The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-10-13

widely divergent reasons. When the
two came together in Washington's
cabinet the conflict began. For some
months they continued in friendly re-
lations. Then they separated POLITICAL
~ but remained on good personal
terms. Finally their difference of
opinion took on the guise of n quarrel,
and thus it continued to the end.
AT this time Hamilton was forcing
through the new congress his plans for
the organization of the money part of
the government. He was trying 10
take care of the debt which had been
incurred during the revolutionary war.
HIS plans were assailed bitterly by
Jefferson as tending to build up a
powerful political machine under the
lead of the treasury department.. Ham
ilton, however, was successful, and the
credit of the government was estab-
lished on a firm basis. The old debts
had become greatly deprecated in
value, and many holders parted with
their claims. The men who had faith
in Hamilton in the North bought these
claims, and when the plans had sue
cecded they made large sums from
their investments. The friends and
allies of Jefferson, who had not shared
in the belief in the success of Hamll-
toms plans, naturally did not invest,
and they saw immense profits gathered
in by Hamiltons adherents. This
tended still further to widen the
breach between the two mcu.
When the great ueston Of what the
United States was to do in the war
between England and France arose,
the two men found themselves diamet-
rically opposite. jefferson was a
strong friend Of France, and he en-
deavOrcd to prevent the new govern
ment from taking an action which
might he favorable to England. On
the other hand Hamilton was Mortified
at the reign of terror in France, and
leaned toward Englands side in the
great struggle which followed the exc
cution of the French king. The great
mass Of the people were with Jeifer-
son at the outset Washington was
bent OH maintaining strict neutrality
btween the two powers. The cabinet
of the time were bitter strug
giles between the two factions. Had it
not been for the foolishncss Of Citizen
Genet. who was sent to this country
as ambassador by the French republic,
1t is not unlikely that Jefferson would
have been victorious, but when 1t
came to waging open war with Eng
land to aid France. Jefferson had no
more liking for il than Washington.
The documents he drew as secretary
of state at this critical time ever since
have been the models of the state de-
partment. lie parted with the ca
IRENE element in favor of France, and
was bitterly ssHilcd by Genet When
in the course OF time public sentiment
turned from the French, owing to their
high handed proceedings, Jefferson
suffered no loss of political prestige
by his earlier course in the cabinet.
Washington was troubled beyond
measure at the friction between his
advisers, and wrote each OF them II
letter bearing an earnest request that
they stop their quarrcls. In reply JET
fcrson wrote Il long letter, in which
he reviewed the quarrel from It's in
ception. 1t was n bitter letter, and
Washington realized after he had read
it that peace was impossible in Ills
political household. When published,
the letter placed Jefferson Mt the head
of the new party which was slowly be-
ing formed out of the elements which
had opposed Hamilton's policy not only
in the treasury department but in for
elgn affairs. HamiltOn's reply was
brief, and did not take up Mt length
the differences Of opinion between
himself and the secretary Of state. In
this contest of letter writer's Jefferson
easily had the better Of it, which but
increased the intense bitterness felt
toward him by Hamilton's supporters.
The burden of Jcfferson's letter was
to the effect that Hamilton was schem-
ing to bring n monarchy to take the
place Of the federal government.
Had other men than Jefferson and
Hamilton been in the lead of the
schools Of thought the same quarrel
would have resulted. 1t
might have taken other shapes, but
their theories could not live alongside
of each other in peace. In the END
Jefferson was wholly victorious. He
lived to see the party that Hamilton
had formed and led to disappear from
politics. His own party ut the time Of
Hamilton's death was so much in the
ascendancy that its rule had ceased to
be disputed. And yet the strange part
of it all is that not only the treasury
department but the general plan Of the
federal government, as worked out by
Hamilton, was little disturbed by JEFF
ferson WIN he became president. The
forms and ceremonies We're
changed to some extent, but to this
day the treasury department remains
snhsta ntially as Hamilton made It. PO-