We lose a Great and Virtuous Minister in the retirement of this Gentleman; his successor* is a good man-possesses firmness, industry, integrity, and sound Talents with a disposition to emulate his Predecessor's Example. I am mortified that Dexter has not succeeded; should he from disgust decline, or should he finally fail it would, believe me, be the subject of serious & deep regret to the friends of the Government, for without depreciating the talents of any those of Mr. Dexter class him among the men of the very first order of Abilities in our Country. His re-election is worthy of great Effort, the want of which alone, it would seem to me, will defeat his Choice. You will have learnt that I have been re-elected; in one view I am gratified; but without affectation I can say to you, that I am wearied with this kind of life, which has nothing new to afford me, and which demands of me sacrifices that I become daily more and more unwilling to make. Pennsylvania & North Carolina have yet to make their Senatorial Elections, the former will probably do well, & there is no reason to despair of the latter; in any event the Senate will stand better after March than at present. Farewell-Yrs sincerely MY DEAR KING: A. HAMILTON TO R. KING. R. KING. KINGSTON, Feb. 21, 1795. The unnecessary, capricious & abominable assassination of the National honor by the rejection of the propositions respecting the unsubscribed debt, in the House of Representatives, haunts me every step I take and afflicts me more than I can express. To see the character of the Government & the Country so sported with, exposed to so indelible a blot, puts my heart to the Torture. Am I then more of an American than those who drew their first breath on American Ground? Or what is it that thus torments me at a * Oliver Wolcott. circumstance so calmly viewed by almost every body else? Am I a fool-a Romantic Quixot-or is there a constitutional defect in the American mind? Were it not for yourself and a few others, I could adopt the reveries of De Paux as substantial truths, & would say with him that there is something in our climate which belittles every animal, human or brute. I conjure you, my friend, make a vigorous stand for the honor of your country. Rouse all the energies of your mind, and measure swords in the Senate with the great Slayer of public faith, the hacknied Veteran in the violation of public engagements. Prevent him from triumphing a second time over the prostrate Credit* and injured interests of his Country. Unmask his false and horrid hypothesis. Display the immense difference between an able statesman and the Man of Subtilties. Root out the distempered and noisome weed, which is attempted to be planted in our political garden, to choak and wither in its infancy the fair plant of public credit. I disclose to you without reserve the state of my mind. It is discontented & gloomy in the extreme. I consider the cause of good government as having been put to an issue & the Verdict against it. Introduce I pray you into the Senate, when the bill comes up, the clause which has been rejected, freed from embarrassments by the bills of credit bearing interest on the nominal value. Press its adoption in this the most unexceptionable shape & let the yeas & nays witness the result. Among other reasons for this is my wish that the true friends of public Credit may be distinguished from its enemies. The question is too great a one not to undergo a thorough examination before the community. It would pain me not to be able to distinguish. Adieu. God bless you A. HAMILTON. Do me the favour to revise carefully the course of the bill, respecting the unsubscribed Debt, & let me know the particulars. I wish to be able to judge more particularly of the underplot I suspect. *Witness the 40 for I scheme, a most unskilful measure to say the best of it. MY DEAR SIR: A. HAMILTON TO R. KING. N. YORK, Feby. 26, 1795. I have received your letter with the printed Bills. The new clause is an additional bad feature. Yet 't is better the thing should pass as it is than not at all. Every thing should be gained that can be. So: It seems that under the present administration of the Department, Hillhouse & Goodhue are to be the Ministers in the House of Representatives and Ellsworth & Strong in the Senate. Fine work we shall have. But I swear the nation shall not be dishonored with impunity. Yrs. Affect❜ly, A. HAMILTON. PETER VAN GAASBECK TO RUFUS KING. MY DEAR SIR: KINGSTON, 18th March, 1795. The people here wish farther satisfaction as to Mr. Jay's Return. Give me all by Billy (Wm. Marius Green); as I said in my former the great majority of the Committee who have nominated Mr. Burr, if he is no candidate, will unquestionably and very powerfully support Mr. Jay-thus as it is very probable that Mr. Burr will not stand a Candidate, every elucidation respecting Mr. Jay's Return will be of singular advantage. Yr. most obedt. Servt. & Sincere Friend, MY DEAR SIR: PETER VAN GAASBECK. O. WOLCOTT TO R. KING. PHILA., March 23rd, 1795. I have rec'd your favour of the 19th instant-on enquiry I find Mr. Blaney has left town, I cannot therefore ascertain the truth of the declaration attributed to him: the following circumstance however proves to my satisfaction, that the declaration it made has been misunderstood or perverted to impress a wrong idea. On the 19th of Nov. Mr. Jay in a letter requested that he might have the earliest advice of the ratification; that he might be enabled to finish whatever might be expected of him in season to return in one of the first spring vessels. At the same time he suggested that if his health had been competent to a winter voyage he should have been himself the bearer of the Treaty. The truth doubtless is, that Mr. Jay finding his health unequal to the severities of a voyage in winter, concluded to tarry until Spring, and of course might reasonably expect the ratification before his departure from England. There is however nothing in his Letters, and nothing as I believe on good grounds, in any Letters which have been written from this Country which can countenance an opinion, that Mr. Jay will wait for the ratification-The contrary is firmly believed here. I am with perfect respect Dear Sir your obed. serv., OLIVER WOLCOTT. CHAPTER II. Jay's Treaty received-The Senate called to consider it—Mr. King's Resolution to ratify it-Ratification with Protest against Article twelve recommended-" Camillus Letters" by Hamilton and King-After much Delay the President signed the Treaty-Randolph's Correspondence with Fauchet, the French Ambassador-His Resignation of Office of Secretary of State-The President suggests Mr. King as his Successor-He declines -Letters of Hamilton, King, and Randolph relative to the Treaty-Delay of Ratification caused Dissatisfaction-Public Meetings opposed to it; G. Cabot and C. Gore relative to these-R. King's Letter announcing Ratification. The treaty which had been negotiated by Mr. Jay with Great Britain late in 1794 was received by the Secretary of State on March 7, 1795, and the Senate was called by the President to meet on June 8th, to consider matters touching the public good. They accordingly convened on that day, and the President laid before them "the Treaty and other documents connected with it," asking them "to decide whether they will advise and consent that the said Treaty be made." As a preliminary step the Senate passed a resolution imposing secrecy upon the communication until further order of the Senate. An ineffectual effort was made to rescind this resolution, and after consideration of the different articles a motion was made, it is said by Mr. King, on June 17th to consent and advise the President to ratify the treaty on condition that there be added to the said Treaty an article whereby it shall be agreed to suspend the operation. of so much of the twelfth article" as relates to trade with the West Indies," and at the same time recommending to the |