r counselled war any further was a public
enemy, and Lord North, then prime minister, when he heard of the
surrender of Cornwallis through a New York paper, exclaimed, "Oh, God!
it is all over!"

Washington now showed his sagacity in quelling the fears of the soldiers
regarding their back pay. He was invited to become king, but, having had
no practice, and fearing that he might run against a _coup d'etat_ or
_faux pas_, he declined, and spoke kindly against taking violent
measures.

In 1783, September 3, a treaty of peace was signed in Paris, and
Washington, delivering the most successful farewell address ever penned,
retired to Mount Vernon, where he began at once to enrich his farm with
the suggestions he had received during his absence, and to calmly take
up the life that had been interrupted by the tedious and disagreeable
war.

The country was free and independent, but, oh, how ignorant it was about
the science of government! The author does not wish to be personal when
he states that the country at that time did not know enough about
affairs to carry water for a circus elephant.

It was heavily in debt, with no power to raise money. New England
refused to pay her poll-tax, and a party named Shays directed his hired
man to overturn the government; but a felon broke out on his thumb, and
before he could put it down the crisis was averted and the country
saved.

[Illustration: WASHINGTON BEGAN AT ONCE TO ENRICH HIS FARM.]

CHAPTER XIX.

THE FIRST PRESIDENT.

It now became the duty of the new republic to seek out the man to
preside over it, and George Washington seems to have had no rivals. He
rather reluctantly left his home at Mount Vernon, where he was engaged
in trying the rotation of crops, and solemnly took the oath to support
the Constitution of the United States, which had been adopted September
17, 1787. His trip in April, 1789, from Mount Vernon to the seat of
government in New York was a simple but beautiful ovation.

Everybody tried to make it pleasant for him. He was asked at all the
towns to build there, and 'most everybody wanted him "to come and make
their house his home." When he got to the ferry he was not pushed off
into the water by commuters, but lived to reach the Old Federal Hall,
where he was sworn in.

In 1791 the seat of government was removed to Philadelphia, where it
remained for ten years, after which the United States took advantage of
the Homestead Act and located o