the fathers of the constitution-第11章

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g　to　create　a　public　opinion　in　favor　of　a　more　strongly　organized　government。　Whatever　other　causes　there　may　have　been；　the　immediate　source　of　trouble　was　the　enforced　payment　of　indebtedness；　which　to　a　large　extent　had　been　allowed　to　remain　in　abeyance　during　the　war。　This　postponement　of　settlement　had　not　been　merely　for　humanitarian　reasons；　it　would　have　been　the　height　of　folly　to　collect　when　the　currency　was　greatly　depreciated。　But　conditions　were　supposed　to　have　been　restored　to　normal　with　the　cessation　of　hostilities；　and　creditors　were　generally　inclined　to　demand　payment。　These　demands；　coinciding　with　the　heavy　taxes；　drove　the　people　of　western　Massachusetts　into　revolt。　Feeling　ran　high　against　lawyers　who　prosecuted　suits　for　creditors；　and　this　antagonism　was　easily　transferred　to　the　courts　in　which　the　suits　were　brought。　The　rebellion　in　Massachusetts　accordingly　took　the　form　of　a　demonstration　against　the　courts。　A　paper　was　carried　from　town　to　town　in　the　County　of　Worcester；　in　which　the　signers　promised　to　do　their　utmost　〃to　prevent　the　sitting　of　the　Inferior　Court　of　Common　Pleas　for　the　county；　or　of　any　other　court　that　should　attempt　to　take　property　by　distress。〃　The　Massachusetts　Legislature　adjourned　in　July；　1786；　without　remedying　the　trouble　and　also　without　authorizing　an　issue　of　paper　money　which　the　hardpressed　debtors　were　demanding。　In　the　months　following　mobs　prevented　the　courts　from　sitting　in　various　towns。　A　special　session　of　the　legislature　was　then　called　by　the　Governor　but；　when　that　special　session　had　adjourned　on　the　18th　of　November；　it　might　just　as　well　have　never　met。　It　had　attempted　to　remedy　various　grievances　and　had　made　concessions　to　the　malcontents；　but　it　had　also　passed　measures　to　strengthen　the　hands　of　the　Governor。　This　only　seemed　to　inflame　the　rioters；　and　the　disorders　increased。　After　the　lower　courts　a　move　was　made　against　the　State　Supreme　Court；　and　plans　were　laid　for　a　concerted　movement　against　the　cities　in　the　eastern　part　of　the　State。　Civil　war　seemed　imminent。　The　insurgents　were　led　by　Daniel　Shays；　an　officer　in　the　army　of　the　Revolution；　and　the　party　of　law　and　order　was　represented　by　Governor　James　Bowdoin；　who　raised　some　four　thousand　troops　and　placed　them　under　the　command　of　General　Benjamin　Lincoln。　The　time　of　year　was　unfortunate　for　the　insurgents；　especially　as　December　was　unusually　cold　and　there　was　a　heavy　snowfall。　Shays　could　not　provide　stores　and　equipment　and　was　unable　to　maintain　discipline。　A　threatened　attack　on　Cambridge　came　to　naught　for；　when　preparations　were　made　to　protect　the　city；　the　rebels　began　a　disorderly　retreat；　and　in　the　intense　cold　and　deep　snow　they　suffered　severely；　and　many　died　from　exposure。　The　center　of　interest　then　shifted　to　Springfield；　where　the　insurgents　were　attempting　to　seize　the　United　States　arsenal。　The　local　militia　had　already　repelled　the　first　attacks；　and　the　appearance　of　General　Lincoln　with　his　troops　completed　the　demoralization　of　Shays'　army。　The　insurgents　retreated；　but　Lincoln　pursued　relentlessly　and　broke　them　up　into　small　bands；　which　then　wandered　about　the　country　preying　upon　the　unfortunate　inhabitants。　When　spring　came；　most　of　them　had　been　subdued　or　had　taken　refuge　in　the　neighboring　States。　Shays'　Rebellion　was　fairly　easily　suppressed；　even　though　it　required　the　shedding　of　some　blood。　But　it　was　the　possibility　of　further　outbreaks　that　destroyed　men's　peace　of　mind。　There　were　similar　disturbances　in　other　States；　and　there　the　Massachusetts　insurgents　found　sympathy；　support；　and　finally　a　refuge。　