he said, by the arrangements respecting trade and navigation,
while we had parted with "every pledge in our hands, every power of
restriction, every weapon of self-defence."

He admitted that if this treaty should be rejected, another as favorable
might not be obtained; but he argued, that while the United States would
lose the western posts and the indemnity for spoliations, they would be
pecuniary gainers by escaping the payment of the British debts. He did
not wish, nor did his party, an utter rejection of the treaty, but a
suspension or postponement of it, until the British should cease their
encroachments, and reparations for such wrongs might be obtained. He
scouted as utterly chimerical, the idea that war would necessarily
follow such postponement, or even a positive rejection; and he treated
the menaces of the dissolution of the Union with scorn. He significantly
asked, Who will dissolve the government? The opposition majority had no
motive for doing it, and he did not believe that the federalists would,
at the first failure of their power, revenge themselves by overthrowing
the government. He expressed his belief that the people, from one end of
the Union to the other, were strongly attached to the constitution, and
that they would punish any party or set of men who should attempt to
subvert it. He rested in full security on the people, against any
endeavor to destroy the Union or the government. He regarded the cry of
disunion and of war as designed only to work upon the fears of Congress,
and force an acquiescence in the treaty. "It was the fear of being
involved in a war," he said, "that the negotiations with Great Britain
had originated; under the impression of fear the treaty had been
negotiated and signed; fear had promoted its ratification; and now,
every imaginary mischief was conjured up to frighten the house, to
deprive it of that discretion which it had the right to exercise, to
force it to carry this treaty into effect." He also charged the
merchants of Philadelphia and other seaports[94] with having formed a
combination to produce alarm, and to make their efforts more effectual,
had also combined to cease insuring vessels, purchasing produce, or
transacting any business, to induce the people to join in the attempt to
force the house to pass laws for carrying the treaty into effect.

"To listen calmly to this denunciation of Washington and Jay," says
Hildreth, "as having pusillanimously surrendered