　flying　sheet；　which　I　put　into　the　hands　of　the　members　of　Congress　for　consideration；　and　the　Committee　agreed　to　report　on　my　principle。　　This　was　adopted　the　ensuing　year　and　is　the　system　which　now　prevails。　　I　insert　here　the　Notes　and　Reply；　as　shewing　the　different　views　on　which　the　adoption　of　our　money　system　hung。　　The　division　into　dimes；　cents　&　mills　is　now　so　well　understood；　that　it　would　be　easy　of　introduction　into　the　kindred　branches　of　weights　&　measures。　　I　use；　when　I　travel；　an　Odometer　of　Clarke's　invention　which　divides　the　mile　into　cents；　and　I　find　every　one　comprehend　a　distance　readily　when　stated　to　them　in　miles　&　cents；　so　they　would　in　feet　and　cents；　pounds　&　cents；　&c。

　　　　　　　　The　remissness　of　Congress；　and　their　permanent　session；　began　to　be　a　subject　of　uneasiness　and　even　some　of　the　legislatures　had　recommended　to　them　intermissions；　and　periodical　sessions。　　As　the　Confederation　had　made　no　provision　for　a　visible　head　of　the　government　during　vacations　of　Congress；　and　such　a　one　was　necessary　to　superintend　the　executive　business；　to　receive　and　communicate　with　foreign　ministers　&　nations；　and　to　assemble　Congress　on　sudden　and　extraordinary　emergencies；　I　proposed　early　in　April　the　appointment　of　a　commee　to　be　called　the　Committee　of　the　states；　to　consist　of　a　member　from　each　state；　who　should　remain　in　session　during　the　recess　of　Congress：　that　the　functions　of　Congress　should　be　divided　into　Executive　and　Legislative；　the　latter　to　be　reserved；　and　the　former；　by　a　general　resolution　to　be　delegated　to　that　Committee。　　This　proposition　was　afterwards　agreed　to；　a　Committee　appointed；　who　entered　on　duty　on　the　subsequent　adjourn…ment　of　Congress；　quarrelled　very　soon；　split　into　two　parties；　abandoned　their　post；　and　left　the　government　without　any　visible　head　until　the　next　meeting　in　Congress。　　We　have　since　seen　the　same　thing　take　place　in　the　Directory　of　France；　and　I　believe　it　will　forever　take　place　in　any　Executive　consisting　of　a　plurality。　　Our　plan；　best　I　believe；　combines　wisdom　and　practicability；　by　providing　a　plurality　of　Counsellors；　but　a　single　Arbiter　for　ultimate　decision。　　I　was　in　France　when　we　heard　of　this　schism；　and　separation　of　our　Committee；　and；　speaking　with　Dr。　Franklin　of　this　singular　disposition　of　men　to　quarrel　and　divide　into　parties；　he　gave　his　sentiments　as　usual　by　way　of　Apologue。　　He　mentioned　the　Eddystone　lighthouse　in　the　British　channel　as　being　built　on　a　rock　in　the　mid…channel；　totally　inaccessible　in　winter；　from　the　boisterous　character　of　that　sea；　in　that　season。　　That　therefore；　for　the　two　keepers　employed　to　keep　up　the　lights；　all　provisions　for　the　winter　were　necessarily　carried　to　them　in　autumn；　as　they　could　never　be　visited　again　till　the　return　of　the　milder　season。　　That　on　the　first　practicable　day　in　the　spring　a　boat　put　off　to　them　with　fresh　supplies。　　The　boatmen　met　at　the　door　one　of　the　keepers　and　accosted　him　with　a　How　goes　it　friend？　　Very　well。　　How　is　your　companion？　　I　do　not　know。　　Don't　know？　　Is　not　he　here？　　I　can't　tell。　　Have　not　you　seen　him　to…day？　No。　　When　did　you　see　him？　　Not　since　last　fall。　　You　have　killed　him？　　Not　I；　indeed。　　They　were　about　to　lay　hold　of　him；　as　having　certainly　murdered　his　companion；　but　he　desired　them　to　go　up　stairs　&　examine　for　themselves。　　They　went　up；　and　there　found　the　other　keeper。　　They　had　quarrelled　it　seems　soon　after　being　left　there；　had　divided　into　two　parties；　assigned　the　cares　below　to　one；　and　those　above　to　the　other；　and　had　never　spoken　to　or　seen　one　another　since。

　　　　　　　　But　to　return　to　our　Congress　at　Annapolis；　the　definitive　treaty　of　peace　which　had　been　signed　at　Paris　on　the　3d。　of　Sep。　1783。　and　received　here；　could　not　be　ratified　without　a　House　of　9。　states。　　On　the　23d。　of　Dec。　therefore　we　addressed　letters　to　the　several　governors；　stating　the　receipt　of　the　definitive　treaty；　that　7　states　only　were　in　attendance；　while　9。　were　necessary　to　its　ratification；　and　urging　them　to　press　on　their　delegates　the　necessity　of　their　immediate　attendance。　　And　on　the　26th。　to　save　time　I　moved　that　the　Agent　of　Marine　（Robert　Morris）　should　be　instructed　to　have　ready　a　vessel　at　this　place；　at　N。　York；　&　at　some　Eastern　port；　to　carry　over　the　ratification　of　the　treaty　when　agreed　to。　　It　met　the　general　sense　of　the　house；　but　was　opposed　by　Dr。　Lee　on　the　ground　of　expense　which　it　would　authorize　the　agent　to　incur　for　us；　and　he　said　it　would　be　better　to　ratify　at　once　&　send　on　the　ratification。　　Some　members　had　before　suggested　that　7　states　were　competent　to　the　ratification。　　My　motion　was　therefore　postponed　and　another　brought　forward　by　Mr。　　Read　of　S。　C。　for　an　immediate　ratification。　　This　was　debated　the　26th。　and　27th。　Reed；　Lee；　＇Hugh＇　Williamson　&　Jeremiah　Chace　urged　that　ratification　was　a　mere　matter　of　form；　that　the　treaty　was　conclusive　from　the　moment　it　was　signed　by　the　ministers；　that　although　the　Confederation　requires　the　assent　of　9。　_states_　to　_enter　into_　a　treaty；　yet　that　it's　conclusion　could　not　be　called　_entrance　into　it_；　that　supposing　9。　states　requisite；　it　would　be　in　the　power　of　5。　states　to　keep　us　always　at　war；　that　9。　states　had　virtually　authorized　the　ratifion　having　ratified　the　provisional　treaty；　and　instructed　their　ministers　to　agree　to　a　definitive　one　in　the　same　terms；　and　the　present　one　was　in　fact　substantially　and　almost　verbatim　the　same；　that　there　now　remain　but　67。　days　for　the　ratification；　for　it's　passage　across　the　Atlantic；　and　it's　exchange；　that　there　was　no　hope　of　our　soon　having　9。　states　present；　in　fact　that　this　was　the　ultimate　point　of　time　to　which　we　could　venture　to　wait；　that　if　the　ratification　was　not　in　Paris　by　the　time　stipulated；　the　treaty　would　become　void；　that　if　ratified　by　7　states；　it　would　go　under　our　seal　without　it's　being　known　to　Gr。　Britain　that　only　7。　had　concurred；　that　it　was　a　question　of　which　they　had　no　right　to　take　cognizance；　and　we　were　only　answerable　for　it　to　our　constituents；　that　it　was　like　the　ratification　which　Gr。　Britain　had　received　from　the　Dutch　by　the　negotiations　of　Sr。　Wm。　Temple。

