Congress in Disrepute.With treaties set at naught by the states,the laws unenforced,the treasury empty,and the public credit gone,the Congress of the United States fell into utter disrepute.It called upon the states to pay their quotas of money into the treasury,only to be treated with contempt.Even its own members looked upon it as a solemn futility.Some of the ablest men refused to accept election to it,and many who did take the doubtful honor failed to attend the sessions.Again and again it was impossible to secure a quorum for the transaction of business.
Troubles of the State Governments.The state governments,free to pursue their own course with no interference from without,had almost as many difficulties as the Congress.They too were loaded with revolutionary debts calling for heavy taxes upon an already restive population.Oppressed by their financial burdens and discouraged by the fall in prices which followed the return of peace,the farmers of several states joined in a concerted effort and compelled their legislatures to issue large sums of paper money.The currency fell in value,but nevertheless it was forced on unwilling creditors to square old accounts.
In every part of the country legislative action fluctuated violently.Laws were made one year only to be repealed the next and re?nacted the third year.
Lands were sold by one legislature and the sales were canceled by its successor.Uncertainty and distrust were the natural consequences.Men of substance longed for some power that would forbid states to issue bills of credit,to make paper money legal tender in payment of debts,or to impair the obligation of contracts.Men heavily in debt,on the other hand,urged even more drastic action against creditors.
So great did the discontent of the farmers in New Hampshire become in 1786that a mob surrounded the legislature,demanding a repeal of the taxes and the issuance of paper money.It was with difficulty that an armed rebellion was avoided.In Massachusetts the malcontents,under the leadership of Daniel Shays,a captain in the Revolutionary army,organized that same year open resistance to the government of the state.Shays and his followers protested against the conduct of creditors in foreclosing mortgages upon the debtburdened farmers,against the lawyers for increasing the costs of legal proceedings,against the senate of the state the members of which were apportioned among the towns on the basis of the amount of taxes paid,against heavy taxes,and against the refusal of the legislature to issue paper money.They seized the towns of Worcester and Springfield and broke up the courts of justice.All through the western part of the state the revolt spread,sending a shock of alarm to every center and section of the young republic.Only by the most vigorous action was Governor Bowdoin able to quell the uprising;and when that task was accomplished,the state government did not dare to execute any of the prisoners because they had so many sympathizers.Moreover,Bowdoin and several members of the legislature who had been most zealous in their attacks on the insurgents were defeated at the ensuing election.The need of national assistance for state governments in times of domestic violence was everywhere emphasized by men who were opposed to revolutionary acts.
Alarm over Dangers to the Republic.Leading American citizens,watching the drift of affairs,were slowly driven to the conclusion that the new ship of state so proudly launched a few years before was careening into anarchy."The facts of our peace and independence,"wrote a friend of Washington,"do not at present wear so promising an appearance as I had fondly painted in my mind.The prejudices,jealousies,and turbulence of the people at times almost stagger my confidence in our political establishments;and almost occasion me to think that they will show themselves unworthy of the noble prize for which we have contended."
Washington himself was profoundly discouraged.On hearing of Shays's rebellion,he exclaimed:"What,gracious God,is man that there should be such inconsistency and perfidiousness in his conduct!It is but the other day that wewere shedding our blood to obtain the constitutions under which we now liveconstitutions of our own choice and makingand now we are unsheathing our sword to overturn them."The same year he burst out in a lament over rumors of restoring royal government."I am told that even respectable characters speak of a monarchical government without horror.From thinking proceeds speaking.Hence to acting is often but a single step.But how irresistible and tremendous!What a triumph for our enemies to verify their predictions!What a triumph for the advocates of despotism to find that we are incapable of governing ourselves!"
Congress Attempts Some Reforms.The Congress was not indifferent to the events that disturbed Washington.On the contrary it put forth many efforts to check tendencies so dangerous to finance,commerce,industries,and the Confederation itself.In 1781,even before the treaty of peace was signed,the Congress,having found out how futile were its taxing powers,carried a resolution of amendment to the Articles of Confederation,authorizing the levy of a moderate duty on imports.Yet this mild measure was rejected by the states.Two years later the Congress prepared another amendment sanctioning the levy of duties on imports,to be collected this time by state officers and applied to the payment of the public debt.This more limited proposal,designed to save public credit,likewise failed.In 1786,the Congress made a third appeal to the states for help,declaring that they had been so irregular and so negligent in paying their quotas that further reliance upon that mode of raising revenues was dishonorable and dangerous.