These depredations were already so serious in
1794 that a bill was introduced in Congress, passed after some opposition,
and cordially approved by President Washington, providing for a force of
six frigates to protect American commerce from the corsairs. These
frigates did splendid service later on, not only against the pirates, but
also against the French and British.

[2] As early as 1784 Lord Sheffield said in Parliament: "It is not
probable that the American States will have a very free trade in the
Mediterranean. It will not be to the interest of any of the great
maritime powers to protect them from the Barbary States. If they
know their interests they will not encourage American carriers."

* * *

The scenes which attended the close of Washington's public career were
some compensation to that ever-illustrious man for the wounds inflicted
during his administration by reckless and venomous partisanship. No
President of the United States was ever more fiercely and bitterly
assailed than Washington. His enemies even went so far as to doom him in
caricature to the fate of Louis XVI. He was accused of monarchical
designs, and had to confront treachery in his Cabinet and scurrilous
slanders in the public press. Yet throughout all he bore himself with
patience, and never swerved from the course which he deemed best for the
public weal. It should not be supposed that he was indifferent to the
arrows of malice and of falsehood. On the contrary, he was extremely
sensitive to them; but he never permitted himself, in public at least, to
be carried away by his feelings, and no matter how strong his sentiments
on any subject, his sense of justice was always supreme. In his agony
upon the news of St. Clair's defeat, he denounced that general as worse
than a murderer for having suffered his army to be taken by surprise; but
when the burst of passion was over he added: "General St. Clair shall
have justice. I will receive him without displeasure; I will hear him
without prejudice." And Washington kept his word.

Far abler pens than mine have dealt with the character of the Father of
our Republic, but a few plain and original expressions on a subject never
wearisome to Americans may not be out of place. Washington's chief
characteristics were fortitude, the sense of justice of which I have
spoken, and the ability to grasp conditions and seize upon opportuniti