locke; Morse's _John Adams_, Boston,
1885; _Correspondence of George III. with Lord North_, 2 vols., London,
1867; Wharton's _Digest of International Law_, Washington, 1887,
_Appendix_ to vol. iii.; Hale's _Franklin in France_, 2 vols., Boston,
1888. The view of the treaty set forth in 1830 by Sparks, according to
which Jay and Adams were quite mistaken in their suspicions of the
French court, we may now regard as disposed of by the evidence presented
by Circourt and Fitzmaurice. It has led many writers astray, and even
with all the lights which Mr. Bancroft has had, the account in the last
revision of his _History of the United States_, vol. v., N.Y., 1886,
though in some respects one of the best to be found in the general
histories, still leaves much to be desired.

The general condition of the United States under the articles of
confederation is well sketched in the sixth volume of Bancroft's final
revision, and in Curtis's _History of the Constitution_, 2 vols., N.Y.,
1861. An excellent summary is given in the first volume of Schouler's
_History of the United States under the Constitution_, of which vols,
i.-iii. (Washington, 1882-85) have appeared. Mr. Schouler's book is
suggestive and stimulating. The work most rich in details is Professor
McMaster's _History of the People of the United States_, of which the
first volume rather more than covers the period 1783-89. The author is
especially deserving of praise for the diligence with which he has
searched the newspapers and obscure pamphlets of the period. He has thus
given much fresh life to the narrative, besides throwing valuable light
upon the thoughts and feelings of the men who lived under the "league of
friendship." I take pleasure in acknowledging my indebtedness to
Professor McMaster for several interesting illustrative details, chiefly
in my third, fourth, and seventh chapters. At the same time one is
sorely puzzled at some of his omissions, as in the account of the
Federal Convention, in which one finds no allusion whatever to the
all-important question of the representation of slaves, or to the
compromise by which New England secured to Congress full power to
regulate commerce by yielding to Georgia and South Carolina in the
matter of the African slave-trade. So the discussion as to the national
executive is carried on till July 26th, when it was decided that the
president should be chosen by Congress for a single term of seven years;
then the subject is