by dint of misinformation into their vortex, and overset the government. The President was strongly impressed by this picture, drawn by Hamilton, in three speeches of three-quarters of an hour's length each. I opposed it totally; told the President plainly, in their presence, that the intention was to dismount him from being the head of the nation, and make him the head of a party; that this would be the effect of making him, in an appeal to the people, declare war against the republican party. Randolph, according to his half-way system between wrong and right, urged the putting off the appeal. The President came into his idea, or rather concluded that the question on it might be put off indefinitely, to be governed by events. If the demonstrations of popular adherence to him become as general and as warm as I believe they will, I think he will never again bring on the question; if there is an appearance of their supporting Genet, he will probably make the appeal. Knox is the poorest creature I ever saw, having no color of his own, and reflecting that nearest to him. When he is with me he is a whig, when with Hamilton he is a tory, when he is with the President he is what he thinks will please him. . . . . The President always acquiesces in the majority!

"You ask the sense of France with regard to the

defensive quality of the guarantee. I know it no otherwise than from Genet. His doctrine is, that without waiting to be called on-without waiting 'till the islands were attacked, the moment France was engaged in a war, it was our duty to fly to arms as a nation, and the duty of every one to do it as an individual."

CHAPTER XI.

MR. JEFFERSON'S RETIREMENT FROM THE CABINET OF WASHINGTON-HIS MOTIVES FOR SO DOING HIS LETTERS TO MR. MADISON-HIS LAST REPORT TO CONGRESS-HIS LETTER OF RESIGNATION-CAUSES OF PREVIOUS DISSENSIONS IN THE CABINET—MR. JEFFERSON'S CHARGES AGAINST Mr. HAMILTON EVIDENCE OF THEIR FALSEHOOD-THE NATIONAL GAZETTE-FRENEAU-MR. JEFFERSON REFUSES TO SUPPRESS THE NATIONAL GAZETTE-HIS RETURN TO MONTICELLO- -HIS CELEBRATED LETTER ΤΟ MAZZEI—JEFFERSON'S APOLOGY TO WASHINGTON FOR ITS STRICTURES ON

HIM.

ON the 31st of December, 1793, Mr. Jefferson executed his long-threatened purpose of retiring from the office of Secretary of State. His motives for so doing have been frequently discussed, commended and censured. They seem in reality to have been of a complex nature, and quite varied and dissimilar in their character. It is doubtless true that he was fond of rural and agricultural life; that he desired greater leisure to cultivate his taste for literature and science; that he delighted in the society of his daughters and grand-children; and that he had already served the public through many years of laborious activity. But it seems to be also true, that the preponderating cause of his withdrawal at this time from the cares of office was the fact that

Hamilton had secured the ascendency over Washington and his cabinet; that Jefferson's popularity at this period was on the wane; and that the prospects of the administration, of which he was an important member, were then gloomy and forbidding. At this period party dissensions began to rage with greater fury; and a revolution in popular sentiment threatened soon to leave the administration of Washington in a helpless minority. Jefferson being attached to the ultra doctrines of liberty was associated in the cabinet with men whose love of freedom was tempered by a regard for authority, a reverence for the past, and esteem for order and subordination. Among such men Mr. Jefferson was not at home; and though his great talents and reflective sagacity gave him importance and respectability, they could not secure him a predominating influence. He seized the most appropriate opportunity to escape from the falling wreck with safety, security, and honor. Jefferson thought he foresaw that the popularity of Washington was about to be destroyed by an outburst of popular indignation; and he did not wish to incur any portion of that obloquy which the baseness and ingratitude of a thankless nation were about to inflict, as he feared, upon the author of their liberties Jefferson also thought that the tide of demo

cratic sentiment was rising rapidly throughout the nation; and the result eventually proved the sagacity of his calculations. How far he co-operated, after his retirement, in the attainment of this result, it is difficult to say; but it is unquestionable that he still cherished a dislike to Washington, a hatred of Hamilton, and a detestation of their party, as will appear from the following letters to Mr. Madison, dated April 3d, and December 28th, 1794

"DEAR SIR: Our post having ceased to ride ever since the inoculation began in Richmond till now, I received three days ago, and all together, your friendly favors of March 2, 9, 12, 14, and Colonel Monroe's of March 3 and 16. I have been particularly gratified by the receipt of the papers containing yours and Smith's discussion of your regulating propositions. These debates had not been seen here but in a very short and mutilated form. I am at no loss to ascribe Smith's speech to its true father. Every tittle of it is Hamilton's except the introduction. There is scarcely any thing there which I have not heard from him in our various private, though official discussions. The very turn of the arguments is the same and others will see as well as myself, that the style is Hamilton's. The sophistry is too fine, too ingenious, even to have been com