the two disagreeable subjects of the Assumption and
the Residence: "these," said he, "really threatened, at one time, a
separation of the legislature _sine die_."

Washington, too, however grieved and disappointed he may have been by
the dissensions which had prevailed in Congress, consoled himself by
the fancied harmony of his cabinet. Singularly free himself from all
jealousy of the talents and popularity of others, and solely actuated
by zeal for the public good, he had sought the ablest men to assist
him in his arduous task, and supposed them influenced by the same
unselfish spirit. Yet, at this very moment, a lurking spirit of
rivalry between Jefferson and Hamilton was already existing and daily
gaining strength. Jefferson, who, as we have intimated, already
considered Hamilton a monarchist in his principles, regarded all his
financial schemes with suspicion, as intended to strengthen the
influence of the treasury and make its chief the master of every vote
in the legislature, "which might give to the government the direction
suited to his political views." Under these impressions, Jefferson
looked back with an angry and resentful eye, to the manner in which
Hamilton had procured his aid in effecting the measure of assumption.
He now regarded it as a finesse by which he had been entrapped, and
stigmatized the measure itself as a "fiscal manoeuvre, to which he had
most ignorantly and innocently been made to hold the candle."

* * * * * * *

Frequent depredations had of late been made on our frontier
settlements by what Washington termed "certain banditti of Indians"
from the north-west side of the Ohio. Some of our people had been
massacred and others carried into deplorable captivity. The Indians of
the Wabash and the Miami rivers, who were the present aggressors, were
numerous, warlike, and not deficient in discipline.

Washington had deprecated a war with these savages, but finding all
pacific overtures unavailing, and rather productive of more daring
atrocities, he felt compelled to resort to it, alike by motives of
policy, humanity and justice. An act had been provided for
emergencies, by which the President was empowered to call out the
militia for the protection of the frontier; this act he put in force
in the interval of Congress; and under it an expedition was set on
foot, which began its march on the 30th of September from Fort
Washington (which stood on the site of the pr