gs against the
offenders; liquors distilled in the rebellious counties were seized on
their way to market by revenue officers; and the agents of the army were
directed to purchase only those spirits upon which a duty had been paid.
Having their interests thus touched, the manufacturers of liquors would
gladly have complied with the laws, but the people would not allow them.
Subsequently, more serious defiance of the laws in western Pennsylvania
compelled the president to order a military force into that region. This
we will consider hereafter.

At the middle of October, Washington made another and last effort to
restore peace to his cabinet. Jefferson had recently returned to
Philadelphia, and his first care was to forward to the president
extracts from his letter written while the adoption of the constitution
was pending, Washington wrote to him on the eighteenth, and said: "I did
not require the evidence of the extracts, which you enclosed to me, to
convince me of your attachment to the constitution of the United States,
or of your disposition to promote the general welfare of this country:
but I regret, deeply regret, the difference in opinions which have
divided you and another principal officer of the government, and I wish
devoutly there would be an accommodation of them by mutual yieldings.

"A measure of this sort would produce harmony and consequent good in our
public councils. The contrary will inevitably introduce confusion and
serious mischiefs--and for what? Because mankind can not think alike,
but would adopt different means to attain the same end. For I will
frankly and solemnly declare, that I believe the views of both of you to
be pure and well meant, and that experience only will decide with
respect to the salutariness of the measures which are the subjects of
dispute. Why, then, when some of the best citizens in the United
States--men of discernment, uniform and tried patriots, who have no
sinister views to promote, but are chaste in their ways of thinking and
acting--are to be found some on one side and some on the other of the
questions which have caused these agitations, should either of you be so
tenacious of your opinions as to make no allowances for those of the
other? I could, and indeed was about to, add more on this interesting
subject, but will forbear, at least for the present, after expressing a
wish that the cup which has been presented to us may not be snatched
from our lips by a discor