egarded as the
first disturbers of the ancient social system. The principal European
monarchs combined, under the guidance of England, to arrest the
presumptuous career of France and extirpate democracy by the sword.
Nevertheless, the republican cause, however odious in Europe, was our
national cause. The sympathies of a large portion of the American people
could not be withdrawn from the French nation, which always claimed, even
when marshalled into legions under the Corsican conqueror, to be fighting
the battles of freedom; while, on the other side, the citizens who
regarded innovation as worse than tyranny, considered England and her
allies as engaged in sustaining the cause of order, of government, and of
society itself.

The line already drawn between the American people in regard to their
organic law, naturally became the dividing line of the popular sympathies
in the great European conflict. Thus deeply furrowed, that line became "a
great gulf fixed." The Federal party unconsciously became an English
party, although it indignantly disowned the epithet; and the Republican
party became a French party, although with equal sincerity it denied the
gross impeachment. Each belligerent was thus encouraged to hope some aid
from the United States, through the ever-expected triumph of its friends;
while both conceived contemptuous opinions of a people who, from too eager
interest in a foreign fray, suffered their own national rights to be
trampled upon with impunity by the contending States.

Washington set the new machine of government in motion. He formed his
cabinet of recognized leaders of the adverse parties. Hamilton and Knox of
the Federal party were balanced by Jefferson and Randolph of the adverse
party. "Washington took part with neither, but held the balance between
them with the scrupulous justice which marked his lofty nature." On the
25th of April, 1793, he announced the neutrality of the United States
between the belligerents, and his decision, without winning the respect of
either, exasperated both. Each invaded our national rights more flagrantly
than before, and excused the injustice by the plea of necessary
retaliation against its adversary, and each found willing apologists in a
sympathizing faction in our own country.

Commercial and political relations were to be established between the
United States and the European Powers in this season of conflict.
Ministers were needed who could maintain and vind