Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 to Mercy Otis Warren

Replies to her letter from 2 May (GLC02437.03539). Discusses a financial matter involving Winslow Warren (Warren's son), Mr. Hawkins, Knox's brother William, and Mr. Breck. Apologizes for not being able to fully comply with her request from 2 May due to William's limited power in that regard. Knox discusses the present state of government, and the divided nature of the states, in the context of the Constitutional Convention, which gathered at Philadelphia 25 May. Discusses "the present awful crisis- I arrange in my imagination two or three hundred millions of [our] posterity with their eyes fixed on our conduct, ready to applaud our wisdom or to execrate our folly."
Praises a book by Mr. Adams, noting that it should have been called "The Soul of a Free Government," (likely commenting on John Adams's book, A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America). Comments that "paper money - and ex post facto Laws are the main springs of the American governments." Mentions the Cincinnati (likely the Society of the Cincinnati). Reflects on the Constitutional Convention and the men attending it: "Should they possess the hardihood to be unpopular and propose an efficient national government from the entanglements of the present defective state [systems], we may yet be a happy and great nation." Adds, "Should they possess local and not general views should they propose to patch up the wretched & defective thing called the confederation- look out ye patriots- supplicate heaven separate anarchies will take place..." Discusses the issue of state's rights versus national power, "The state governments should be deprived of the power of injuring themselves or the nation. The people have parted with power enough to form an excellent constitution- But it is intercepted and diffused among hordes which cannot use it to good purpose- It must be [concerted] in a national government. The power of that government should be divided between a strong executive, senate, and assembly.... every thing should be defined, marked, and checked according to the highest human wisdom- an attempt to overleap the bounds of the Constitution should be punished on the absolute certainty of great severity." Writes that in this letter, he only suggested the smallest possible changes that can be made to the government. Anything less "will be to precipitate us in to the gulph of separate anarchies or the issue of which we may see established seperate tyrannies." This is Knox's draft. The sent copy of this letter is in the Warren-Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society.