n in which the people of this State are placed
engage us to make these assurances on their behalf of their attachment
and friendship to their sister States and of their disposition to
cultivate mutual harmony and friendly intercourse. They know themselves
to be a handful, comparatively viewed; and although they now stand, as
it were, alone, they have not separated themselves or departed from the
principles of that Confederation which was formed by the sister States
in their struggle for freedom and in the hour of danger. They seek by
this memorial to call to your remembrance the hazards which we have run,
the hardships we have endured, the treasure we have spent, and the blood
we have lost together in one common cause, and especially the object
we had in view--the preservation of our liberty; wherein, ability
considered, they may truly say they were equal in exertions with the
foremost, the effects whereof, in great embarrassments and other
distresses consequent thereon, we have since experienced with severity;
which common sufferings and common danger we hope and trust yet form a
bond of union and friendship not easily to be broken.

Our not having acceded to or adopted the new system of government formed
and adopted by most of our sister States we doubt not have given
uneasiness to them. That we have not seen our way clear to do it
consistent with our idea of the principles upon which we all embarked
together has also given pain to us. We have not doubted but we might
thereby avoid present difficulties, but we have apprehended future
mischief. The people of this State from its first settlement have been
accustomed and strongly attached to a democratical form of government.
They have viewed in the Constitution an approach, though perhaps but
small, toward that form of government from which we have lately
dissolved our connection at so much hazard and expense of life and
treasure; they have seen with pleasure the administration thereof from
the most important trust downward committed to men who have highly
merited and in whom the people of the United States place unbounded
confidence. Yet even in this circumstance, in itself so fortunate, they
have apprehended danger by way of precedent. Can it be thought strange,
then, that with these impressions they should wait to see the proposed
system organized and in operation, to see what further checks and
securities would be agreed to and established, by way of amendments,
bef