n. Yet with silly fatuity they vigorously opposed every
effort to make the Government stronger or to increase national feeling,
railing even at the attempt to erect a great Federal city as "unwise,
impolitic, unjust," and "a monument to American folly." [Footnote:
_Kentucky Gazette_, Feb. 8, 1794; Sept. 16, 1797, etc., etc.] The men
who wrote these articles, and the leaders of the societies and clubs
which inspired them, certainly made a pitiable showing; they proved
that they themselves were only learning, and had not yet completely
mastered, the difficult art of self government.

Negotiations of the Spanish and American Governments.
Wilkinson's Ineffectual Treason.

It was the existence of these Western separatists, nominally the
fiercest foes of Spain, that in reality gave Spain the one real hope of
staying the western advance. In 1794 the American agents in Spain were
carrying on an interminable correspondence with the Spanish Court in the
effort to come to some understanding about the boundaries. [Footnote:
American State Papers, Foreign Relations, I., p. 443, etc.; letters of
Carmichael and Short to Gardoqui, Oct. 1, 1793; to Alcudia, Jan. 7,
1794, etc., etc.] The Spanish authorities were solemnly corresponding
with the American envoys, as if they meant peace; yet at the same time
they had authorized Carondelet to do his best to treat directly with the
American States of the West so as to bring about their separation from
the Union. In 1794 Wilkinson, who was quite incapable of understanding
that his infamy was heightened by the fact that he wore the uniform of
a Brigadier General of the United States, entered into negotiations for
a treaty, the base of which should be the separation of the Western
States from the Atlantic States. [Footnote: Draper MSS., Spanish
Documents, Carondelet to Alcudia, July 30, 1794.] He had sent two
confidential envoys to Carondelet. Carondelet jumped at the chance of
once more trying to separate the west from the east; and under Wilkinson's
directions he renewed his efforts to try by purchase and pension to
attach some of the leading Kentuckians to Spain. As a beginning he decided
to grant Wilkinson's request and send him twelve thousand dollars for
himself. [Footnote: _Do_., De Lemos to Alcudia, Sept. 19, 1794.] De Lemos
was sent to New Madrid in October to begin the direct negotiations with
Wilkinson and his allies. The funds to further the treasonable conspiracy
were also f