otect the people
against the violence of wicked and overgrown citizens, and invasion by the
rest of mankind. Judge candidly what a wretched figure the American empire
will exhibit in the eye of other nations, without a power to array and
support a military force for its own protection. Half a dozen regiments
from Canada or New-Spain, might lay whole provinces under contribution,
while we were disputing who has power to pay and raise an army. This power
is also necessary to restrain the violence of seditious citizens. A
concurrence of circumstances frequently enables a few disaffected persons
to make great revolutions, unless government is vested with the most
extensive powers of self-defence. Had Shays, the malcontent of
Massachusetts, been a man of genius, fortune and address, he might have
conquered that state, and by the aid of a little sedition in the other
states, and an army proud by victory, become the monarch and tyrant of
America. Fortunately he was checked; but should jealousy prevent vesting
these powers in the hands of men chosen by yourselves, and who are under
every constitutional restraint, accident or design will in all probability
raise up some future Shays to be the tyrant of your children.

A people cannot long retain their freedom, whose government is incapable
of protecting them.

The power of collecting money from the people, is not to be rejected
because it has sometimes been oppressive.

Public credit is as necessary for the prosperity of a nation as private
credit is for the support and wealth of a family.

We are this day many millions poorer than we should have been had a well
arranged government taken place at the conclusion of the war. All have
shared in this loss, but none in so great proportion as the landholders
and farmers.

The public must be served in various departments. Who will serve them
without a meet recompense? Who will go to war and pay the charges of his
own warfare? What man will any longer take empty promises of reward from
those, who have no constitutional power to reward or means of fulfilling
them? Promises have done their utmost, more than they ever did in any
other age or country. The delusive bubble has broke, and in breaking has
beggared thousands, and left you an unprotected people; numerous without
force, and full of resources but unable to command one of them. For these
purposes there must be a general treasury, with a power to replenish it as
often as necessi