Morris, Gouverneur, 1752-1816 to Henry Knox
Order a pdf of this item here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.01963 Author/Creator: Morris, Gouverneur, 1752-1816 Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Autograph letter signed Date: February 28, 1783 Pagination: 2 p. : Height: 23.3 cm, Width: 19.2 cm Order a Copy
Written by Morris as Assistant Secretary of Finance to Major General Knox. References Knox's letter sent by General Lincoln. Is sending copies of Robert Morris's letter of resignation (not included here). Says this news should not be unexpected. Says he has three more months of "hopeless Slavery to encounter in this Office." Knox expressed a desire to help, but Morris says he does not know how he could use him. Mocks Congress, saying "It is not in them to conceive great nor to pursue just Ideas. Nature sparing in good Gifts has been prodigal of Littleness to them. And fortune has placed them in the Attitude of all others most calculated to display their Deformities." Hopes "the Guardian Genius of America" will intervene and rectify the situation, but says there is a "Callosity of Soul about them which must be seen to be conceived of."
Signer of the U.S. Constitution.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.