The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

284 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [ET. 50.
pleted t(their establishment, in conformity to the requisitions of Congress of the 19th of December last.
The enclosed returns of recruits, which I have caused to be made up to the 1st instant, will show how
totally short of my expectations the exertions of the
States have fallen. From your State you will find that
only recruits have joined the army in consequence of the above requisition.
All my accounts from Europe concur in declaring,
that the British King and ministers are still determined
to prosecute the war. It becomes, therefore, our decided duty to be prepared to meet these hostile intentions, in whatever way they are to be carried into
execution; to do which, our utmost exertions are now
called for. You will suffer me therefore to entreat,
that, if your State has any expectation from the military operations of this season, not another moment may
be lost in providing for and carrying into most effectual execution the full completion of its battalions. It
is scarcely necessary to inform you, that on this expectation all our calculations must be formed, and on
this event must rest the hopes of the ensuing campaign.
My intelligence of the actual aid we may expect
from our allies is not yet so explicit as to lead me to
decide absolutely on the mode of operations for this
campaign; but were our expectations of support from
that quarter ever so promising, yet, from the negligence
and languor of the States, from whence our own exertions are to spring, I am not at this day enabled to
give any assurance' of our being prepared to cooperate
with our allies in any great objects equal to their expectations or our own ability. I am sorry to acquaint
your Excellency, that I have the best authority to assure
you, that the court of France is much dissatisfied with