; and early in August, the
following year, their principal chiefs and United States' commissioners
met at Greenville and made a treaty of peace. The Indians ceded to the
United States a large tract of land in the present states of Michigan
and Indiana, and for more than ten years afterward the government had
very little trouble with the western savages.

In his message, Washington urged the adoption of some definite plan for
the redemption of the public debt. "Nothing," he said, "can more promote
the permanent welfare of the nation, and nothing would be more grateful
to our constituents." At his request, Hamilton, the secretary of the
treasury, prepared a plan, digested and arranged on the basis of the
actual revenues for the further support of the public credit. It was one
of the ablest state papers of the many that had proceeded from his pen
during his official career. It was reported on the twentieth of January,
1795, and this was Hamilton's last official act. He had, on the first of
December, immediately after his return from western Pennsylvania,
addressed the following letter to the president:--

"I have the honor to inform you that I have fixed upon the last of
January next, as the day for my resignation of my office of
secretary of the treasury. I make this communication now, that
there may be time to mature such an arrangement as shall appear to
you proper to meet the vacancy when it occurs."

Mr. Hamilton resigned his office on the thirty-first of January. It was
with deep regret, as in the case of Mr. Jefferson, that Washington found
himself deprived of the services of so able an officer. "After so long
an experience of your public services," he said in a note to Hamilton on
the second of February, "I am naturally led, at this moment of your
departure from office (which it has always been my wish to prevent), to
review them. In every relation which you have borne to me, I have found
that my confidence in your talents, exertions, and integrity, has been
well placed. I the more freely render this testimony of my approbation,
because I speak from opportunities of information which can not deceive
me, and which furnish satisfactory proof of your title to public
regard."

To this Hamilton replied on the following day, saying, "My particular
acknowledgments are due for your very kind letter of yesterday. As often
as I may recall the vexations I have endured, your approbation will be a
g