treaties, without
possessing the means of carrying them into effect:--who "must see and
feel that the union, or the states individually are sovereign as best
suits their purposes:--in a word, that we are one nation to day, and
thirteen to-morrow. Who," he added, "will treat with us on such
terms?"

About this time, General Washington received a long and affectionate
letter from the Marquis de Lafayette, who had just returned from a
tour through the north of Europe. In communicating the occurrences at
the courts he had visited, and especially at that of Prussia, whose
aged and distinguished monarch, uniting the acquirements of the
scholar and the statesman with the most profound skill in the art of
war, could confer either literary or military fame, he dwelt with
enthusiasm on the plaudits which were universally bestowed on his
military patron and paternal friend. "I wish," he added, "the other
sentiments I have had occasion to discover with respect to America,
were equally satisfactory with those that are personal to yourself. I
need not say that the spirit, the firmness, with which the revolution
was conducted, has excited universal admiration:--That every friend to
the rights of mankind is an enthusiast for the principles on which
those constitutions are built:--but I have often had the mortification
to hear, that the want of powers in congress, of union between the
states, of energy in their government, would make the confederation
very insignificant. By their conduct in the revolution," he added,
"the citizens of America have commanded the respect of the world; but
it grieves me to think they will in a measure lose it, unless they
strengthen the confederation, give congress power to regulate their
trade, pay off their debt, or at least the interest of it, establish a
well regulated militia, and, in a word, complete all those measures
which you have recommended to them."

"Unhappily for us," said the general in reply, "though the reports you
mention are greatly exaggerated, our conduct has laid the foundation
for them. It is one of the evils of democratic governments, that the
people, not always seeing, and frequently misled, must often feel
before they act right. But evils of this nature seldom fail to work
their own cure. It is to be lamented, nevertheless, that the remedies
are so slow, and that those who wish to apply them seasonably, are not
attended to before they suffer in person, in interest, and in
reput