_In Retirement_.
Returns to Mt. Vernon, ii. I;
tries to resume old life, 2;
gives up hunting, 2;
pursued by lion-hunters and artists, 3; overwhelmed with correspondence, 3;
receives letters from Europe, 4;
from cranks, 4;
from officers, 4;
his share in Society of Cincinnati, 4; manages his estate, 5;
visits Western lands, 5;
family cares, 5, 6;
continues to have interest in public affairs, 6; advises Congress regarding peace establishment, 6; urges acquisition of Western posts, 7; his broad national views, 7;
alone in realizing future greatness of country, 7, 8; appreciates importance of the West, 8; urges development of inland navigation, 9; asks Jefferson’s aid, 9, 10;
lays canal scheme before Virginia legislature, 10; his arguments, 10;
troubled by offer of stock, 11;
uses it to endow two schools, 12; significance of his scheme, 12, 13;
his political purposes in binding West to East, 13; willing to leave Mississippi closed for this purpose, 14, 15, 16; feels need of firmer union during Revolution, 17; his arguments, 18, 19;
his influence starts movement for reform, 20; continues to urge it during retirement, 21; foresees disasters of confederation, 21; urges impost scheme, 22;
condemns action of States, 22, 23, 25; favours commercial agreement between Maryland and Virginia, 23; stung by contempt of foreign powers, 24; his arguments for a national government, 24; points out designs of England, 25;
works against paper money craze in States, 26; his opinion of Shays’s rebellion, 26;
his position contrasted with Jefferson’s, 27; influence of his letters, 28, 29;
shrinks from participating in Federal convention, 29; elected unanimously, 30;
refuses to go to a feeble convention, 30, 31; finally makes up his mind, 31.
_In the Federal Convention_.
Speech attributed to Washington by Morris on duties of delegates, 31, 32;
chosen to preside, 33;
takes no part in debate, 34;
his influence in convention, 34, 35; despairs of success, 35;
signs the Constitution, 36;
words attributed to him, 36;
silent as to his thoughts, 36, 37; sees clearly danger of failure to ratify, 37; tries at first to act indifferently, 38; begins to work for ratification, 38;
writes letters to various people, 38, 39; circulates copies of “Federalist,” 40; saves ratification in Virginia, 40;
urges election of Federalists to Congress, 41; receives general request to accept presidency, 41; his objections, 41, 42;
dreads failure and responsibility, 42; elected, 42;
his journey to New York, 42-46;
speech at Alexandria, 43;
popular reception at all points, 44, 45; his feelings, 46;
his inauguration, 46.
_President_.
His speech to Congress, 48;
urges no specific policy, 48, 49; his solemn feelings, 49;
his sober view of necessities of situation, 50; question of his title, 52;
arranges to communicate with Senate by writing, 52, 53; discusses social etiquette, 53;
takes middle ground, 54;
wisdom of his action, 55;
criticisms by Democrats, 55, 56;
accused of monarchical leanings, 56, 57; familiarizes himself with work already accomplished under Confederation, 58;
his business habits, 58;
refuses special privileges to French minister, 59, 60; skill of his reply, 60, 61;
solicited for office, 61;
his views on appointment, 62;
favors friends of Constitution and old soldiers, 62; success of his appointments, 63;
selects a cabinet, 64;
his regard for Knox 65;
for Morris, 66;
his skill in choosing, 66;
his appreciation of Hamilton, 67; his grounds for choosing Jefferson, 68; his contrast with Jefferson, 69;
his choice a mistake in policy, 70; his partisan characteristics, 70, 71;
excludes anti-Federalists, 71;
nominates justices of Supreme Court, 72; their party character, 73;
illness, 73;
visits the Eastern States, 73;
his reasons, 74;
stirs popular enthusiasm, 74;
snubbed by Hancock in Massachusetts, 75; accepts Hancock’s apology, 75;
importance of his action, 76;
success of journey, 76;
opens Congress, 78, 79;
his speech and its recommendations, 81; how far carried out, 81-83;
national character of the speech, 83; his fitness to deal with Indians, 87;
his policy, 88;
appoints commission to treat with Creeks, 90; ascribes its failure to Spanish intrigue, 90; succeeds by a personal interview in making treaty, 91; wisdom of his policy, 92;
orders an expedition against Western Indians, 93; angered at its failure, 94;
and at conduct of frontiersmen, 94; prepares St. Clair’s expedition, 95;
warns against ambush, 95;
hopes for decisive results, 97;
learns of St. Clair’s defeat, 97; his self-control, 97;
his outburst of anger against St. Clair, 97, 98; masters his feelings, 98;
treats St. Clair kindly, 99;
