Editing Alexander Hamilton (section)

===Congress and the army===
{{Further|Newburgh Conspiracy}}

While Hamilton was in Congress, discontented soldiers began to pose a danger to the young United States. Most of the army was then posted at [[Newburgh, New York]]. Those in the army were funding much of their own supplies, and they had not been paid in eight months. Furthermore, after [[Valley Forge]], the Continental officers had been promised in May 1778 a pension of half their pay when they were discharged.<ref>Martin and Lender, pp. 109, 160: at first for seven years, increased to life after Arnold's treason.</ref> By the early 1780s, due to the structure of the government under the Articles of Confederation, it had no power to tax to either raise revenue or pay its soldiers.<ref name=Tucker15>Tucker, p. 470.</ref> In 1782, after several months without pay, a group of officers organized to send a delegation to lobby Congress, led by Captain Alexander McDougall. The officers had three demands: the army's pay, their own pensions, and commutation of those pensions into a lump-sum payment if Congress were unable to afford the half-salary pensions for life. Congress rejected the proposal.<ref name=Tucker15/>

Several congressmen, including Hamilton, [[Robert Morris (financier)|Robert Morris]], and [[Gouverneur Morris]], attempted to use the so-called [[Newburgh Conspiracy]] as leverage to secure support from the states and in Congress for funding of the national government. They encouraged MacDougall to continue his aggressive approach, implying unknown consequences if their demands were not met, and defeated proposals designed to end the crisis without establishing general taxation: that the states assume the debt to the army, or that an impost be established dedicated to the sole purpose of paying that debt.<ref name=ellis141>Kohn; Ellis 2004, pp. 141–144.</ref>

Hamilton suggested using the Army's claims to prevail upon the states for the proposed national funding system.<ref>Kohn, p. 196.</ref> The Morrises and Hamilton contacted General [[Henry Knox]] to suggest he and the officers defy civil authority, at least by not disbanding if the army were not satisfied. Hamilton wrote Washington to suggest that Hamilton covertly "take direction" of the officers' efforts to secure redress, to secure continental funding but keep the army within the limits of moderation.<ref name=chernow177>Chernow, [https://archive.org/details/alexanderhamilto00cher/page/n196 pp. 177–180].</ref><ref>Hamilton's letter of February 13, 1783; Syrett, pp. III:253–255.</ref> Washington wrote Hamilton back, declining to introduce the army.<ref>Washington to Hamilton, March 4 and 12, 1783; Kohn; Martin and Lender, pp. 189–190.</ref> After the crisis had ended, Washington warned of the dangers of using the army as leverage to gain support for the national funding plan.<ref name=chernow177/><ref name=Washington1783>{{cite web |title=To Alexander Hamilton from George Washington, 4 April 1783 |website=Founders Online |publisher=National Archives |url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-03-02-0202 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319223520/http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-03-02-0202 |archive-date=March 19, 2016 |access-date=June 25, 2018}}</ref>

On March 15, Washington defused the Newburgh situation by addressing the officers personally.<ref name="ellis141"/> Congress ordered the Army officially disbanded in April 1783. In the same month, Congress passed a new measure for a 25-year impost—which Hamilton voted against<ref>Rakove, pp. 322, 325.</ref>—that again required the consent of all the states; it also approved a commutation of the officers' pensions to five years of full pay. Rhode Island again opposed these provisions, and Hamilton's robust assertions of national prerogatives in his previous letter were widely held to be excessive.<ref>Brant, p. 108.</ref>

In June 1783, a different group of disgruntled soldiers from [[Lancaster, Pennsylvania]], sent Congress a petition demanding their back pay. When they began to march toward Philadelphia, Congress charged Hamilton and two others with intercepting the mob.<ref name=chernow177/> Hamilton requested militia from Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council, but was turned down. Hamilton instructed Assistant Secretary of War [[William Jackson (secretary)|William Jackson]] to intercept the men. Jackson was unsuccessful. The mob arrived in Philadelphia, and the soldiers proceeded to harangue Congress for their pay. Hamilton argued that Congress ought to adjourn to [[Princeton, New Jersey]]. Congress agreed, and relocated there.<ref name=chernow182>Chernow, [https://archive.org/details/alexanderhamilto00cher/page/n201 pp. 182–183].</ref> Frustrated with the weakness of the national government, Hamilton while in Princeton, drafted a call to revise the Articles of Confederation. This resolution contained many features of the future Constitution of the United States, including a strong federal government with the ability to collect taxes and raise an army. It also included the [[separation of powers]] into the [[United States Congress|legislative]], [[Federal government of the United States#Executive branch|executive]], and [[Federal judiciary of the United States|judicial]] branches.<ref name=chernow182/>