Show lc L c TEBE STORY 0 TOE ay THE installment 24 he bad taken jefferson direct rom tor five years he bad been watching a revolution come on apace from stage to stage not by who were masters in the art and practice of freedom like those who had presided in the coun seto 0 america but by demagogues and philosophers rather and the sub tie air ot that age of change had crept into the mans thought fie had come Soa a philosophical radical rather ithan a statesman lie bad yet to beam la the practical air of america what plain and steady policy must verve him to win hard headed men to to ats following and washington abond film a guide who seeded watch ass affairs over which it was duty to preside began of doddea to turn upon the politics ot erasco jefferson s thought was sto engaged the year in which america gained self possession and bt up a government soberly plan ned to last was the year in which lost self possession and set out pon a wild quest for liberty which was to cost her both her traditional and all the hopes she bad of a sew one in that year broke the storm of the french revolution it was a dangerous infection that weal abroad from france in those first days ot her ardor and nowhere was st more likely to spread than in amer flea nut washington a vision in affairs raa tot obscured lie had not led armies without learn lag blat revolution meant the rev lo lutton which has been effected in he said ls of BO wonderful so nature that man can hardly real aze the fact his calm tones ringing attan amidst the enthusiastic cries ft the time I 1 tear though it has sow through the first it Is not the last it has to encounter before matters are finally the revolution Is of too treat a magnitude to be effected in so short a space and with the loss of so aitala blood co hoped but did not believe that st would run its course without fatal and he meant in any case 0 o tap twp mereca merl ca from the infection law was herself but in a convalescent bbate as ha majd after her own she was too observant still of european politics and opinion like a province rather than elka a nation inclined to take sides were still a child of the eu family who had flung away from her mother england to cling in to an ancient foe a first and almost single at every point of policy was to the provincial states of the masoo a veritable nation independent sat any rate and ready to be great when its growth should come and its belf knowledge every true friend tao jie aalde at last must aado and tool ithac iha policy of it Is eka to embroil f ourselves with any na whatever but to avoid their als and their politics and it they harass one another to avail our felsea of the neutral conduct we have twenty years peace with an increase of population and re as we have a right to expect caddeo to our remote situation from the jarok jar OK powers will in all probability enadia lis in a just cause to bid de aganoa ito any power on earth and were his thought and purpose atrom tho fiest S want an american character he cried that the powers of europe be convinced we act for our and not for others he bad charge of a nation in the making and aa meant it should form under bla are an independent character Of faus be proved himself no bat a statesman it was stuff of bis character this pur boea ot independence lie would have a like part of self respect tor himself among his neighbors on the virgilla la plantations and be could neither understand nor tolerate the which made men itle jet serach eager to fling themselves into broils truly this man was atha american the men about him merely dependent still tor their life and thought upon the breath r the old world unless like ton they bad been born and had stood aloo or like gouverneur morris bad divined europe in her own capitals clear eyes affairs could be held enough to a course of wise and moderation at first while byance s revolution wrought only its work of internal overthrow sand destruction and while things went fana opinion began slowly to cool awaa plain to be seen as the months went by that the work being done in brasco bore BO real likeness at all to tji revolution in america and wise mes began to eee it for what it was a not a reformation of effective enough as a saire no doubt inevitable perhaps erne at natures own devising but ay TO means to be taken part in by a S belo cot still tree HO choose at a aad tow aa tau iff qi of like insight stood almost alone in their cool sell possession every man or generous spirit deemed it bis mere duty to extol the french to join clubs after their manner in the name of the rights of man to speak everywhere in praise ot the revolution but by the time it became necessary to act to declare the position and policy ol 01 the nation s government towards france a sober second thought had come and washington s task was a little fled the measures already adopted by the government though well enough calculated to reader it strong bad not been equally well planned to make it popular the power to tax so jeal bously withheld but the other day from the confederation the new congress had begun promptly and confidently to exercise upon a great scale not only laying duties upon imports the natural resource of the general gov eminent but also imposing taxes upon distilled spirits and so entering the fiscal field of the states not only had the war debts of the states been assumed but a national bank had been set up 1791 as if still further to make the general govern ment sure of a complete mastery in the held of finance jefferson and ran dolab had fought the measure in the cabinet as many a moderate man had fought it in congress and washington bad withheld his signature from it till he should bear what they had to urge but he had sent their arguments to hamilton for criticism and bad accepted his answer in favor of the bank jefferson and randolph had chal ledged the measure on the ground that it wag without warrant in the constitution which nowhere gave congress the right to create corporations fiscal or other hamilton replied that besides the powers explicitly abed the constitution gave to congress the power to pass any measure nee essary and proper for executing those set forth that congress was itself left to determine what might thus seem necessary and that it it deemed the erection of a bank a proper means of executing the undoubted financial powers of the government the question was answered by accepting such a washing aton sanctioned the whole doctrine of implied powers which jefferson deemed the very annulment of a written and explicit constitution no bounds jefferson believed could be set to the aggressive sweep of congressional pretension if the two houses were to be given leave to do whatever they thought expedient in exercising their in any case great and command ing powers no man could doubt in the face of such measures what the spirit and purpose of hamilton were or of the president whom hamilton so strangely dominated opposition s strong strong measures bred strong opposition when the first congress came together there seemed to ba no parties in the country all men seemed agreed upon a fair and spirited trial of the new constitution but an appo had begun to jeather form before its two years term was out and in the second congress party lines began to grow definite not for and against the constitution but for and against an