embled. Nothing can be more pernicious than the jealousy
which dictates clauses restraining the operation of laws, until
similar laws shall have been passed by the other States, or confining
the revenue or supplies to partial or particular objects, not within
the design of Congress, or short of their intentions; or any other
clauses, which show a distrust of the States in the sovereign
representative of America, or in each other. Such jealousies must
prove highly detrimental, if not ruinous. And surely there can be no
ground to entertain them, for the Congress is composed of
Representatives freely chosen, and is of consequence under the control
of those by whom they were appointed. Nothing, therefore, ought to
prevent the free and generous communication of all necessary powers to
Congress; and I am confident that such a communication will more
effectually dishearten the enemy, encourage our friends, and promote
the general and unanimous efforts of the whole community, than any
other circumstance which could possibly happen. It is a truth, that
the enemy does not even pretend to hope anything except from sowing
discord among us, and it is but too true, that while the whigs of
America are daily more firm and united in the cause of independence,
there has been too little attention paid to give to that union of
sentiment a proper political form and consistency. I am not, however,
the less confident that in this, as in everything else, the enemy
will, to their cost, discover that their hopes have been extremely
fallacious.

With every sentiment of respect, &c.

ROBERT MORRIS.

FOOTNOTES:

[38] For a very interesting letter from the President of Congress to
the Governor of Rhode Island, on the matter of duties to be levied by
the States, reported by a Committee, of which Hamilton was Chairman,
see the _Public Journals of Congress_, under the date of April 29th,
1783.

* * * * *

TO JOHN JAY, MINISTER IN SPAIN.

Philadelphia, July 29th, 1781.

Sir,

I enclose you copies of my letters, of the 17th, to the Governor of
Havana, and Robert Smith. These letters will require no explanation to
you. In addition, however, I am to inform you, that my letter to the
Governor was shown to Don Francisco Rendon, whose full approbation of
it is contained, in the enclosed copy of his n