oney seems to prognosticate that we are
rapidly advancing to a crisis. Congress, I am told, are seriously
alarmed, and hardly know which way to turn or what to expect. Indeed,
my dear General, nothing but a good Providence can extricate us from
the present convulsion."

"What, gracious God! is man," writes Washington, "that there should be
such inconsistency and perfidiousness in his conduct. It was but the
other day that we were shedding our blood to obtain the constitutions
under which we now live; constitutions of our own choice and making;
and now we are unsheathing the sword to overturn them.... How
melancholy is the reflection, that in so short a time we should have
made such large strides towards fulfilling the predictions of our
transatlantic foes! 'Leave them to themselves, and their government
will soon dissolve.' Will not the wise and good strive hard to avert
this evil? Or will their supineness suffer ignorance and the arts of
self-interested and designing, disaffected and desperate characters,
to involve this great country in wretchedness and contempt? What
stronger evidence can be given of the want of energy in our government
than these disorders? If there is not power in it to check them, what
security has a man for life, liberty, or property?"

Thus Washington, even though in retirement, was almost unconsciously
exercising a powerful influence on national affairs; no longer the
soldier, he was now becoming the statesman. The opinions and counsels
given in his letters were widely effective. The expedient for federate
organization, had extended and ripened in legislative Assemblies, and
ended in a plan of a convention composed of delegates from all the
States, to meet in Philadelphia for the sole and express purpose of
revising the federal system, and correcting its defects; the
proceedings of the convention to be subsequently reported to Congress,
and the several Legislatures, for approval and confirmation.

Washington was unanimously put at the head of the Virginia delegation,
but for some time objected to accept the nomination. He feared to be
charged with inconsistency in again appearing in a public situation,
after his declared resolution to the contrary. These considerations
were strenuously combated, for the weight and influence of his name
and counsel were felt to be all-important in giving dignity to the
delegation. Two things contributed to bring him to a favorable
decision: First, an insinuat