Delegates to Congress . Letters of delegates to Congress, 1774-1789, Volume 20, March 12 1783-September 30 1783
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Alexander Hamilton to To: George Washington


Sir
Philadelphia, March 24th. 1783

   Your Excellency will before this reaches you have received a letter from the Marquis De la Fayette informing you that the preliminaries


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of peace between all the belligerent powers have been concluded. I congratulate your Excellency on this happy conclusion of your labours. It now only remains to make solid establishments within to perpetuate our union to prevent our being a ball in the hands of European powers bandied against each other at their pleasure -- in fine to make our independence truly a blessing. This it is to be lamented will be an arduous work; for to borrow a figure from mechanics, the centrifugal is much stronger than the centripetal force in these states -- the seeds of disunion much more numerous than those of union.

   I will add that Your Excellency's exertions are as essential to accomplish this end as they have been to establish independence. I will upon a future occasion open myself upon this Subject.

   Your conduct in the affair of the officers is highly pleasing here. The measures of the army are such as I could have wished them and will add new lustre to their character as wel[l] as strengthen the hands of Congress.

   I am with great truth & respect. Yr. Excellency's Most Obed ser.

   A Hamilton


Note:

   RC (DLC: Hamilton Papers).