When　the　worst　was　over；　and　Governor　Bowdoin　applied　to　the　neighboring　States　for　help　in　capturing　the　last　of　the　refugees；　Rhode　Island　and　Vermont　failed　to　respond　to　the　extent　that　might　have　been　expected　of　them。　The　danger；　therefore；　of　the　insurrection　spreading　was　a　cause　of　deep　concern。　This　feeling　was　increased　by　the　impotence　of　Congress。　The　Government　had　sufficient　excuse　for　intervention　after　the　attack　upon　the　national　arsenal　in　Springfield。　Congress；　indeed；　began　to　raise　troops　but　did　not　dare　to　admit　its　purpose　and　offered　as　a　pretext　an　expedition　against　the　Northwestern　Indians。　The　rebellion　was　over　before　any　assistance　could　be　given。　The　inefficiency　of　Congress　and　its　lack　of　influence　were　evident。　Like　the　disorders　in　Rhode　Island；　Shays'　Rebellion　in　Massachusetts　helped　to　bring　about　a　reaction　and　strengthened　the　conservative　movement　for　reform。　These　untoward　happenings；　however；　were　only　symptoms：　the　causes　of　the　trouble　lay　far　deeper。　This　fact　was　recognized　even　in　Rhode　Island；　for　at　least　one　of　the　conventions　had　passed　resolutions　declaring　that；　in　considering　the　condition　of　the　whole　country；　what　particularly　concerned　them　was　the　condition　of　trade。　Paradoxical　as　it　may　seem；　the　trade　and　commerce　of　the　country　were　already　on　the　upward　grade　and　prosperity　was　actually　returning。　But　prosperity　is　usually　a　process　of　slow　growth　and　is　seldom　recognized　by　the　community　at　large　until　it　is　well　established。　Farsighted　men　forecast　the　coming　of　good　times　in　advance　of　the　rest　of　the　community；　and　prosper　accordingly。　The　majority　of　the　people　know　that　prosperity　has　come　only　when　it　is　unmistakably　present；　and　some　are　not　aware　of　it　until　it　has　begun　to　go。　If　that　be　true　in　our　day；　much　more　was　it　true　in　the　eighteenth　century；　when　means　of　communication　were　so　poor　that　it　took　days　for　a　message　to　go　from　Boston　to　New　York　and　weeks　for　news　to　get　from　Boston　to　Charleston。　It　was　a　period　of　adjustment；　and　as　we　look　back　after　the　event　we　can　see　that　the　American　people　were　adapting　themselves　with　remarkable　skill　to　the　new　conditions。　But　that　was　not　so　evident　to　the　men　who　were　feeling　the　pinch　of　hard　times；　and　when　all　the　attendant　circumstances；　some　of　which　have　been　described；　are　taken　into　account；　it　is　not　surprising　that　commercial　depression　should　be　one　of　the　strongest　influences　in；　and　the　immediate　occasion　of；　bringing　men　to　the　point　of　willingness　to　attempt　some　radical　changes。　The　fact　needs　to　be　reiterated　that　the　people　of　the　United　States　were　largely　dependent　upon　agriculture　and　other　forms　of　extractive　industry；　and　that　markets　for　the　disposal　of　their　goods　were　an　absolute　necessity。　Some　of　the　States；　especially　New　England　and　the　Middle　States；　were　interested　in　the　carrying　trade；　but　all　were　concerned　in　obtaining　markets。　On　account　of　jealousy　interstate　trade　continued　a　precarious　existence　and　by　no　means　sufficed　to　dispose　of　the　surplus　products；　so　that　foreign　markets　were　necessary。　The　people　were　especially　concerned　for　the　establishment　of　the　old　trade　with　the　West　India　Islands；　which　had　been　the　mainstay　of　their　prosperity　in　colonial　times；　and　after　the　British　Government；　in　1783；　restricted　that　trade　to　British　vessels；　many　people　in　the　United　States　were　attributing　hard　times　to　British　malignancy。　The　only　action　which　seemed　possible　was　to　force　Great　Britain　in　particular；　but　other　foreign　countries　as　well；　to　make　such　trade　agreements　as　the　prosperity　of　the　United　States　demanded。　The　only　hope　seemed　to　lie　in　a　commercial　policy　of　reprisal　which　would　force　other　countries　to　open　their　markets　to　American　goods。　Retaliation　was　the　dominating　idea　in　the　foreign　policy　of　the　time。　