ory process on delinquent States;" that
"a bold example set by Virginia" in that direction "would have
influence on the other States;" and that "this conviction was his only
inducement for coming into the present Assembly." Whereupon, it was
then agreed between them that "Jones and Madison should sketch some
plan for giving greater power to the federal government; and Henry
promised to sustain it on the floor."[350] Finally, such was the
impression produced by Patrick Henry's political conduct during all
those years that, as late as in December, 1786, Madison could speak of
him as having "been hitherto the champion of the federal cause."[351]

Not far, however, from the date last mentioned Patrick Henry ceased to
be "the champion of the federal cause," and became its chief
antagonist, and so remained until some time during Washington's first
term in the presidency. What brought about this sudden and total
revolution? It can be explained only by the discovery of some new
influence which came into his life between 1784 and 1786, and which
was powerful enough to reverse entirely the habitual direction of his
political thought and conduct. Just what that influence was can now
be easily shown.

On the 3d of August, 1786, John Jay, as secretary for foreign affairs,
presented to Congress some results of his negotiations with the
Spanish envoy, Gardoqui, respecting a treaty with Spain; and he then
urged that Congress, in view of certain vast advantages to our foreign
commerce, should consent to surrender the navigation of the
Mississippi for twenty-five or thirty years,[352]--a proposal which,
very naturally, seemed to the six Southern States as nothing less than
a cool invitation to them to sacrifice their own most important
interests for the next quarter of a century, in order to build up
during that period the interests of the seven States of the North. The
revelation of this project, and of the ability of the Northern States
to force it through, sent a shock of alarm and of distrust into every
Southern community. Moreover, full details of these transactions in
Congress were promptly conveyed to Governor Henry by James Monroe, who
added this pungent item,--that a secret project was then under the
serious consideration of "committees" of Northern men, for a
dismemberment of the Union, and for setting the Southern States
adrift, after having thus bartered away from them the use of the
Mississippi.[353]

On the same day tha