determines on a second campaign, 100; selects Wayne and other officers, 100; tries to secure peace with tribes, 101; efforts prevented by English influence, 101, 102; and in South by conduct of Georgia, 103; general results of his Indian policy, 104; popular misunderstandings and criticism, 104, 105; favors assumption of state debts by the government, 107, 108; satisfied with bargain between Hamilton and Jefferson, 108; his respectful attitude toward Constitution, 109; asks opinions of cabinet on constitutionality of bank, 110; signs bill creating it, 110;
reasons for his decision, 111;
supports Hamilton’s financial policy, 112; supports Hamilton’s views on protection, 115, 116; appreciates evil economic condition of Virginia, 116, 117; sees necessity for self-sufficient industries in war time, 117; urges protection, 118, 119, 120;
his purpose to build up national feeling, 121; approves national excise tax, 122, 123; does not realize unpopularity of method, 123; ready to modify but insists on obedience, 124, 125; issues proclamation against rioters, 125; since Pennsylvania frontier continues rebellious, issues second proclamation threatening to use force, 127; calls out the militia, 127;
his advice to leaders and troops, 128; importance of Washington’s firmness, 129; his good judgment and patience, 130;
decides success of the central authority, 130; early advocacy of separation of United States from European politics, 133;
studies situation, 134, 135;
sees importance of binding West with Eastern States, 135; sees necessity of good relations with England, 137; authorizes Morris to sound England as to exchange of ministers and a commercial treaty, 137;
not disturbed by British bad manners, 138; succeeds in establishing diplomatic relations, 138; early foresees danger of excess in French Revolution, 139, 140; states a policy of strict neutrality, 140, 142, 143; difficulties of his situation, 142;
objects to action of National Assembly on tobacco and oil, 144; denies reported request by United States that England mediate with Indians, 145;
announces neutrality in case of a European war, 146; instructs cabinet to prepare a neutrality proclamation, 147; importance of this step not understood at time, 148, 149; foresees coming difficulties, 149, 150; acts cautiously toward _emigres_, 151; contrast with Genet, 152;
greets him coldly, 152;
orders steps taken to prevent violations of neutrality, 153, 154; retires to Mt. Vernon for rest, 154;
on returning finds Jefferson has allowed Little Sarah to escape, 156; writes a sharp note to Jefferson, 156; anger at escape, 157;
takes matters out of Jefferson’s hands, 157; determines on asking recall of Genet, 158; revokes exequatur of Duplaine, French consul, 159; insulted by Genet, 159, 160;
refuses to deny Jay’s card, 160;
upheld by popular feeling, 160;
his annoyance at the episode, 160; obliged to teach American people self-respect, 162, 163; deals with troubles incited by Genet in the West, 162, 163; sympathizes with frontiersmen, 163;
comprehends value of Mississippi, 164, 165; sends a commission to Madrid to negotiate about free navigation, 166; later sends Thomas Pinckney, 166;
despairs of success, 166;
apparent conflict between French treaties and neutrality, 169, 170; value of Washington’s policy to England, 171; in spite of England’s attitude, intends to keep peace, 177; wishes to send Hamilton as envoy, 177; after his refusal appoints Jay, 177;
fears that England intends war, 178; determines to be prepared, 178;
urges upon Jay the absolute necessity of England’s giving up Western posts, 179;
dissatisfied with Jay treaty but willing to sign it, 184; in doubt as to meaning of conditional ratification, 184; protests against English “provision order” and refuses signature, 185; meets uproar against treaty alone, 188; determines to sign, 189;
answers resolutions of Boston town meeting, 190; refuses to abandon his judgment to popular outcry, 190; distinguishes temporary from permanent feeling, 191; fears effect of excitement upon French government, 192; his view of dangers of situation, 193, 194; recalled to Philadelphia by cabinet, 195; receives intercepted correspondence of Fauchet, 195, 196; his course of action already determined, 197, 198; not influenced by the Fauchet letter, 198; evidence of this, 199, 200;
reasons for ratifying before showing letter to Randolph, 199, 200; signs treaty, 201;
evidence that he did not sacrifice Randolph, 201, 202; fairness of his action, 203;
refuses to reply to Randolph’s attack, 204; reasons for signing treaty, 205;
justified in course of time, 206; refuses on constitutional grounds the call of representatives for documents, 208;
