ance, and he saw that they were
the harbingers of others of like character, although he could not yet
estimate the full violence of the storm of popular disapprobation. On
July 28 he sent his answer to the selectmen of Boston, and it is such
an important paper that it must be given in full. It was as follows:--

UNITED STATES, _28th of July_, 1795.

GENTLEMEN: In every act of my administration I have sought the
happiness of my fellow-citizens. My system for the attainment of
this object has uniformly been to overlook all personal, local,
and partial considerations; to contemplate the United States
as one great whole; to confide that sudden impressions, and
erroneous, would yield to candid reflections; and to consult only
the substantial and permanent interests of our country.

Nor have I departed from this line of conduct on the occasion
which has produced the resolutions contained in your letter of the
13th inst.

Without a predilection for my own judgment, I have weighed with
attention every argument which has at any time been brought into
view. But the Constitution is the guide which I never can abandon.
It has assigned to the President the power of making treaties with
the advice and consent of the Senate. It was doubtless supposed
that these two branches of government would combine, without
passion and with the best means of information, those facts and
principles upon which the success of our foreign relations will
always depend; that they ought not to substitute for their own
convictions the opinions of others, or to seek truth through any
channel but that of a temperate and well-informed investigation.

Under this persuasion, I have resolved on the manner of executing
the duty before me. To the high responsibility attached to it, I
fully submit; and you, gentlemen, are at liberty to make these
sentiments known as the grounds of my procedure. While I feel the
most lively gratitude for the many instances of approbation from
my country, I can no otherwise deserve it than by obeying the
dictates of my conscience. With due respect, I am, etc.

It will be noticed that this letter is dated "The United States, 28th
of July," which is, I think, the only instance of the sort to be found
in his letters. In all his vast correspondence there possibly may be
other cases in which he used this method of dati