AND THE FEDERALIST PARTY 135 



ington once exclaimed he would rather be in his grave 

 than sit and listen to them. Never, perhaps, did 

 Washington's strength of character seem more colos- 

 sal than in the steadiness with which he pursued his 

 course amid that wild confusion. 



The first outburst of popular wrath was against 

 Great Britain on the occasion of the Jay treaty in 

 1 794. The treaty was called a base surrender to the 

 British, and Hamilton was stoned while attempting to 

 defend it in a public meeting in New York. Wash- 

 ington's personal authority, more than anything else, 

 carried the treaty and averted war with Great Britain. 

 At that moment the Republican opposition was at its 

 height, and scurrilous newspapers heaped anathemas 

 upon Washington, calling him the " stepfather of his 

 country." But as the Jay treaty enraged the French 

 and made them more abusive than ever, the zeal of the 

 Republican sympathizers began to cool rapidly. When 

 in 1 798 it appeared that Prince Talleyrand was trying 

 to extort blackmail from the United States, popular 

 wrath in America was turned against France, the war 

 cry was raised, " Millions for defence, not one cent for 

 tribute," the Republicans were struck dumb, and the 

 Federalists seemed to be riding on the top of the tide. 

 In a moment of over-confidence the latter now 

 ventured upon a step which soon led to their down- 

 fall. In their eagerness to keep out intriguing foreign- 

 ers and curb the license of the newspapers, they carried 

 through Congress the famous alien and sedition laws. 

 Through Hamilton's influence these acts were some- 

 what softened in passing, but as passed they were 

 palpably in violation of the Constitution, and infringed 

 so outrageously upon freedom of speech and of the 



