Henry Knox by Mark Puls Page A

2,945 to 237. To Lafayette, he wrote on Saturday, April 26: "As to Rhode Island, no little State of Greece ever exhibited greater turpitude than she does. Paper money and tender law engross her attention entirely: this is, in other words, plundering the orphan and widow by virtue of laws.“ 34
    When New Hampshire ratified the Constitution on June 21, it was formally adopted as the government of the United States. Major Doughty at Fort Pitt wrote Knox with congratulations and credited the predominately Federalist-party Society of Cincinnati with the achieving its ratification. He pointed out that the former soldiers in the society were the group who "more generally advocates for good government than perhaps any other class of individuals.“ 35

TEN
ILLUSIVE BUBBLES
    Henry Knox had become one of the most prominent figures in national politics. His name consistently popped up as a possible candidate for the vice presidency of the United States.
    Under the new Constitution, the candidate with the most electoral votes was elected president while the runner-up became vice president. Everyone agreed that Washington would be chosen as nation's first chief executive, but the field of vice presidential candidates was wide open. The most astute political observer in the city, Virginia congressman James Madison, thought the vice president should hail from New England to balance the Washington administration.
    In gauging the prevailing political sentiment, Madison pared the possibilities down to John Adams, John Hancock, John Jay, or Knox. Writing to Thomas Jefferson on Wednesday, October 8, 1788, Madison said he preferred Jay or Knox but thought that neither would accept the job, since it was a largely impotent post. The following day, Alexander Hamilton sounded out Massachusetts congressman Theodore Sedgwick in a letter discussing the vice presidency: "What think you of Lincoln or Knox?" he asked. 1
    Sedgwick responded on Thursday, October 16, opining that: "Lincoln & Knox I love, their characters too, I respect. But it is now too late to push in this state the interest of either. The minds of all men here seem to be fixed either on Adams or Hancock.“ 2
    Hamilton realized that Knox faced financial struggles and doubted whether he could afford to take the vice presidency, which lacked the financial perks and expense account that came with running and staffing the war office. Writing to Madison on Sunday, November 23, he observed: "As to Knox, I cannot persuade myself that he will incline to the appointment. Hemust sacrifice emolument by it, which must be of necessity a primary object with him.“ 3 Knox, in fact, did not want to leave the war office, and wrote to Washington on Sunday, December 21: "Mr. John Adams will probably have the plurality of views for vice President.“ 4
    Henry had cause to reflect on the path his life had taken after receiving a letter from a childhood friend, David McClure, who had risen to become a clergyman in Hartford, Connecticut. McClure reminded Knox of their adolescent games, of sliding down a ship's oar from atop a building owned by Henry's father. "Have you forgotten that diversion?" McClure asked. "I have often rejoiced with gratitude that the Supreme Disposer of all events has preserved you through the dangers you have encountered, and made you so great a blessing to your country, for whose happiness and glory your labors have been directed.“ 5
    Knox remarked on the divergent roads that their lives had taken in a letter of Sunday, January 25, 1789: "You have been deeply exploring the natural and moral world, in order to impress on the minds of your fellow-mortals their relative connection with the great scale of intelligent being; leading them by all the powers of persuasion to happiness and humble adoration of the Supreme Head of the universe; while I have been but too much entangled with the little things of a little globe. But, as it is part of my belief that we are responsible only for the