sister States and their earnest desire
to promote the general interest and security, and more especially to
accelerate the federal alliance, by removing as far as it depends upon
them the before-mentioned impediment to its final accomplishment. ...

This act of New York, the instructions of Maryland, and a remonstrance
of Virginia were referred to a committee of Congress, who reported a
preamble and resolutions thereon, which were adopted on the 6th
September, 1780; so much of which as is necessary to elucidate the
subject is to the following effect, viz:

That it appears advisable to press upon those States which can remove
the embarrassments respecting the Western country a liberal surrender of
a portion of their territorial claims, since they can not be preserved
entire without endangering the stability of the General Confederacy; to
remind them how indispensably necessary it is to establish the Federal
Union on a fixed and permanent basis and on principles acceptable to all
its respective members; how essential to public credit and confidence,
to the support of our Army, to the vigor of our counsels and success of
our measures, to our tranquillity at home, our reputation abroad, to our
very existence as a free, sovereign, and independent people; that they
are fully persuaded the wisdom of the several legislatures will lead
them to a full and impartial consideration of a subject so interesting
to the United States, and so necessary to the happy establishment of the
Federal Union; that they are confirmed in these expectations by a review
of the before-mentioned act of the legislature of New York, submitted to
their consideration. ...

_Resolved_, That copies of the several papers referred to the committee
be transmitted, with a copy of the report, to the legislatures of the
several States, and that it be earnestly recommended to those States who
have claims to the Western country to pass such laws and give their
delegates in Congress such powers as may effectually remove the only
obstacle to a final ratification of the Articles of Confederation, and
that the legislature of Maryland be earnestly requested to authorize
their delegates in Congress to subscribe the said Articles.

Following up this policy, Congress proceeded, on the 10th October, 1780,
to pass a resolution pledging the United States to the several States as
to the manner in which any lands tha