AND THE FEDERALIST PARTY 137 



than Adams himself. In 1798 the President saw a 

 chance to retaliate. A provisional army was to be 

 raised in view of the expected war with France, and 

 Washington accepted the chief command on condition 

 that he might choose his principal officers. With this 

 understanding he named as his three major-generals 

 Hamilton, Cotesworth Pinckney, and Knox. Presi- 

 dent Adams tried to reverse this order, on the ground 

 that in the revolutionary army Knox's rank was higher 

 than Hamilton's. A quarrel ensued which involved 

 the whole Federalist party, and was ended only when 

 Washington declared that unless his wishes were 

 respected he should resign. Before such a stroke as 

 this even Adams's obstinacy must give way, and he 

 was placed in the humiliating attitude of a man 

 who has not only tried to do a mean thing, but has 

 failed. 



If John Adams, however, could be weak, he could 

 also be very strong, and his course during the year 

 1 799 was nothing less than heroic. France was so far 

 affected by the warlike preparations of the United 

 States as to begin taking informal steps toward a 

 reconciliation, and Adams, who knew that war ought 

 if possible to be avoided, resolved to meet her half- 

 way. In spite of the protests of leading Federalists, 

 including part of his own cabinet, he sent envoys to 

 France, who in the following year succeeded in making 

 a treaty with Napoleon as First Consul. In taking 

 this step Adams knew that he was breaking up his 

 own party on the eve of a presidential election ; he 

 knew that he was thus in all probability ruining his 

 own chances for that second term which he desired 

 most intensely ; but he acted with a single eye to the 



