ith the decline of
Spanish strength, and the concessions demanded from that ancient
monarchy by the upstart republic seemed at once exasperating and
humiliating. The career of Jackson in Florida, while it exposed the
weakness of Spain, also sorely wounded her pride. Nor could the
grandees, three thousand miles away, form so accurate an opinion of
the true condition and prospects of affairs as could Don Onis upon
this side of the water. One day, begging Mr. Adams to meet him upon a
question of boundary, "he insisted much upon the infinite pains he had
taken to prevail upon his government to come to terms of accommodation,"
and pathetically declared that "the King's Council was composed (p. 112)
of such ignorant and stupid _nigauds_, grandees of Spain, and priests,"
that Mr. Adams "could have no conception of their obstinacy and
imbecility."

Other difficulties in Mr. Adams's way were such as ought not to have
been encountered. The only substantial concession which he was willing
to make was in accepting the Sabine instead of the Rio del Norte as
the southwestern boundary of Louisiana. But no sooner did rumors of
this possible yielding get abroad than he was notified that Mr. Clay
"would take ground against" any treaty embodying it. From Mr. Crawford
a more dangerous and insidious policy was to be feared. Presumably he
would be well pleased either to see Mr. Adams fail altogether in the
negotiation, or to see him conclude a treaty which would be in some
essential feature odious to the people.

"That all his conduct [wrote Mr. Adams] is governed by his views
to the Presidency, as the ultimate successor to Mr. Monroe, and
that his hopes depend upon a result unfavorable to the success or
at least to the popularity of the Administration, is perfectly
clear.... His talent is intrigue. And as it is in the foreign
affairs that the success or failure of the Administration will be
most conspicuous, and as their success would promote the
reputation and influence, and their failure would lead to (p. 113)
the disgrace of the Secretary of State, Crawford's personal
views centre in the ill-success of the Administration in its
foreign relations; and, perhaps unconscious of his own motives,
he will always be impelled to throw obstacles in its way, and to
bring upon the Department of State especially any feeling of
public dissatisfaction that he can, ... and al