settlements and the massacre of their inhabitants. "Unless," wrote Rufus
Putnam to Washington, "Government speedily sends a body of troops for our
protection, we are a ruined people."

Washington did what he could. He sent to Congress Putnam's letter and
other frontier communications, but Congress, which was stubbornly opposed
to creating a national army, replied, when the need was demonstrated, that
the militia of the several States were available. The Government was
without means of protecting the Indians against abuse and injustice or of
protecting the settlers against the savage retaliations that naturally
followed. The dilemma was stated with sharp distinctness in correspondence
which passed between Washington and Hamilton in April, 1791. Washington
wrote that it was a hopeless undertaking to keep peace on the frontier
"whilst land-jobbing and the disorderly conduct of our borderers are
suffered with impunity; and while the States individually are omitting
no occasion to intermeddle in matters which belong to the general
Government." Hamilton in reply went to the root of the matter. "Our system
is such as still to leave the public peace of the Union at the mercy of
each state government." He proceeded to give a concrete instance: "For
example, a party comes from a county of Virginia into Pennsylvania, and
wantonly murders some friendly Indians. The national Government, instead
of having power to apprehend the murderers and bring them to justice, is
obliged to make a representation to that of Pennsylvania; that of
Pennsylvania, again, is to make a requisition of that of Virginia. And
whether the murderers shall be brought to justice at all must depend upon
the particular policy, and energy, and good disposition of two state
governments, and the efficacy of the provisions of their respective laws.
And security of other States and the money of all are at the discretion of
one. These things require a remedy; but when that will come, God knows."