l^ilSTORY OF VERMONT. 27^ 



.)vished to retain and strengthen their feder4 

 constitution, and the other to give it a greater 

 assimilation to the French constitution, by in- 

 creasing the powers of the people. Parties were 

 thus insensibly and .gradually formed, both 

 avowing a warm attachment to the federal con- 

 stitution, but both . wishing in fact to have it 

 changed and altered. Professing very different 

 principles, they were in fact united in the same 

 object, to aher the constitution of their country z 

 The one wished to improve it by increasing, 

 and the other wished to improve it by diminish! 

 mg tlie powers, which it had assigned to the 

 president and senate of the United States. 



Happily for his country, Washington ha^ 

 virtue and iiifluence enough to check these pro- 

 ceedings, ^ Having sworn to adhere to the con- 

 stitution of his country, the people of the Uni^ 

 ted States found that their president had the 

 same firmness of character, unalterabihty of vir- 

 tue, and steadiness of pursuit, as had appearedi 

 m tiie victorious general of their armies. The 

 political zealots in favor of the French princi- ' 

 pies, made some attempts to injure his reputa- 

 tion, Influence, and authority. Failing in their 

 attempts, they did not venture to repeat the ex- 

 periment i and there was no way for them to 

 preserve their own influence and .authority, but 

 to disavow their intentions and designs, and to 

 jom the great majority of. their countrymen in 

 commending Washington's character ai;id ser- 

 vices. _ And it was not a little owing to the per^' 

 sonal virtues, influence, and reputation of this 

 ^reat man, that the progress of party and facliou 

 \vas checked and restrained in Vermont, as wett. 

 VOL. II K 2 



