A year after this Bible, and almost two years after the British had laid down their arms at Yorktown, there still was no treaty, and thus no official guarantee that the hostilities would not resume. Yet, since there had been no further fighting, and the prospect of a lasting peace appeared to be growing, George Washington began to anticipate his return to private life.

In contemplation of this, on June 3, 1783, he explained: Before I retire from public life, I shall with the greatest freedom give my sentiments to the States on several political subjects. Consequently, five days later on June 8, Washington issued a circular letter to the Governors of all the States in which he told them: I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you and the State over which you preside in His holy protection that He would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation.