During the five years following the close of Washington's military career, he found sufficient occupation in attending to the affairs of his homestead and property, and in fostering the progress of his native State. Mount Vernon was now constantly the scene of a profuse hospitality over which Washington presided with the courtly dignity natural to him. Be maintained his keen interest in public affairs, greatly regretting the general chaos and such disgraceful outbreaks as Shays's Rebellion. and helped by his corre spondence to bring the leading men of the coun try to a determination to form a more perfect Union. De was president of the Philadelphia convention of 1787, which framed the Constitu tion of the United States. Washington was unanimously chosen the first. President of the United States, and on April 30, 1789, took the oath of office in New York, where Congress was then sitting.
Washington's administration of the civil gov ernment was marked by the methodical preeisinn which had characterized his conduct through life. his conscientious habit of undertaking no duty until he comprehended its entire scope and bear ing was also especially apparent in his new po sition. He thoroughly informed himself concern ing all affairs of state, and every political act of importance which had been perforated by the Government and its agents since his retirement. lie personally di reeled the organization of the different departments of the Government under the new system, and in accordance with the Con stitution, and no net of his was more significant than his appointment as heads of departments of such distinguished and able men as Jefferson, Knox, and Edmund Randolph. Mean while, before the work of Congress began, Wash ington found time to make a tour through the Eastern States, better to acquaint himself with the views of the men who were presently to lay the foundations of the eommereial and industrial greatness of the United States. Before Con gress, in his first message, he laid ;In eminently judicious series of ion.; of laws and pro visions, mvhirh were at once made the basis of legislation. lie refrained sedulously from ally ing himself with either of the two parties, cralist and Denmeratie Republican. forming tin der Ilamimtors and Jefferson; and, on the contrary, strove to reconcile the differences between the leaders which he foresaw must inevitably in the future bring about wider differences among the people. The success of his first administration, and the universal sense of a security under his leadership, which did not appear in the least to he certain under that of any other, produced a gen eral anxiety, as his term of office drew to a close, that Washington should accept the• Presidency for a second term. Jefferson and Hamilton— wide apart as the poles in their political opin ions, and personally at enmity with end' other— agreed in this and each wrote a letter to Wash ington urging his compliance with what was now a great popular demand. To their solicitation
and that of others he aceeded ; he was reiAected unanimously, and on Alareh 4, 17113, took the oath of otlice for the second time as,President of the United States.
The very beginning of Washington's second administration saw the United States drawn into the vortex of European polities. The French Revolution was culminating in a Reign of Ter ror. Great Britain and France were at war, and gratitude seemed to demand that the West ern Republic should sustain her sister State and former ally in the existing struggle. But 'Wash ington was especially opposed to foreign com plications, and while he recognized the French Republic, and received its representative, he steadfastly adhered to his resolution to avoid interference in European turmoils. and issued a proclamation of neutrality on April 22, 1793. Factions now arose in the United States, the one side seeking to enforce practical adherence to the cause of France and the other sus taining Washington in the face of bitter ac cusations of bias in favor of the recent enemy of America, Great Britain. Between Republieans and Federalists the line was now drawn strictly on this basis, Dissensions and resignations oc curred in the Cabinet. Among the people Jacobin clubs were formed. which were as virulent in the expression of their animosities as were their prototypes in France. in the midst of all the excitement consequent upon such a state of af fairs, which was greatly increased by the in judicious, not to say insulting, defiance of the proclamation of neutrality by Genet, the French representative to the United States, Washing ton sent John Jay as envoy extraordinary to Eng land. Jay negotiated a commercial treaty which, though by no means satisfactory, was better than nothing, and this was signed by Washington on August IS. 1795. The publication of the terms of this treaty aroused the most violent discussion in and out of Congress. That body called upon the President for the correspondence and instructions involved in the negotiations, and these Washing ton declined to furnish. Acrimonious debate fol lowed, but the President held firm to his position, and the matter died out. (See ,JAY TREATY.) Thus, by his wisdom and determination, did Washington prevent his country—just emerging from the trials and vicissitudes of the War of Independence—from engaging in 'entangling al liances' which would certainly have precipitated renewed warfare and perhaps have rendered im possible the growth of the magnificent super structure of which the solid foundation had been laid.