of the very influence to be avoided, instead of a defence against it. Excessive partiality for one foreign nation, and excessive dislike of another, cause those whom they actuate to see the danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even to second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots, who may resist the intrigues of the favorite, are liable to become suspected and odious; while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people to surrender their interests.

"The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is in extending our commercial relations, to have, with them, as little political connexion as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith.-Here let us stop.

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Europe has a set of primary interests, which to us have none, or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns: therefore it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves, by artificial ties, in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations or collisions of her friendships or enmities.

"Our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. If we remain one people, under an efficient government, the period is not far off, when we may defy material injury, from external annoyance; when we may take such an attitude as will cause the neutrality, we may at any time resolve upon, to be scrupulously respected; when belligerent nations, under the impossibility of making acquisitions upon us, will not lightly hazard the giving us provocation; when we may choose peace or war, as our interest, guided by justice, shall counsel.

Why forego the advantages of so peculiar a situation? Why quit our own, to stand upon foreign ground? Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor, or caprice.

:

"It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world; so far, I mean, as we are now at liberty to do it for let me not be understood as capable of patronizing infidelity to existing engagements. I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy. I repeat it, therefore, let those engagements be observed in their genuine sense. But, in my opinion, it is unnecessary, and would be unwise, to extend them.

Taking care always to keep ourselves, by suitable establishments, on a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alli. ances for extraordinary emergencies.

"Harmony and liberal intercourse with all nations, are recommended by policy, humanity, and interest. But even our commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand; neither seeking nor granting exclusive favors or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying, by gentle means, the streams of commerce, but forcing nothing; establishing, with powers so disposed in order to give trade a stable course, to define the rights of our merchants, and to enable the government to support them; conventional rules of intercourse, the best that present circumstances and mutual opinion will permit, but temporary, and liable to be from time to time abandoned or varied, as experience and circumstances shall dictate; constantly keeping in view that it is folly in one nation to look for disinterested favors from another; that it must pay with a portion of its independence, for whatever it may accept under that character; that by such acceptance, it may place itself in the condition

of having given equivalents for nominal favors, and yet of being reproached with ingratitude for not giving more. There can be no greater error than to expect, or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation. It is an illusion which experience must cure, which a just pride ought to discard.

"In offering to you, my countrymen, these counsels of an old and affectionate friend, I dare not hope they will make the strong and lasting impression. I could wish; that they will control the usual current of the passions, or prevent our nation from running the course which has hitherto marked the destiny of nations: but, if I may even flatter myself, that they may be productive of some partial benefit, some occasional good;. that you may now and then recur to them, to moderate the fury of party. spirit, to warn against the mischiefs of foreign intrigue, to guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism; this hope will be a full recom. pense for the solicitude for your welfare, by which they have been dictated.

"How far, in the discharge of my official duties, I have been guided by the principles that have been delineated, the public records and other evidences of my conduct must witness to you and to the world. To myself, the assurance of my own conscience is, that I have believed myself to be guided by them.

"In relation to the still subsisting war in Europe, my proclamation of the 23d of April, 1793, is the index of my plan. Sanctioned by your approving voice, and by that of your Representatives in both houses of Congress, the spirit of that measure has continually governed me; unin. fluenced by any attempts to deter or divert me from it.

"After deliberate examination, with the aid of the best lights I could obtain, I was well satisfied that our country, under all the circumstances of the case, had a right to take, and was bound in duty and interest to take, a neutral position. Having taken it, I determined, as far as should depend upon me, to maintain it with moderation, perseverance, and firm

ness.

"The considerations which respect the right to hold this conduct, it is not necessary, on this occasion, to detail. I will only observe that, according to my understanding of the matter, that right, so far from being denied by any of the belligerent powers, has been virtually admitted by all. "The duty of holding a neutral conduct may be inferred, without any thing more, from the obligations which justice and humanity impose on every nation, in cases in which it is free to act, to maintain inviolate the relations of peace and amity towards other nations. The inducements of interest for observing that conduct, will best be referred to your own re flections and experience. With me, a predominant motive has been to endeavor to gain time to our country, to settle and mature its yet recent institutions; and to progress, without interruption, to that degree of strength and consistency, which is necessary to give it, humanly speak. ing, the command of its own fortunes.

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Though in reviewing the incidents of my administration, I am unconscious of intentional error; I am, nevertheless, too sensible of my de. fects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors Whatever they may be, I fervently beseech the Almighty to avert or miti. gate the evils to which they may tend. I shall also carry with me the hope that my country will never cease to view them with indulgence; and that after forty-five years of my life dedicated to its service, with an

upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to ob livion, as myself must soon be to the mansions of rest.

"Relying on its kindness in this, as in other things, and actuated by that fervent love towards it, which is so natural to a man who views in it the natural soil of himself and his progenitors for several generations; I anticipate, with pleasing expectation, that retreat in which I promise myself to realize, without alloy, the sweet enjoyment of partaking, in the midst of my fellow-citizens, the benign influence of good laws under a free government; the ever-favorite object of my heart, and the happy reward, as I trust, of our mutual cares, labors, and dangers."

515. He resigned with pleasure the seat he had filled with so much honor and applause to his successor, and retired to his farm at Mount Vernon, where he remained tranquilly in possession of those rural delights which were most congenial to his natural inclination.

