determined to oppose the excise law to the last extremity.

Upon the failure of this embassy, the president issued a second proclamation, calling upon the several quotas of troops held in requisition, to assemble and redezvous at Bedford, and Cumberland, and the command was given to Governor Lee of Virginia.

The president reviewed this army by divisions, and being pleased with its appearance, he left the secretary of the treasury to accompany the commander in chief, and returned to Philadelphia, to attend the approaching session of Congress.

The insurrection was quelled without opposition; the people returned to their duty, and some of the principal leaders fled, and made their escape. The general stationed General Morgan, with a small force, in the heart of the disaffected country, and disbanded the remainder of the army. The insurrection was quelled and the laws were respected.

The alacrity and zeal, with which all classes of citizens, at the voice of the laws, turned out to support the laws, was highly honorable to the nation, and gratifying to the government; but more particularly so, when general officers were seen at the head of single companies, and others in the ranks with their knapsacks upon their backs, doing the duty of common soldiers; even young Quakers of the first families and fortunes, enrolled themselves in the ranks of their country, and marched to quell the whiskey boys.

Congress assembled on the 3d of November, agreeable to adjournment, and on the 18th, a quorum was formed to receive the speech of the president, in which he applauded the zeal and alacrity of the officers and troops, in suppressing the insurrection, and justly animadverted upon those "selfcreated societies which had been instrumental in exciting, and encouraging the insurrection," &c

On the first of December following, after due notice given, Colonel Hamilton resigned his office of secretary of the treasury. Oliver Wolcott, Esq. of Connecticut was appointed his successor. The talents, integrity, and experience of Mr. Wolcott, all combined to render him highly qualified to succeed Mr. Hamilton in this elevated station. On the third of March following, this important session of Congress was closed.

On the 28th of December, the secretary at war announc ed by letter to the president, his resolution to retire from office on the 1st of January. The president accepted this resignation, and appointed Timothy Pickering, Esq,

as his successor.

Mr. Jay, agreeable to his appointment arrived in London, June 15th. 1794, where he negociated a treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation with Great-Britain, which was signed between Mr. Jay, and Lord Grenville, on the 19th of November, and transmitted to America, where it arrived on the 7th of March, 1795.

On Monday the 8th of June, the vice-president, with the senate, met agreeable to notice from the president, to discuss the merits of the treaty. On the 24th, after a minute, and close investigation, that honorable body, by a bare constitutional majority, approved of the treaty, and advised to its ratification.

The president took the advice of the senate into consideration, although he strongly balanced in favour of signing the treaty.

At this eventful moment, the English prints announced, that the order of the 8th of June, 1793, for the seizure of provisions bound to France, was renewed. This led the president to pause, and reflect, to learn its bearings upon the American commerce, as well as upon the public mind.

Pending this state of suspense, and deliberation, the president set out for Mount-Vernon; but his attention was

arrested at Baltimore (on his way) with a warm, and spirited address of the citizens of Boston against the ratification of the treaty, which was soon followed by others of the same stamp, from other large towns, which occasioned him to hasten back to Philadelphia, to consult his cabinet council.

On she 12th of August, the president took the advice of his council, and gave his final decision to the treaty, by affixing his ratification to it, with an accompanying remonstrance, against the order of the 8th June, 1793. The ratifications were exchanged, and the order revoked.

Although this treaty had given as great, and general excitement to the public mind as any one event since the adoption of the constitution; yet the ratification on the part of the president proved very popular, and the commerce of the nation became remarkably prosperous, the western posts were given up agreeable to the treaty of peace of 1783, and a general peace was established with the hostile tribes of Indians.

At this eventful crisis, the secretary of state resigned his office, and was succeeded by Colonel Pickering; and his office was filled by Mr. M'Henry.

The office of the attorney-general was also vacated by the death of Mr. Bedford, and filled by Mr Lee, a noted attorney of Virginia.

On the 5th of September, a treaty of amity was concluded with the Dey of Algiers.

On the 20th of October, a treaty was concluded with Spain, that settled all the contested points that regarded the navigation of the Mississippi.

The president met Congress at their session in November, with this remark in his speech—“I trust I do not deceive myself, while I indulge the persuasion, that I never have met you at a period, when more than at the present, the situation of our public affairs has afforded just cause

for mutual congratulation; and for inviting you to join with me in profound gratitude to the Author of all good, for the numerous, and extraordinary blessings we enjoy.".

Mr. Adet succeeded Mr. Fauchet in the summer, and in December he announced his diplomatic mission to the executive. On the first of January, 1796, he presented to the executive the colours of France, accompanied with a letter highly expressive of national fraternity, which was laid before Congress, and the colours, deposited in the hall of the House of Representatives, accompanied with an eloquent address to the Congress. I pass over those violent conflicts of party in the house, upon the resolutions to provide means for carrying the treaty into ef fect; the means were finally provided, the treaty was carried into effect, and the nation flourished under it, beyond all former example.

The president having thus surmounted all opposition, and laid the foundation of the American Republic, upon the broad basis of peace on earth, and good will to men, he next turned his attention to the benevolent act of negociating with the king of England, and the Emperor of Germany, for the liberation of his beloved friend, the Marquis La Fayette, from the prison of Olmutz.

The president having learnt that France meditated hos tilities against the United States, by way of depredations upon her West-India commerce, recalled Mr. Monroe from the court of Versailles, and sent out Mr. Pinckney in his place. He next announced his resolution to retire to the walks of private life, at the close of this term, and pub, lished to the American people his valedictory address. I regret extremely that the limits of this work will not permit me to insert this address, not only on account of its own intrinsic worth; but for the extensive good it will do to every true American, who reads it with candid attention.

I shall pass over the gross intrigues that accompanied the election of a successor to President Washington, and say, that the electors gave a majority of suffrages for John Adams, as president, and Thomas Jefferson as vice-president; and President Washington retired to Mount-Vernon, under the benedictions of his country, there to enjoy, once more, the sweets of private, as well as domestic life.

Here President Washington, high raised on the summit of the temple of immortal fame, looked down with calmness, and composure, upon the strife of conflicting party, and like the guardian angel of America, offered to Heaven his fervent supplications for his distracted country.