Jefferson did not take his seat at the next ses sion of Congress, because be thought he could best serve his country by preparing the laws of his State for the changed conditions the new gov einment would bring with it. In this task he was not working single-handed, but the initiative was almost entirely his own. In October. 177G. Jefferson took his seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, where for two years he labored inces santly at revising the whole Virginia code. re forming old and proposing new laws. In spite of the opposition of the privileged classes, the old aristocratic framework of Virginia society was in a brief time replaced by a democratic one. In June, 1779, a time when the Revolution looked most hopeless for the Americans, Jeffer son was elected Governor of the State where the struggle was to be ended. Virginia had supplied to the Revolution 10,000 men, besides all the horses and arms possible, and Jefferson's first duty was to keep up as well as he could this support. Soon, however, the British pushed the war in the South. In April Cornwallis sent Tarleton to capture the Virginia Legislature, then at Charlottesville, but be succeeded only in dispersing it. Jefferson himself narrowly missed capture at Monticello by a party sent after him. His conduct during this period has been the subject of much thoughtless cen sure. He was not, indeed, fitted to be a 'war Governor,' nor was he even of a very prac tical nature, but be seems to have done quite as well as the situation allowed. His course had Washington's substantial approval, for the com mander-in-chief recognized that Virginia was without means of defense and that it was impos sible for any one to defend it. To the mental suffering caused Jefferson's sensitive nature by the criticisms of his administration there was added at this time the sorrow occasioned by the death of his wife, to whom he had been singularly devoted. He retired to his home, where he re mained until called by Congress to be one of the ccminissioners to arrange the treaty of peace. He left home, but found that matters had gone so far that he could be of no practical service, and he did not sail. In 1783 be took his seat in Congress, and did much to strengthen a body fallen into something like contempt for its in competence. His most important service here was to devise the decimal system of coinage, and to draw up a plan for the government of the terri tory to the northwest of the Ohio River. In the latter plan there was the provision for the pro hibition of slavery, which, though rejected at first, finally secured all of the vast domain to freedom.
In May, 1784, Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams were sent to Europe under a general power to make commercial treaties. In 1785 Jefferson succeeded Franklin as American representative to France. The diplomatic fruits of this stay are not specially remarkable—because Europe was much concerned with internal troubles and little interested in the affairs of the new nation across the Atlantic. By his personal charm, however, by his sympathy with French ideas. and by the influence of his Notes on. now published with his consent, Jefferson did much to set the United States in a favorable light in Europe. Having as his official duty to attend to the ignoble tribute by which the commercial nations of the time warded off the Algerian pirates, he protested vigorously that a war would be not only more honorable, but much cheaper. On a, brief and unsatisfactory mission to England he got a first-hand confirmation of the insolence with which the Americans were there treated. He traveled in Italy and Germany, and in Paris became intimate with D'Alembert. Condoreet, and
other extreme liberals, with whom his intellec tual affinity was marked. In 1789 he returned to America. and under Washington became first Secretary of State. The organization of the Government had defined political parties, and hardly was .Jefferson in office before he was recognized as the leader of the Democratic Repub licans (afterwards known first as the Repub licans and then as the Democrats), while Alexan der Hamilton was the leader of the Federalists. Hamilton favored a strong Federal government and distrusted the people: Jefferson insisted on State sovereignty, and regarded the people with the most optimistic faith : Washington held N iews more moderate than either. 'most of Ham ilton's definite propositions have been adopted by the Government, but Jefferson's spirit has given them life. The two new parties came into sharp contention over the question of neu trality when in 1793 France declared war against England. The followers of Jeffers( n held that the United States were bound by gratitude and treaty to aid the French Republic: those of Hamilton argued that the treaty was now in force, and that motives of self-preservatim. were stronger than the obligation owed for help dur ing the Revolution. Washington finally issued a neutrality proclamation. but at the same time declared that he would receive the 'Minister of the Republic, Genet. 'Citizen Genet.' as he was called, acted with what was considered to be outrageous disregard for international etiquette, and '1% as reeallcd, hut the bitterness between Hamilton and Jetiers.al was never removed.
Jefferson's secretaryship had not been congenial to him. and at the call of seine private business, lie retired December 31, 1793. Washington's an nouncement in September. 1796, that he would not be a candidate for a third term, led to the nomination of Adams. then Vice-President, and Jefferson by tile Federalists and the Democratic Republicans, respectively. Adams, having re ceived the highest vote, was chosen President, and Jefferson, having the next highest, was. under the law of the time, chosen Vice-President. As the duties which Jefferson had now to per form were chicily secondary, lie was able to spend most of his Dine at home, where, nevertheless, he continued to direct the party of which he was the head. The excesses of the French in the Reign of Terror caused a great reaction in America against Republican doctrines, and the Directory now in control in France scented bent on having war with the United States, The American envoys were treated with insolence, and later the shame ful incident of the 'X. Y. Z.' letters brought not only the quick-tempered Adams. but also all but the most devoted followers of Jefferson to a strong desire for war. This calamity was avoided because the French Minister, Talleyrand, seeing that lie had overstepped himself in his knavery. now proclaimed the whole thing a mistake. The war feeling had, however, carried the President and his supporters so far that they felt justified in having the Alien and Sedition laws passed for the protection of the Government, the former making it possible to expel from the country any alien suspected of treason, and the latter making defamation of the Government a crime punish able by a heavy fine. -Jefferson on this provoca tion drew up the Kentucky Resolutions, which seemed strongly to manifest his belief in the right of a State to secede, although this is not abso lutely implied and at least does not seem to have remained his fixed opinion.