little help. He procured a small library, and improved 1784. his mind by reading. He had a prevailing tafte for military history; which he indulged by borrowing fuch publications, when it did not suit him to purchase. He was at an early period of life, chofen a member of the Rhode Island affembly; and discharged his truft so as to give the highest fatisfaction to his conftituents. Though educated in the peaceable principles of quakerifm, yet he thought himself called, by the peculiarity of the times, to take an active part in the defence of American liberty. Upon his affuming the military character, the quakers renounced all connection with him as a member of their particular body, by reading him out of the meeting. He was chofen general, to command the regiments raifed by Rhode Island, for the affistance of the Maffachusetts. He was at length honored with the confidence of general Washington: but his influence was limited. He was of a humane disposition; but refolutely fevere when the fame was necessary. He was of a firm, intrepid, and independent mind. He abhorred the cruelties that were practifed by the partizans of each fide, and ftrongly inculcated a spirit of moderation. To a prevailing knowledge of this difpofition, he afcribed his being fpared by the tories in Carolina, who, he thought, could have shot him repeatedly, had they been fo minded. The fame amiable temper influenced him to declare against the measure which the South Carolina legiflature adopted, when they paffed the confifcating act at Jacksonborough *. The * In October, 1785, the honorable Nathaniel Greene failed from Rhode Island to Georgia, where he had a confiderable estate not far diftant from Savannah. Here he paffed away his time, occupied in domeftic Da 4 3784. The prefent letter is intended for the laft upon the affairs of the United States; and fhall close with fome account of their respective conftitutions. You may recollect, that in the courfe of our corref pondence, no account of New Hampshire state's having agreed upon a conftitution, has been forwarded. The event itself did not take place till the 31ft of laft October. The returns from the feveral towns being examined; and it appearing, that the bill of rights and form of domestic concerns, as the private citizen. In June, 1786, while walking without an umbrella, the intense rays of the fun upon his head overpowered him, and brought on an inflammation of the brain, which in a few days carried him off. Thus he died by a ftroke of the funprobably the diforder that proved fatal to the fon of the Shunamite, When the account of his death arrived at Savannah, the inhabitants were ftruck with the deepest forrow. All bufinefs was suspended, The shops and ftores throughout the town were fhut; and the ships in the harbour had their colours half masted on the mournful occafion. The body was brought to Savannah, and interred on the 20th. In Auguft, the United States in congress affembled came to the following refolution, "That a monument be erected to the memory of Nathaniel Greene efq; at the feat of the fœderal government, with the following infcription: Sacred to the Memory of the nineteenth of June, MDCCLXXXVI and Commander of their Army in the Southern Department: Patriotifm, Valour, and Ability, govern government laid before the people were approved of by $784 them, the fame were on that day established by the delegates of the people, and declared to be the civil conftitution for the state of New Hampshire, to take place the first Wednesday of next June; and in the mean time, the general court under the present government is to make all the neceffary arrangements for introducing the faid conftitution, at the time and in the manner therein described. New Hampshire reckons the rights of confeience among the unalienable natural rights of mankind; and with her neighbouring fifter ftate, the Maffachusetts, declares that "no fubject fhall be hurt, molefted, or reftrained, in his perfon, liberty, or eftate, for worshipping God, in the manner and feafon moft agreeable to his own confcience; or for his religious profeffion or fentimentsprovided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obftru&t others in their religious worship." Both empower the legiflature to authorize the feveral towns, parishes, bodiespolitic, or religious focieties, to make fuitable provifion at their own expence, for the fupport and maintenance of public Proteftant teachers of piety, religion and mòrality, in all cafes where fuch provision shall not be made voluntarily. But the towns, &c. are, at all times, to have the exclufive right of choofing their own public teachers, and of contracting with them for their fupport and maintenance. Inftead of adding, " And all perfons, whatsoever opinions concerning religion they may profefs;' their words are" And every denomination of Chriftians demeaning themfelves peaceably, and as good fubjects of the commonwealth, fhall be equally under the protection of the law; and no fubordination of one •fect 1784. fect or denomination to another, fhall ever be established by law." The prefident, council, fenate, and house of representatives of New Hampshire, are to be of the Proteftant religion. The governor, lieutenant governor, counsellor, fenator and reprefentative of the Massachusetts, are to declare their belief in the Chriftian religion. The foundation principle on which Rhode Island and Providence Plantations united, has been early mentioned (Vol. I. p. 37.) A fimilar fentiment was introduced into the charter of the 15th of Charles II. by which it is provided, That no perfon within the faid colony, at any time hereafter, fhall be any wife molested, punished, difquieted, or called in question, for any differences of opinion in matters of religion, who does not actually disturb the civil peace of the faid colony." The ftate of Rhode Island has continued its government fince ceafing to be a colony, according to the general defign of the charter. The conftitution admits not of religious eftablishments, any further than the fame depend upon the voluntary choice of individuals; and no particular fect can claim pre-eminence. Connecticut has changed its former mode of government, only fo far as to accommodate it to the feparation which has taken place between that and the parent state. Religious liberty is nearly, if not exactly, upon the fame footing there as in the Maffachusetts. The New York conftitution, "to guard against that fpiritual oppreffion and intolerance, wherewith the bigotry and ambition of weak and wicked priefts and princes, have fcourged mankind," ordains, determines, and declares," that the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profeffion and worship, without difcrimination or preference, preference, fhall for ever hereafter be allowed within the 784. Laid state to all mankind. Provided, that the liberty of confcience hereby granted, fhall not be fo conftrued, as to excufe acts of licentioufnefs, or juftify practices inconsistent with the peace or safety of the state." "That no per The state of New Jersey established, fon fhall ever, within the fame, be deprived of the inestimable privilege of worshipping Almighty God in a manner agreeable to the dictates of his own confcience; nor, under any pretence whatever, be compelled to attend any place of worship, contrary to his own faith and judg ment; nor fhall any perfon ever be obliged to pay tithes, taxes, or any other rates, for the purpose of building or repairing any other church or churches, place or places of worship, or for the maintenance of any minifter or ministry, contrary to what he believes to be right, or has deliberately or voluntarily engaged himself to perform:-That there fhall be no establishment of any one religious fect in preference to another; and that no Proteftant inhabitant fhall be denied the enjoyment of any civil right, merely on account of his religious principles; but that all perfons profeffing a belief in the faith of any Proteftant fect*, who fhall demean themselves peaceably under the government as hereby established, shall be capable of being elected into any office of profit or truft, or of being a member of either branch of the legiflature, and fhall fully and freely enjoy every privilege and immunity enjoyed by others their fellow subjects." The 17th article declares, "That the estates *This is a more enlarged toleration than European policy has yet, in almost any inftance, admitted: but perfect confiftency would not confine it to Proteftants, or to any fyftem of religion," of |