d a contrast between the conduct of France and England,
especially in relation to commercial facilities, highly favorable to the
former. This had been objected to by Hamilton, who considered the
disposition of the people toward France a serious calamity, and that the
executive ought not, by echoing her praises, to nourish that
disposition. In his opinion, the balance of commercial favors was
decidedly with the British; the commercial offers made by France were
the offspring of the moment, growing out of circumstances that could not
last. To evade Hamilton's objections, Jefferson consented to some
modifications of the message. Hamilton then insisted that the papers
relating to the non-execution of the treaty of peace, and to the
stopping of the corn-ships, ought not to be communicated, unless in a
secret message, as the matters therein discussed were still unsettled,
and the tendency of the communication was to inflame the public mind
against Great Britain. Jefferson was a good deal alarmed at this
threatened suppression of his diplomatic labors; but Washington decided
that all the papers should be communicated without any restrictions of
secrecy, even those respecting the corn-ships, which all the cabinet
except Jefferson had advised to withhold."

In a letter to his wife, written on the nineteenth of December, John
Adams, referring to the sentence in Washington's special message in
relation to the French minister, said, "The president has considered the
conduct of Genet very nearly in the same light with Columbus, and has
given him a bolt of thunder. We shall see how this is supported by both
houses. We shall soon see whether we have any government or not in this
country." Doubting whether Washington would be sustained by Congress,
Adams continued: "But, although he stands at present as high in the
admiration and confidence of the people as ever he did, I expect he will
find many bitter and desperate enemies arise in consequence of his just
judgment against Genet."

In this, Adams was mistaken. The house, where the opposition was most
rampant, determined, and unscrupulous, responded most affectionately to
the president's message, and tacitly rebuked the demagogues for their
personal abuse of Washington. They expressed their satisfaction at his
re-election, and their confidence in the purity and patriotism of his
motives, in all his acts, especially in again consenting, at the call of
his country, to fill the president