extravagant use of constitutional powers baere was still a majority for the principal measures of the alon but the minority had clearly begun to gather force both in the votes and in the debates the reaction waa unmistakable even madison wash stanch friend and intimate counsellor who bad at first been his spokesman in the house began to draw back first doubted and then opposed the policy ot the treasury he had led the opposition to tho bank and grew more and more uneasy to note the course affairs were taking it looked as if the administration were determined of set purpose to in crease the expenses of the govern ment in order that they might add to the loans which were so acceptable to influential men of wealth and double the taxes which made the pow er of the government so real in the eyes of the people steps were urged to create a navy to develop an army with permanent organization and equipment and the president insisted upon vigorous action at the frontiers the western indiana this waa part of his cherished policy it was bis way of fulfilling the vision that had long ago come to him of a nation spreading itself down the western dopes of the mountains and over all the broad reaches of land that looked towards the mississippi but to many a member of congress from the quiet settlements in the east it looked like nothing better than a waste c men and of treasure seemed too imperious the president seemed even a little too imperious in the business would sometimes come into the senate in no temper to brook delay in the conald and adoption ot what he pro posed in such matters when things went wrong through the fault of th commanders ha had sent to the iron tier he stormed in a cudden fury as in the old days of the war scorning soldiers who must needs blunder and fall the compulsion of bis will grew often a little irksome to the minority in congress and the opposition eflowly pulled itsek together as the months went by to concert a definite policy of action washington saw as plainly as any man what was taking place he was sensitive to the movements of opinion wished above all things to have the government supported by the peo pies approval was never weary of writing to those who were in a position to know to ask them what they a nd their neighbors soberly thought about the questions and policies under debate was never so impatient as to run recklessly ahead of manifest public opinion he knew how many men had been repelled by the measures he had sup ported hamilton in proposing knew that a reaction had beet in that even to seem to repulse france and to refuse her aid or sympathy would surely strengthen it the men who were opposed to hla financial policy were also the men who most loved france now she was mad with revolution they were the men who dreaded a strong government as a direct menace to the rights alike of individuals and of the separate states the men who held a very imperative philosophy of separation and of revolt against any too great authority it he showed himself cold towards france he would certainly strengthen them in their charge that the new government craved power and was indifferent to the guarantees of freedom but spirit was of the majestic sort that keep a great and hopeful confidence that the right view will prevail that the standard to which the wise and honest will repair Is also the standard to which the whole people will rally at last it it be but held long and steadily enough on high to be been of all when the moment for action came he acted promptly unhesitatingly as it in in difference to opinion the outbreak of war between france and england made it necessary he should let the country know what he meant to do war having actually commenced between france and great britain he wrote to jefferson in april 1793 it behooves the government of this country to use every means in its power to prevent the citizens thereof from embroiling us with either of those powers by endeavoring to maintain a strict neutrality I 1 therefore require that you will give the subject mature consideration that such measures as shall be deemed roost likely to effect this desirable purpose may be adopted without delay such other measures as may be necessary for us to pursue against events which it may not be in our power to avoid or con arol you will also think of and lay them before me at my arrival in phil adelphia la for which place I 1 shall set out tomorrow he was at mount vernon when he dispatched these instructions but it did not take him long to reach the seat of government to consult bis cabinet and to issue a proclamation of neu whose terms no man could mistake it contained explicit threat of exemplary action against any who should presume to disregard it genet cornea from france that very month april 1793 ed mond charles genet a auth still in his twenties whom the new republic over sea had commissioned minister to the united states landed at charleston it pleased him to take possession of the country as it it were of course an appendage app ot france he was hardly ashore before he had begun to arrange for the fitting out of privateers to issue letters of marque to american citizens and to authorize french consuls at american ports to act as judges of admiralty in the condemnation of prizes aa he journeyed northward to phil adelphia la be was joyfully confirmed la his views and purposes by his reception at the hands of the people he was everywhere dined and toasted and feted as if be had been a favorite prince returned to his subjects his speeches by the way rang in a tone of authority and patronage he reached philadelphia fairly mad with the sense of power and had no con of his real situation till he stood face to face with the president of that grim coute nanco and cold greeting there could be but one inter pret atlon and the fellow winced to feel that at last he had come to a grapple with the count rys govern ment it was no doubt in the eyes of the man a strange and start ling thing that then took place the country itself had not fully washington till then or its own dig alty either it had deemed the proclamation la of neutrality a party measure into which the president had been led by the enemies of france tho partisans of england but the summer undeceived everybody even genet not content with the lawless mischief be had set afoot on the coasts by the commissioning of that mad youth bad hastened to send agents lato the south and west to enlist men tor armed expeditions ions against the Florl daa and against new orleans on the mississippi but his work was every where steadily undone neutrality lc enforced washington actea slowly deliberant ly even with that majesty ot self con arol that awful courtesy and fallness in wrath that had ever made him a master to be feared in moments oc sharp trial one by one the unlawful prizes were seized justice was dona upon their captors the false admiralty courts were shut up the army of the united states was made nady to check the in the south and west should there be need the corn plaines plaints of the british minister were silenced by deeds as well as by words the clamor of those who bad w el corned the frenchman so like provan ceals was ignored though for a season it seemed the voice of the country itself and the humiliating work which ought never to have been necessary was at last made effective and corn TO BE |