permitted upon the lakes and rivers that formed the boundary with Canada; that the fur trade in the Northwest should not be interrupted; that American seamen should not be impressed into the British service; and that other causes of complaint should be removed. But, although Mr. Jefferson wrote many long and convincing arguments, Mr. Pinckney was kept waiting in the anteroom of the foreign office at London, where he got few replies and no satisfaction.

Then came the troubles with France. In 1778, to secure her friendship and assistance, the American colonies, then in the midst of the Revolution, made a treaty of alliance with that government, under which they guaranteed to protect the French possessions in America. They also stipulated that French privateers should always have the right to seek refuge in our harbors to obtain provisions and other supplies; and to bring into them for sale or repair any vessels that they might capture at sea. This was a favorable treaty for the United States when we were at war with England, but when we were trying to preserve peace with her it was not; for France, being now in open hostilities with England, demanded the privileges which the treaty bestowed. If our government adhered to the terms of the treaty it meant another war with England; a violation of those terms threatened a war with France.

To make the situation more serious there was a bitter and determined struggle between the two political parties in the United States. The Democrats, or Republicans, for the same party was then known by both names, under the leadership of Jefferson, were outspoken in their hostility to England; and the Federalists, with Alexander Hamilton at their head, favored a conciliatory policy and a strict adherence to neutrality toward the European powers. Both leaders were members of Washington's cabinet and the struggle was carried

to the desk of the President. Washington, in the midst of these perplexities, decided upon the policy advocated by Hamilton, and issued a proclamation warning all citizens of the United States against participation in the struggle between England and France, and forbidding them to give aid or comfort to either of the belligerents. At the same time Hamilton, who was secretary of the treasury, issued an order to collectors of customs directing them to prevent the entrance of French privateers to our ports, and to prohibit the sale of ammunition and supplies to foreign vessels. Whereupon Mr. Jefferson retired from the cabinet.

But in spite of the proclamation of the President and the order of the secretary of the treasury, public sympathy with France was so universal throughout the states, and the animosity toward England so bitter, that French privateers were hailed with a joyous welcome whenever they entered one of the harbors on the Atlantic, and they were not only able to secure all the supplies they needed, but were allowed to bring in captured vessels of Great Britain, and sell them and their cargoes to our citizens. Agents of the French government found no difficulty in purchasing arms and ammunition, and the French minister, M. Genet, who landed at Charleston in a privateer, was followed to the seat of government at Philadelphia by ovations which equaled those that greeted Washington on his journey to New York after he was elected President.

The followers of Jefferson in Congress, where sympathy with France was unconcealed, introduced a bill closing the ports of the United States to British commerce. The enactment of such a law would unquestionably have resulted in a war with England, and there was a very narrow escape, for it actually passed the House of Representatives, in spite of the remonstrances of Washington and Hamilton, and was de

feated in the Senate only by the vote of John Adams, who as Vice President was presiding over that body.

To allay the excitement in England and counteract the effect of the hostile demonstrations among our people, the President decided to send as minister to London, Alexander Hamilton, who was born in the British West Indies, and whose cordial sentiments toward the British government were well understood on both sides of the Atlantic; but he reconsidered that determination when it was found that Hamilton's nomination would be rejected by the Senate. afterwards chief justice of the Supreme Court, was therefore selected, and he, with the powerful influence of public sentiment in the United States, succeeded in bringing England to terms. He negotiated a treaty which provided :

John Jay,

(1) That the frontier posts should be evacuated by British troops within two years.

(2) That there should be free commercial intercourse across the border between the United States and the British possessions.

(3) That trade could be carried on between the United States and the British West Indies by vessels of both nations carrying only the products of either country.

(4) That foreign privateers should not be allowed to fit or arm in the ports of either country for war against their vessels.

(5) That criminals taking refuge in either country should be surrendered.

(6) That commissions should be appointed to survey the upper Mississippi River; to determine the boundary between the United States and Canada along the St. Croix River; to settle debts contracted by American citizens in England before the Revolution; and to assess damages sustained by American commerce from British privateers.

While this treaty was in fact a great triumph for American diplomacy, it was bitterly denounced by French sympathizers in the United States, and public meetings were held all over the country to condemn the action of our government. But it was finally ratified by the Senate, by a narrow majority, and public excitement subsided.

But the great defect in the treaty was the absence of any provision to prohibit the impressment of American seamen into the British service, and it was soon realized in a serious manner. Complaints of this character were frequent and they finally culminated in an attack upon the United States manof-war Chesapeake by the British frigate Leopard, which demanded the right of search for some deserters from the British navy who were alleged to be serving on the former vessel. Taken by surprise, the Chesapeake surrendered after a brief engagement and four sailors were taken off. Our government demanded reparation and an apology, and a proclamation was issued ordering all British vessels to leave American waters. Mr. Monroe, who was minister to England, failing to secure satisfaction, left for home, and the British government issued a retaliatory decree prohibiting trade between the United States and countries that were then at war with England.

Lord Erskine, the British minister, proposed that this order should be withdrawn, and that reparation would be awarded for the Chesapeake incident, provided the United States would revoke its decree against British vessels. On his faith in this assurance the President withdrew the order, but the British government claimed that Erskine was not authorized to make the proposition, and refused to comply with its terms. All attempts to settle the difference by diplomatic negotiation having failed, the President, on the 19th of June, 1812, proclaimed war, and hostilities began.

In March, 1813, the emperor of Russia offered his services as mediator, and they were accepted by the United States but refused by Great Britain. The latter government, however, consented to meet on other neutral ground, and a commission, consisting of Albert Gallatin, James A. Bayard, John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and Jonathan Russell, was sent to the city of Ghent, Belgium, to meet Lord Gambier, Henry Goulburn, and William Adams, the representatives of Great Britain. The British demands, as originally made, were rejected, but being modified afterwards, a treaty of peace was concluded on the 24th of December, 1814.

Although, singularly enough, not one of the causes of the war was alluded to in this treaty, and the right of Great Britain to impress American seamen was not even discussed, the result was received with great favor in the United States, and the President in communicating the information to Congress declared that "it terminates with peculiar felicity a campaign signalized by the most brilliant successes.

This treaty provided for the cessation of hostilities, the restoration of prisoners taken, the suppression of the slave trade, and the establishment of the boundaries between the United States and the British possessions in America by a joint commission.

In 1815, John Quincy Adams, Mr. Clay, and Mr. Gallatin were appointed commissioners to negotiate a commercial treaty with Great Britain. This treaty provided for free commerce between the ports of the two countries, and with the British colonies in the East Indies, and left the conditions of trade with the West Indies as had been arranged by the treaty made by Mr. Jay in 1793. It also stipulated that all duties and port charges should be the same upon the vessels and products of both countries.

In 1818 another negotiation was made necessary by a differ