tionable conduct of America was first intimated to him,
"to pass laws which by fair construction might be considered as
infractions of the treaty of peace. It is good policy at all times to
place one's adversary in the wrong. Had we observed good faith, and
the western posts had been withheld from us by Great Britain, we might
have appealed to God and man for justice."

"What a misfortune it is," said he in reply to the secretary for
foreign affairs, "that the British should have so well grounded a
pretext for their palpable infractions, and what a disgraceful part,
out of the choice of difficulties before us, are we to act!"

[Sidenote: Rise of parties in the United States.]

The discontents arising from the embarrassments in which individuals
were involved, continued to increase. At length, two great parties
were formed in every state, which were distinctly marked, and which
pursued distinct objects, with systematic arrangement.

The one struggled with unabated zeal for the exact observance of
public and private engagements. By those belonging to it, the faith of
a nation, or of a private man was deemed a sacred pledge, the
violation of which was equally forbidden by the principles of moral
justice, and of sound policy. The distresses of individuals were, they
thought, to be alleviated only by industry and frugality, not by a
relaxation of the laws, or by a sacrifice of the rights of others.
They were consequently the uniform friends of a regular administration
of justice, and of a vigorous course of taxation which would enable
the state to comply with its engagements. By a natural association of
ideas, they were also, with very few exceptions, in favour of
enlarging the powers of the federal government, and of enabling it to
protect the dignity and character of the nation abroad, and its
interests at home.

The other party marked out for themselves a more indulgent course.
Viewing with extreme tenderness the case of the debtor, their efforts
were unceasingly directed to his relief. To exact a faithful
compliance with contracts was, in their opinion, a harsh measure which
the people would not bear. They were uniformly in favour of relaxing
the administration of justice, of affording facilities for the payment
of debts, or of suspending their collection, and of remitting taxes.
The same course of opinion led them to resist every attempt to
transfer from their own hands into those of congress, powers, which by
oth