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Essays and addresses

This volume helps us to see that there were two obstacles to war.

One was the president of the United States, George Washington, whose military destructive skill has been praised, perhaps overpraised, but whose civil constructive skill has received less attention than it deserves He knew that the best security for the young Republic was peace with and friendship of Britain; and Jay was sent to London to negotiate a treaty.

The other obstacle was the feeling in London and throughout the British Isles Even so well-informed a man as Jay had the idea that the insensate rancour shown by no small part of the American people toward everything English, a rancour not yet wholly dead, was recipro- cated in Englan When he got to London, he found to his amazement that king, cabinet, and people were unanimous in a conciliatory policy towards the United States ( 317).

While many of his compatriots thought of the king in terms of that political manifesto, the Declaration of Independence, the most successful instance of propaganda in modern history, he found to his astonishment King George popular, a model of private virtue, industrious, sober, temperate, affectionate, and atten- tive to his queen and children, a patron of the arts and sciences, and in general well-intentioned and persevering.

As to the cabinet, even Lord Hawkesbury was in favour of conciliation; while the sentiment of the people was shown at the dinner given Jay in London, at which were present the principal cabinet ministers The toast to the president of the United States, proposed to be with three cheers, was greeted with six, and every toast manifesting a desire for cordiality and conciliation with America met with general and strong marks of approbation.