insists on independence of treaty-making by executive and Senate, 209; overcomes hostile majority in House, 210; wishes Madison to succeed Morris at Paris, 211; appoints Monroe, 216;
his mistake in not appointing a political supporter, 212; disgusted at Monroe’s behavior, 213, 214; recalls Monroe and appoints C.C. Pinckney, 214; angered at French policy, 214;
his contempt for Monroe’s self-justification, 215, 216; review of foreign policy, 216-219;
his guiding principle national independence, 216; and abstention from European politics, 217; desires peace and time for growth, 217, 218; wishes development of the West, 218, 219; wisdom of his policy, 219;
considers parties dangerous, 220; but chooses cabinet from Federalists, 220; prepared to undergo criticism, 221;
willingness to bear it, 221;
desires to learn public feeling, by travels, 221, 222; feels that body of people will support national government, 222; sees and deplores sectional feelings in the South, 222, 223; objects to utterances of newspapers, 223; attacked by “National Gazette,” 227;
receives attacks on Hamilton from Jefferson and his friends, 228, 229; sends charges to Hamilton, 229;
made anxious by signs of party division, 229; urges both Hamilton and Jefferson to cease quarrel, 230, 231; dreads an open division in cabinet, 232; desirous to rule without party, 233;
accomplishes feat of keeping both secretaries in cabinet, 233; keeps confidence in Hamilton, 234;
urged by all parties to accept presidency again, 235; willing to be reelected, 235;
pleased at unanimous vote, 235;
his early immunity from attacks, 237; later attacked by Freneau and Bache, 238; regards opposition as dangerous to country, 239; asserts his intention to disregard them, 240; his success in Genet affair, 241;
disgusted at “democratic” societies, 242; thinks they fomented Whiskey Rebellion, 242; denounces them to Congress, 243;
effect of his remarks, 244;
accused of tyranny after Jay treaty, 244; of embezzlement, 245;
of aristocracy, 245;
realizes that he must compose cabinet of sympathizers, 246; reconstructs it, 246;
states determination to govern by party, 247; slighted by House, 247;
refuses a third term, 248;
publishes Farewell Address, 248;
his justification for so doing, 248; his wise advice, 249;
address Attacked by Democrats, 250, 251; assailed in Congress by Giles, 251;
resents charge of being a British sympathizer, 252; his scrupulously fair conduct toward France, 253; his resentment at English policy, 254; his retirement celebrated by the opposition, 255; remarks of the “Aurora,” 256;
forged letters of British circulated, 257; he repudiates them, 257;
his view of opposition, 259.
_In Retirement_.
Regards Adams’s administration as continuation of his own, 259; understands Jefferson’s attitude, 259; wishes generals of provisional army to be Federalist, 260; doubts fidelity of opposition as soldiers, 260; dreads their poisoning mind of army, 261; his condemnation of Democrats, 261, 262; snubs Dr. Logan for assuming an unofficial mission to France, 263-265; alarmed at Virginia and Kentucky resolutions, 266; urges Henry to oppose Virginia resolutions, 267; condemns the French party as unpatriotic, 267; refuses request to stand again for presidency, 269; comments on partisanship of Democrats, 269; believes that he would be no better candidate than any other Federalist, 270, 271;
error of statement that Washington was not a party man, 271, 272; slow to relinquish non-partisan position, 272; not the man to shrink from declaring his position, 273; becomes a member of Federalist party, 273, 274; eager for end of term of office, 275;
his farewell dinner, 275;
at Adams’s inauguration, 276;
popular enthusiasm at Philadelphia, 276; at Baltimore, 277;
returns to Mt. Vernon, 279;
describes his farm life, 278, 279; burdened by necessities of hospitality, 280; account of his meeting with Bernard, 281-283; continued interest in politics, 284;
accepts command of provisional army, 285; selects Hamilton, Pinckney, and Knox as major-generals, 286; surprised at Adams’s objection to Hamilton, 286; rebukes Adams for altering order of rank of generals, 286, 287; not influenced by intrigue, 287;
annoyed by Adams’s conduct, 288;
tries to soothe Knox’s irritation, 289; fails to pacify him, 289;
carries out organization of army, 290; does not expect actual war, 291;
disapproves of Gerry’s conduct, 292; disapproves of Adams’s nomination of Vans Murray, 292; his dread of French Revolution, 295;
distrusts Adams’s attempts at peace, 296; approves Alien and Sedition laws, 296; his defense of them, 297;
distressed by dissensions among Federalists, 298; predicts their defeat, 298;
his sudden illness, 299-302;
death, 303.
