The herald., 1895-03-13
UNDER ARTICLE >. SECTION ;

Harvey, is published in the North Amer
lean Review for March.
John Adams, at his Inauguration on
| March 4, 1897, was confronted by one OF
these extraordinary occasions provided
for by Article 2, Section 3, of the Constr
tuition which empowers the President to
Convene both Houses, or either OF them,
and he called Congress in extra session.
| The cause of this action was threatened
rupture between France and the United
States. In the war then under way be-
tween France and England the former ex-
pected support from this country because
of the aid extended by her to us in the
struggle for independence, and because
of treaty binding the United States and
France in an offensive and defensive ALL
ance. President Washington committed
the country to policy of rigid neutrality
between the belligerents. He regarded
the treaty as annuled by the change OF
government which had just taken place
| in France, and he particularly desired to
avoid all entangling alliances with
European nations, and to take no part IN
the Old Worlds quarrels. This policy
pleased the Federalists, but it enraged
| France and gave offense to France S admir-
ers in the United States, the Democratic
| Republicans, the predecessors OF the DEM
ocrats of a later period. The Jay treaty
between the United States and England
| during Washington's administration was
one of the causes of the ill-feeling OF
France toward this country. France, then
| governed by the Directory, adopted de-
crees and orders highly injurious to Amer
lean commerce, and refused to receive
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Federal
list, who was sent as ambassador to that
country shortly before Washington retired
from the presidency.
This was the situation Of affairs when
Adams went into power. The Congress
which he called into session to devise
means OF meeting the emergency met on
May 10, 1897 and adjourned on July 10th.
Itapproved the course proposed by Adams
who sent three envoys-the Pinckney be-
fore mentioned and John Marshall. Fed
eralists, and Elbridge Gerry, Democratic
| Republican-to France. The Directory
declined to receive the ENJOYS openly but
| Talleyrand, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
treated with them secretly through ennis
saries indicated by the letters X, Y. q.
| All lHllIldtlOu DI oSSHeS
that loan from the United States to the
French Government would buy protec-
ton for American ships from French at
| tacks and avert war; called out from
| Pinckney the historic response: War
| be it then! Millions for defense, but not
a cent for tribute!' The failure OF the
commission aroused warlike feeling in
the United States against France. Meas
ures were taken to raise an army and
build a navy, and Washington was called
| to the chief command OF the army. Some
! fighting took place on the ocean between
the two countries, although war was never
formally declared. Adams, in 1879 made
further efforts to end the troubles with
France, and Bonaparte, who desired
friendly relations with this country, over
throwing the Directory and going to the
| head of affairs; about this time peace
convention between the two nations was
signed.
Jefferson in his eight years in the presi-
| dency called two extra sessions OF Con-
gress. The first one, which began on Oc-
! tober IL 1903, was called to consider the
treaty with France through which the ter
| ritory of Louisiana passed out OF the con-
troll of that country and became part OF
| the United States domain. The negotl-
ations attending the purchase had already
been completed and the amount to be
paid was about Sl1, $50 900, the United
| States assuming in addition the claims OF
| American citizens against France, esti-
mated at about So, $50, 600. In the Senate
the treaty was promptly ratified, and in
| IL 10 rryyi INF n
was taken. According to the Federalists
who were strict constructionists then,
when out of power, the purchase of Lou
isiana was violation of the Constitution.
jefferson himself said that he bent the
Constitution in this TRANSACTION to near
the breaking point.
However, the country has emphatically
| endorsed it, and Jefferson will be remem-
bered longer for bringing it about than
he will for writing the Declaration Of
Independence. Through it the national
domain was much more than doubled,
and a region was gained and of which
fourteen states and two territories are
formed and all at a cost of only about
two cents an acre. 1t was the greatest
real estate deal on record.
Inc SeCOllu cAIId ocoSlOu No-lcu W
jefferson met on October 26, 1907. This
was made necessary by the wars between
England and France, which had troubled
Adams ten years earlier, and which wert
still being fiercely waged. Both belliger-
ents, contrary to international usage
were assailing American commerce
Jefferson asked Congress to pass law for
bidding commerce between this country
and the rest of the world. and as his par
ty had a large majority in each branch
the law was passed. This was known a
the Embargo Act. The embargo was re-
pealed in March, 1909, except as to com
merce with France and England, and the
next year it was entirely repealed. Tn
country which was hurt most by the en-
barge was the United States.
The raids on our commerce by boil
France and England being still unde
, wav when Madison went to the presi
dency on March 4, 1909. he called Con
!, gress in a session which began on Ma
22d OF that year and ended on June 2Sth
The United States declared war agains
, England on June Is, 1872. The secon
OF Madison s extra sessions which bega
on May "a 1913, and ended Oh Angus
ID, was called to provide additional way
and means for carrying on the war
Jackson in 1886, in his so-called sptei