516. The immortal Washington was succeeded in the presidential chair by John Adams, a distinguished patriot of the revolution. During his presidency, from 1797 to 1801, the French revolutionary government, disappointed in their object of engaging the United States in a war with England, pursued a course of insult and aggression towards them, which ended in hostilities. The American administration had forborne for a long time, but at length adopted measures of retaliation and defence. A provisional army of regular troops was established, and the navy was increased by the addition of several frigates. Washington was appointed, by the unanimous consent of the senate, lieutenant-general and commander-in-chief of the armies of the United States. This truly illustrious citizen died shortly afterwards, at his seat of Mount Vernon, on the 14th of December, 1799, in the 68th year of his age, leaving the character of the most pure and exalted of patriots, after having reaped a full harvest of glory.

517. General Washington was about six feet in height; his eyes were gray, but full of animation; his countenance serene and expressive, not disposed to the frequent indulgence of mirth his limbs muscular and well-proportioned: he was ma. jestic and solemn in his deportment. He generally expressed himself with perspicuity and diffidence, but seldom used more words than were necessary for elucidating his opinion. He had the urbanity of a gentleman, without the pageantry of pride; he qualified denials in so kind a manner, that a disappointment carried no sting with it. Such was the great Washington! Where will America find his equal?

518. The war which commenced in 1799, between the United States and France, continued but a few months; a con

vention being concluded between them on the 30th of September, 1800. The actual hostilities consisted in two severe and well-fought naval actions:—the first between the frigate Constellation, of 38 guns, and the French. frigate l'Insurgente, of about equal force, in which the latter was captured; the second was between the same American frigate and La Vengeance, of superior force, which made her escape in the night, after having struck her colors.

519. In 1801, a change took place in the administration of public affairs. The democratic republican party having become the majority, succeeded in electing Mr. Jefferson to the presidential chair, in opposition to Mr. Adams. During the first term of his official career, the United States enjoyed a singular degree of commercial prosperity, while the free institutions were visible in the elevated character and happy condition of the people.

520. By the treaty of 1783, between the United States and Great Britain, the Mississippi river was made the western boundary of the United States from its source to the 31st degree of latitude, and following this line to the Catahouche: the Floridas being ceded to Spain by a treaty of the same date, but without any specific boundaries; this omission led to a controversy between the United States and Spain, which nearly terminated in hostilities. It was finally arranged in 1795, by a treaty, which provided for an amicable settlement of the boundary line, and secured to our republic the right of deposit for the productions of its western states at New-Orleans. Spain had vacillated in its conduct for nearly three years, respecting the fulfilment of the conditions of this treaty; but during the administration of President Adams, preparations were made by us for a forcible occupation of the city; the state of parties, at that time, caused an abandonment of this plan; but the objects contended for by the United States, were soon afterwards happily obtained.

521. In October, 1800, a secret treaty was signed at Paris, by the plenipotentiaries of France and Spain, making a cession of Louisiana to the former power ;-this actually took place in March, 1801, but the fact was not promulgated for some time. It seems to have been the intention of the French government to take possession, but the rigorous blockade of their ports by the British fleets prevented the execution of this design. As soon as intelligence of the cession to France reached the American government, negotiations were opened with that power, which terminated by a transfer of the whole country to the United States, for 15,000,000 of dollars.

522. The purchase of Louisiana, though censured at the time by the political opponents of Mr. Jefferson, is now universally admitted to have been an act of great political wisdom, because it closed a source of controversy with foreign powers; added a very extensive tract of fertile country to the Union; and extended the duration of it, by restoring to the western states the natural outlet of their productions. Were there nothing else in the political administration of this great statesman to endear him to his countrymen, the peaceful acquisition of Louisiana would give it a lasting claim to their gratitude. William C. Claiborne was appointed the first governor; and in 1811, this district having acquired a sufficient population, was admitted as a separate state; since which period it has rapidly increased in wealth and population. During the latter part of the last war with England, it became the theatre of hostilities, and the field of glory for American arms.

523. We must not omit mentioning two circumstances connected with the administration of Thomas Jefferson :-the war with Tripoli, which was declared by Congress on the 10th of June, 1801; and the conspiracy of Aaron Burr. The princi pal details of the Tripolitan war consist in the frigate Philadelphia striking on a rock in the harbor of Tripoli, on the 31st of October, 1803, in which situation she was taken possession of by the enemy; but on the 16th of February, in the following year, she was burned in the harbor by a party of volunteers, from the American squadron, headed by the gallant Stephen Decatur. In the ensuing August, Tripoli was bombarded by commodore Preble, and the Bashaw was made to feel the effects of American valor. The war appeared likely to be of long duration, until general Eaton availed himself of the favorable opportunity of uniting his arms with those of the exiled Bashaw, and, with the aid of 70 Americans, and 300 Turks, took the city of Derne, on the 27th of April, 1805: in" June, the same year, the humbled Bashaw was happy to con clude a peace with the United States, on more advantageous terms than had ever before been conceded to any Christian power.

524. The public mind was highly excited in the beginning of the year 1807, by the arrest of the well-known Aaron Burr, an opponent of the celebrated Alexander Hamilton. It is supposed his object was the separation of the western states from the Union, and the conquest of Mexico; but on his trial for high treason, in September of the same year, he was acquitted of the charge by the petit-jury assembled at Richmond

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