Controversy with Spain, 1783-95. Winsor's. America, VII, 476. Treaty of 1795. Controversy VII, 471; The best that can be said of Jay's treaty is that it postponed the second war with Great Britain for many years. The immediate consequence was to increase the feeling of dissatisfaction with the Federalists. Even in Virginia Washington lost much of his former popularity; the legislature of that state refused to pass a vote of undiminished confidence in its most distinguished son. 204. Relations with Spain and France, 1794–97. — According to the treaties of 1763 and 1783, the United States enjoyed the right to the free navigation of the Mississippi (p. 229) and had a strong claim to territory as far south as the thirty-first parallel (p. 229). It proved to be very difficult to secure possession of the land bordering on the Mississippi south of the Yazoo, as the Spaniards contended that Britain, in ceding to her "the Floridas," had ceded them with the boundaries under which they were actually governed at the time of the Spanish occupation (p. 252). The Spaniards also intrigued with the settlers in Kentucky and Tennessee. The right of the United States to the free navigation of the Mississippi could not well be denied, but the free navigation of the great river was of slight value unless the Americans possessed the further privilege of using some portion of the river's banks within Spanish territory for the purpose of transferring cargo from river-going craft to vessels capable of navigating the ocean. In 1795 Thomas Pinckney negotiated a treaty with Spain, by which that power agreed to designate "a place of deposit" within her territory where goods might be stored free of duty while awaiting transshipment, and she acknowledged the claim of the United States as to the boundary to be valid; but it was several years before the posts within the territory thus conceded were handed over to the United States. With France matters did not proceed so satisfactorily. The French government was greatly exasperated by the conclusion of the treaty with Great Britain, as war between that power and the United States was thereby made improbable. The American minister at Paris, James Monroe, a 1797] Election of John Adams 303 Virginian of the Jeffersonian school, instead of doing his United of to press the claims America for damages for G Washinten the unwarrantable seizure of vessels by the French. Wash ington recalled him, and sent in his place Charles C. Pinckney of South Carolina, whom the French government refused to receive (February, 1797). States, I, 332-341. retirement. Old South Ser. No. 4; III, 162. 205. Washington's Farewell Address, 1797.—Toward the Washclose of his second term, Washington decided to retire from ington's the presidency, and by declining to be a candidate for reelection, set a precedent which has ever since been followed. Leaflets, Gen. He announced this determination in a masterly Farewell Address, which is still full of instruction for the American Hutchinson, people. He earnestly besought his countrymen to foster the government recently established and to preserve the public credit. As to the outer world, he wished his fellow-citizens first of all to be Americans, and to avoid taking sides with foreign nations: "It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world. . . I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy. . . "Harmony and a liberal intercourse with all nations are recommended by policy, humanity, and interest." ... Election of United 347-349; 206. Election of John Adams, 1796. — The choice of Washington's successor proved to be a matter of some difficulty. Jefferson was the undoubted leader of the Republicans, and he became their candidate. There was no such unanimity of opinion among the Federalists: Hamilton was the real leader of the party, but he was very unpopu- Elections, lar and could not possibly have been elected; John Jay 24-29. would have been Hamilton's choice for the place, but the odium which had attached to the negotiator of Jay's treaty made his candidature impossible. Under the circum stances, John Adams was the only candidate whom the Federalists could put forward with a fair chance of success. But Hamilton sought by an unworthy political trick to secure the election to the first place of Thomas Pinckney, the nominal candidate for the vice-presidency. Adams was popular with the rank and file of the Federalist party, although he was obnoxious to some of the leaders. The result was that to insure the choice of Adams, a number of Federalist electors threw away their second votes, and thus brought about the election of Jefferson to the second place instead of Pinckney. Jefferson, indeed, showed the most unexpected strength, and Adams was chosen President by three votes only over his Republican rival, the votes being seventy-one for Adams and sixty-eight for Jefferson. The Federalists kept control of the Senate, but the moderate Republicans held the balance of power in the House of Representatives. Adams, at the outset of his administration, made the fatal blunder of retaining Washington's official advisers in office. Hamilton had long since retired from the cabinet, and the heads of departments were men of fair abilities only, and could easily have been replaced. They regarded Hamilton as their chief and intrigued against Adams from the beginning to the end of his term of office. Beset by these difficulties at home, Adams had a most arduous task in the solution of the troubles with France. 305 1797. United States, I, affair. 207. Breach with France, 1796-99. — The new President Commishad scarcely assumed office when news arrived that Pinck- sioners sent to France, ney had been sent away from Paris. Adams determined, however, to make another effort to renew friendly relations Schouler's with the former ally of America. He appointed a commission, consisting of Elbridge Gerry, a Massachusetts 358-367. Republican, John Marshall, a Virginia Federalist, and Charles C. Pinckney, the rejected minister, to go to France and endeavor to preserve peace with the French Republic, now under the government of the Directory. The commissioners met with a most extraordinary reception at Paris (October, 1797). Agents came to them whose names were The X, Y, Z disguised in the dispatches under the letters X, Y, and Z. They demanded money as the price of receiving the Ameri- America, cans. This was refused, and the commissioners were VII, 472; Schouler's directed to leave France. An attempt was made, however, United to negotiate separately with Gerry, who was regarded as representing the Jeffersonian party. News traveled slowly 385-398. in those days, and it was April, 1798, before Adams communicated to Congress the failure of this ill-starred commission. After narrating the facts of rejection, he concluded with the assertion that he would "never send another minister to France without assurances that he would be received, respected, and honored as the representative of a great, free, powerful, and independent nation." Winsor's States, 1, for war. Schouler's United States, I, 415-422. Instantly, there was a revulsion of feeling in Congress. Preparations The Federalists gained control of both houses, and pushed forward preparations for defense. A new army organization was begun, with Washington in nominal command; but the real direction of military affairs was intrusted to Hamilton, who was forced on the President by Washington as the price of his own co-operation. The building of a Maclay's navy, which had already been begun during recent disputes with the piratical states of northern Africa, was now pushed on with vigor. Many of the new vessels did excellent service. In their home policy, however, the Federalists committed grave blunders, 155-213. Restrictive legislation, 1798. Schouler's United States, I, 404-410; American History Leaflets, No. 15. 208. Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798. These acts were the outcome of an exaggerated fear of the Republicans on the part of the Federalists; even Washington, who was now a strict party man, whatever he may have been in his earlier years, proposed to prevent Republicans from joining the army of which he was the head. The first law against Mrs. John Adams aliens was the Naturalization Act (June 18, 1798), raising the period of residence preliminary to naturalization from five to fourteen years. The second law (June 25, 1798), which is usually cited as the Alien Act, authorized the President order any aliens "he shall judge dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States, ΟΙ shall have reasonable grounds to suspect are concerned in any treasonable or secret machinations against to the government thereof, to depart out of the territory of the United States"; or he might, at his discretion, grant an alien a "license to . . . remain within the United States for such time as he shall judge proper, and at such place as he may designate," under such bonds as he may think fit, and he might revoke the license at any time. An alien returning could be "imprisoned so long as, in the opinion of the President, the public safety may require." The third law directed against aliens, which is generally cited as the Second Alien |