　　　　　　　　On　the　contrary；　it　was　argued　by　Monroe；　Gerry；　Howel；　Ellery　&　myself　that　by　the　modern　usage　of　Europe　the　ratification　was　considered　as　the　act　which　gave　validity　to　a　treaty；　until　which　it　was　not　obligatory。　　（*　3）　That　the　commission　to　the　ministers　reserved　the　ratification　to　Congress；　that　the　treaty　itself　stipulated　that　it　should　be　ratified；　that　it　became　a　2d。　question　who　were　competent　to　the　ratification？　　That　the　Confederation　expressly　required　9　states　to　enter　into　any　treaty；　that；　by　this；　that　instrument　must　have　intended　that　the　assent　of　9。　states　should　be　necessary　as　well　to　the　_completion_　as　to　the　_commencement_　of　the　treaty；　it's　object　having　been　to　guard　the　rights　of　the　Union　in　all　those　important　cases　where　9。　states　are　called　for；　that；　by　the　contrary　construction；　7　states；　containing　less　than　one　third　of　our　whole　citizens；　might　rivet　on　us　a　treaty；　commenced　indeed　under　commission　and　instructions　from　9。　states；　but　formed　by　the　minister　in　express　contradiction　to　such　instructions；　and　in　direct　sacrifice　of　the　interests　of　so　great　a　majority；　that　the　definitive　treaty　was　admitted　not　to　be　a　verbal　copy　of　the　provisional　one；　and　whether　the　departures　from　it　were　of　substance　or　not；　was　a　question　on　which　9。　states　alone　were　competent　to　decide；　that　the　circumstances　of　the　ratification　of　the　provisional　articles　by　9。　states；　the　instructions　to　our　ministers　to　form　a　definitive　one　by　them；　and　their　actual　agreement　in　substance；　do　not　render　us　competent　to　ratify　in　the　present　instance；　if　these　circumstances　are　in　themselves　a　ratification；　nothing　further　is　requisite　than　to　give　attested　copies　of　them；　in　exchange　for　the　British　ratification；　if　they　are　not；　we　remain　where　we　were；　without　a　ratification　by　9。　states；　and　incompetent　ourselves　to　ratify；　that　it　was　but　4。　days　since　the　seven　states　now　present　unanimously　concurred　in　a　resolution　to　be　forwarded　to　the　governors　of　the　absent　states；　in　which　they　stated　as　a　cause　for　urging　on　their　delegates；　that　9。　states　were　necessary　to　ratify　the　treaty；　that　in　the　case　of　the　Dutch　ratification；　Gr。　Britain　had　courted　it；　and　therefore　was　glad　to　accept　it　as　it　was；　that　they　knew　our　constitution；　and　would　object　to　a　ratification　by　7。　that　if　that　circumstance　was　kept　back；　it　would　be　known　hereafter；　&　would　give　them　ground　to　deny　the　validity　of　a　ratification　into　which　they　should　have　been　surprised　and　cheated；　and　it　would　be　a　dishonorable　prostitution　of　our　seal；　that　there　is　a　hope　of　9。　states；　that　if　the　treaty　would　become　null　if　not　ratified　in　time；　it　would　not　be　saved　by　an　imperfect　ratification；　but　that　in　fact　it　would　not　be　null；　and　would　be　placed　on　better　ground；　going　in　unexceptionable　form；　tho'　a　few　days　too　late；　and　rested　on　the　small　importance　of　this　circumstance；　and　the　physical　impossibilities　which　had　prevented　a　punctual　compliance　in　point　of　time；　that　this　would　be　approved　by　all　nations；　&　by　Great　Britain　herself；　if　not　determined　to　renew　the　war；　and　if　determined；　she　would　never　want　excuses；　were　this　out　of　the　way。　　Mr。　Reade　gave　notice　he　should　call　for　the　yeas　&　nays；　whereon　those　in　opposition　prepared　a　resolution　expressing　pointedly　the　reasons　of　the　dissent　from　his　motion。　　It　appearing　however　that　his　proposition　could　not　be　car…ried；　it　was　thought　better　to　make　no　entry　at　all。　　Massa…chusetts　alone　wou