So　in　1784　Congress　made　a　new　recommendation　to　the　States；　prefacing　it　with　an　assertion　of　the　importance　of　commerce；　saying：　〃The　fortune　of　every　Citizen　is　interested　in　the　success　thereof；　for　it　is　the　constant　source　of　wealth　and　incentive　to　industry；　and　the　value　of　our　produce　and　our　land　must　ever　rise　or　fall　in　proportion　to　the　prosperous　or　adverse　state　of　trade。〃　And　after　declaring　that　Great　Britain　had　〃adopted　regulations　destructive　of　our　commerce　with　her　West　India　Islands；〃　it　was　further　asserted：　〃Unless　the　United　States　in　Congress　assembled　shall　be　vested　with　powers　competent　to　the　protection　of　commerce；　they　can　never　command　reciprocal　advantages　in　trade。〃　It　was　therefore　proposed　to　give　to　Congress　for　fifteen　years　the　power　to　prohibit　the　importation　or　exportation　of　goods　at　American　ports　except　in　vessels　owned　by　the　people　of　the　United　States　or　by　the　subjects　of　foreign　governments　having　treaties　of　commerce　with　the　United　States。　This　was　simply　a　request　for　authorization　to　adopt　navigation　acts。　But　the　individual　States　were　too　much　concerned　with　their　own　interests　and　did　not　or　would　not　appreciate　the　rights　of　the　other　States　or　the　interests　of　the　Union　as　a　whole。　And　so　the　commercial　amendment　of　1784　suffered　the　fate　of　all　other　amendments　proposed　to　the　Articles　of　Confederation。　In　fact　only　two　States　accepted　it。　It　usually　happens　that　some　minor　occurrence；　almost　unnoticed　at　the　time；　leads　directly　to　the　most　important　consequences。　And　an　incident　in　domestic　affairs　started　the　chain　of　events　in　the　United　States　that　ended　in　the　reform　of　the　Federal　Government。　The　rivalry　and　jealousy　among　the　States　had　brought　matters　to　such　a　pass　that　either　Congress　must　be　vested　with　adequate　powers　or　the　Confederation　must　collapse。　But　the　Articles　of　Confederation　provided　no　remedy；　and　it　had　been　found　that　amendments　to　that　instrument　could　not　be　obtained。　It　was　necessary；　therefore；　to　proceed　in　some　extra…legal　fashion。　The　Articles　of　Confederation　specifically　forbade　treaties　or　alliances　between　the　States　unless　approved　by　Congress。　Yet　Virginia　and　Maryland；　in　1785；　had　come　to　a　working　agreement　regarding　the　use　of　the　Potomac　River；　which　was　the　boundary　line　between　them。　Commissioners　representing　both　parties　had　met　at　Alexandria　and　soon　adjourned　to　Mount　Vernon；　where　they　not　only　reached　an　amicable　settlement　of　the　immediate　questions　before　them　but　also　discussed　the　larger　subjects　of　duties　and　commercial　matters　in　general。　When　the　Maryland　legislature　came　to　act　on　the　report；　it　proposed　that　Pennsylvania　and　Delaware　should　be　invited　to　join　with　them　in　formulating　a　common　commercial　policy。　Virginia　then　went　one　step　farther　and　invited　all　the　other　States　to　send　commissioners　to　a　general　trade　convention　and　later　announced　Annapolis　as　the　place　of　meeting　and　set　the　time　for　September；　1786。　This　action　was　unconstitutional　and　was　so　recognized；　for　James　Madison　notes　that　〃from　the　Legislative　Journals　of　Virginia　it　appears；　that　a　vote　to　apply　for　a　sanction　of　Congress　was　followed　by　a　vote　against　a　communication　of　the　Compact　to　Congress；〃　and　he　mentions　other　similar　violations　of　the　central　authority。　That　this　did　not　attract　more　attention　was　probably　due　to　the　public　interest　being　absorbed　just　at　that　time　by　the　paper　money　agitation。　Then；　too；　the　men　concerned　seem　to　have　been　willing　to　avoid　publicity。　Their　purposes　are　well　brought　out　in　a　letter　of　Monsieur　Louis　Otto；　French　Charge　d'Affaires；　written　on　October　10；　1786；　to　the　Comte　de　Vergennes；　Minister　for　Foreign　Affairs；　though　their　motives　may　be　somewhat　misinterpreted。　〃Although　there　are　no　nobles　in　America；　there　i