eiving more votes at the South than Adams, as he really
did,--could the northern federal electors be persuaded to vote equally
for Adams and Pickney, which Hamilton labored to effect.

The fear, however, that Pickney might be chosen over Adams led to the
withholding from Pickney of eighteen New England votes, so that the
result was not only to make Jefferson Vice-President, as having more
votes than Pickney, but also to excite prejudices and suspicions in the
mind of Adams against Hamilton, which, being reciprocated by him, led to
the disruption and final overthrow of the Federal party.

It had almost happened, such was the equal division of parties, that
Jefferson had this time been elected President. The election of Adams,
who had 71 votes to Jefferson's 68, only being secured by two stray
votes cast for him, one in Virginia, and the other in North Carolina,
tributes of revolutionary reminiscences and personal esteem. Chosen by
this slender majority, Mr. Adams succeeded to office at a very dangerous
and exciting crisis in affairs. The progress of the French revolution
had superinduced upon previous party divisions a new and vehement
crisis.

Jefferson's supporters, who sympathized very warmly with the French
Republic, gave their moral, if not their positive support, to the claim
set up by its rulers, but which Washington had refused to admit, that
under the provisions of the French treaty of alliance, the United States
were bound to support France against Great Britain, at least in defense
of her West India possessions. The other party, the supporters of Adams,
upheld the policy of neutrality adopted by Washington.

At the same time that Washington had sent Jay to England, to arrange, if
possible, the pending difficulties with that country; he had recalled
Morris who, as Minister to France, had made himself obnoxious to the now
predominent party there, and had appointed Monroe in his place. This
gentleman, instead of conforming to his instructions, and attempting to
reconcile France to Jay's mission, had given them assurance on the
subject quite in contradiction of the treaty as made, both the formation
and ratification of which he had done his best to defeat. He, in
consequence, had been recalled by Washington shortly before the close of
his term of office, and C. C. Pickney, a brother of Thomas Pickney, had
been appointed in his place. The French authorities, offended at this
change, and the ratification of Jay's