Benefit of Washington’s Administration to the West.

In such a welter of intrigue, of land speculation, and of more or less piratical aggression, there was immanent danger that the West would relapse into anarchy unless a firm government were established, and unless the boundaries with England and Spain were definitely established.  As Washington’s administration grew steadily in strength and in the confidence of the people the first condition was met.  The necessary fixity of boundary was finally obtained by the treaties negotiated through John Jay with England, and through Thomas Pinckney with Spain.

    Jay’s Treaty.

Jay’s treaty aroused a perfect torrent of wrath throughout the country, and nowhere more than in the West.  A few of the coolest and most intelligent men approved it, and rugged old Humphrey Marshall, the Federalist Senator from Kentucky, voted for its ratification; but the general feeling against it was intense.  Even Blount, who by this time was pretty well disgusted with the way he had been treated by the Central Government, denounced it, and expressed his belief that Washington would have hard work to explain his conduct in procuring its ratification. [Footnote:  Blount MSS., Blount to Smith, Aug. 24, 1795.]

    Folly of the Westerners.

Yet the Westerners were the very people who had no cause whatever to complain of the treaty.  It was not an entirely satisfactory treaty; perhaps a man like Hamilton might have procured rather better terms; but, taken as a whole, it worked an immense improvement upon the condition of things already existing.  Washington’s position was undoubtedly right.  He would have preferred a better treaty, but he regarded the Jay treaty as very much better than none at all.  Moreover, the last people who had a right to complain of it were those who were most vociferous in their opposition.  The anti-Federalist party was on the whole the party of weakness and disorder, the party that was clamorous and unruly, but ineffective in carrying out a sustained policy, whether of offense or of defence, in foreign affairs.  The people who afterwards became known as Jeffersonian Republicans numbered in their ranks the extremists who had been active as the founders of Democratic societies in the French interest, and they were ferocious in their wordy hostility to Great Britain; but they were not dangerous foes to any foreign government which did not fear words.  Had they possessed the foresight and intelligence to strengthen the Federal Government the Jay treaty would not have been necessary.

    Futility of the State’s-Rights Men in Foreign Affairs.