The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-07-25

the avowed supporters of the admin
! istration had still narrow majority;
but in the house they fell ten votes
short Of control; and Washington had
+, to put his policy of neutrality into ex-
ecution against the mad Genet with
! nothing but doubts how he should be
supported. The insane folly of Genet
saved the president serious embar-
rassment, after all; made the evidence
that Washington was right too plain
to be missed by anybody; and gave
the country at last vision enough to
see what was in fact the course Of
affairs abroad, within and without un-
happy France.
Before that trying year 1898 was
out, an attack upon Hamilton in the
house, though led by Madison, had
failed; Jefferson had left the cabinet;
and the hands of those who definitely
and heartily supported the president
were not little strengthened.
There was sharp bitterness between
parties-a bitterness sharper as yet,
indeed, than their differences Of view;
but the "federalists," who stood to the
support of Washington and Hamilton,
were able, none the less, to carry their
more indispensable measure-even an
act OF neutrality which made the pres
ident's policy the explicit law of the
land. The sober second thought of
the country was slowly coming about
to their aid.
Doubts About England.
The air might have cleared alto
gether had the right method of deal
ing with France been the only ques-
ton that pressed; but the i'll fortune
of the time forced the president to
seem not only the recreant friend of
France, but also the too complacent
partisan of England.
Great Britain seemed as mischiev-
ously bent upon forcing the United
States to war as Genet himself had
been. She would not withdraw her
garrisons from the border posts; it
was believed that she was melting
the Indians to their savage inroads
upon the border, as the French had
done in the old days; she set herself
to destroy neutral trade by Selling
all vessels that carried the products
Of the French islands or were laden
with provisions for their ports; she
would admit American vessels to her
own West Indian harbors only upon
sufferance, and within the limits OF
most jealous restriction
1t gave touch Of added bitterness
to the country's feeling against her
that she should thus levy as 1t were
covert war upon the Union while at
fecting to be at peace with 1t, as IL
she counted on its weakness, especial
ly on the seas; and congress would
have taken measures of retaliation,
which must certainly have led to open
hostilities. had not Washington inter
vened. despatching John Jay. the
trusted chief justice. across sea az
minister extraordinary, to negotiate
terms Of accommodation; and so Civ.
ing pause to the trouble.
Whisky Riots Suppressed.
While the country waited upon the
negotiation, 1t witnessed a wholesome
object-lesson in the power of its new
government. In March. 1871, congress
had passed an act laying taxes on dis
titled spirits: twas part of Hamilton's
plan to show that the federal govern
ment could and would use it's great
itxz hA On
hard upon the people as In the vast
far counties of Pennsylvania and Vir-
ginia, beyond the mountains-and
there the very allegiance Of the peo-
pie had been but the other day doubt
full, as Washington very well knew.
How were they to get their corn to
market over the long roads II they
were not to be permitted to reduce its
bulk and increase It's value by turn
ing 1t into whisky? The tax seemed
to them intolerable, and the remedy
plain. They would not pay 1t. They
had not been punctilious to obey the
laws of the states; they would not be-
gin obedience now by submitting to
the worst laws of the United States
At first they only amused them
selves by tarring and feathering an ex-
ciseman here and there; but resist
ance could not stop with that in the
face of a government bent upon hav-
ing it's own way Opposition organized
itself and spread. till the writs OF
federal courts had been def1ed by VIC
lent mobs and the western counties
of Pennsylvania were fairly quick with
incipient insurrection.
For two years Washington watched
the slow gathering of the storm. warn
ing those who resisted, keeping con-
gress abreast of him in preparation
for action when the right time should
come, letting all the country know
what was afoot and prepare its mind
| for what was to come. 1t must have
won him to stern humor to learn
that seven thousand armed men had
gathered in mass-meeting on Brad
docks field to defy him. At last he
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