_Character_,
misunderstood, 304;
extravagantly praised, 304;
disliked on account of being called faultless, 305; bitterly attacked in lifetime, 306;
sneered at by Jefferson, 306;
by Pickering, 307;
called an Englishman, not an American, 307, 308; difference of his type from that of Lincoln, 310; none the less American, 311, 312;
compared with Hampden, 312;
his manners those of the times elsewhere in America, 314; aristocratic, but of a non-English type, 314-316; less affected by Southern limitations than his neighbors, 316; early dislike of New England changed to respect, 316, 317; friendly with people of humble origin, 317, 318; never an enemy of democracy, 318;
but opposes French excesses, 318; his self-directed and American training, 319, 320; early conception of a nation, 321;
works toward national government during Revolution, 321; his interest in Western expansion, 321, 322; national character of his Indian policy, 322; of his desire to secure free Mississippi navigation, 322; of his opposition to war as a danger to Union, 323; his anger at accusation of foreign subservience, 323; continually asserts necessity for independent American policy, 324, 325;
opposes foreign educational influences, 325, 326; favors foundation of a national university, 326; breadth and strength of his national feeling, 327; absence of boastfulness about country, 328; faith in it, 328;
charge that he was merely a figure-head, 329; its injustice, 330;
charged with commonplaceness of intellect, 330; incident of the deathbed explained, 330, 331; falsity of the charge, 331;
inability of mere moral qualities to achieve what he did, 331; charged with dullness and coldness, 332; his seriousness, 333;
responsibility from early youth, 333; his habits of keen observation, 333;
power of judging men, 334;
ability to use them for what they were worth, 335; anecdote of advice to Hamilton and Meade, 335; deceived only by Arnold, 336;
imperfect education, 337;
continual efforts to improve it, 337, 338; modest regarding his literary ability, 339, 340; interested in education, 339;
character of his writing, 340;
tastes in reading, 341;
modest but effective in conversation, 342; his manner and interest described by Bernard, 343-347; attractiveness of the picture, 347, 348; his pleasure in society, 348;
power of paying compliments, letter to Mrs. Stockton, 349; to Charles Thompson, 350;
to De Chastellux, 351;
his warmth of heart, 352;
extreme exactness in pecuniary matters, 352; illustrative anecdotes, 353,354;
favorable opinion of teller of anecdotes, 356; stern towards dishonesty or cowardice, 357; treatment of Andre and Asgill, 357, 358; sensitive to human suffering, 357, 358; kind and courteous to poor, 359;
conversation with Cleaveland, 359; sense of dignity in public office, 360; hospitality at Mt. Vernon, 360, 361;
his intimate friendships, 361,362; relations with Hamilton, Knox, Mason, Henry Lee, Craik, 362, 363; the officers of the army, 363;
Trumbull, Robert and Gouverneur Morris, 363; regard for and courtesy toward Franklin, 364; love for Lafayette, 365;
care for his family, 366;
lasting regard for Fairfaxes, 366, 367; kindness to Taft family, 367, 368;
destroys correspondence with his wife, 368; their devoted relationship, 368;
care for his step-children and relatives, 369, 370; charged with lack of humor, 371;
but never made himself ridiculous, 372; not joyous in temperament, 372;
but had keen pleasure in sport, 373; enjoyed a joke, even during Revolution, 374; appreciates wit, 375;
writes a humorous letter, 376-378; not devoid of worldly wisdom, 378, 379; enjoys cards, dancing, the theatre, 380; loves horses, 380;
thorough in small affairs as well as great, 381; controversy over site of church, 381;
his careful domestic economy, 382; love of method, 383;
of excellence in dress and furniture, 383, 384; gives dignity to American cause, 385;
his personal appearance, 385;
statements of Houdon, 386;
of Ackerson, 386, 387;
his tremendous muscular strength, 388; great personal impressiveness, 389, 390; lacking in imagination, 391;
strong passions, 391;
fierce temper, 392;
anecdotes of outbreaks, 392;
his absence of self-love, 393;
confident in judgment of posterity, 393; religious faith, 394;
summary and conclusion, 394, 395.
_Characteristics of_.
General view, ii. 304-395;
general admiration for, i. 1-7;
myths about, i. 9-12, ii. 307 ff.; comparisons with Jefferson, ii. 69;
with Lincoln, ii. 310-312;
with Hampden, ii. 312, 313;
absence of self-seeking, i. 341;
affectionateness, i. 111, 285,331,345, ii. 332, 362-371; agreeableness, ii. 344-347, 377;
Americanism, ii. 307-328;
aristocratic habits, ii. 314, 316; business ability, i. 105, 109, ii. 5, 352, 382; coldness on occasion, i. 223, 224, 263, ii. 318; courage, i. 77, 78, 86, 127, 168, 292; dignity, i. 81,161, ii. 52-57, 76;
hospitality, ii. 360;
impressiveness, i. 56, 83, 130, 138, 319, ii. 385; indomitableness, i. 177, 181, 227;
judgments of men, i. 295, ii. 64, 86, 334, 335; justice and sternness, i. 287, 330, ii. 203, 352-358, 389; kindliness, ii. 349-356, 359;
lack of education, i. 62, ii. 337; love of reading, i. 62, ii. 341, 342;
love of sport, i. 56, 98, 113-116, 118, ii. 380; manners, ii. 282-283, 314;
military ability, i. 154, 166, 174, 183, 197, 204, 207, 239, 247, 265, 267, 305-320, ii. 331;
modesty, i. 102, 134;
not a figure-head, ii. 329, 330;
not a prig, i. 10-12, 41-47;
not cold and inhuman, ii. 332, 342; not dull or commonplace, ii. 330, 332; not superhuman and distant, i. 9, 10, 12, ii. 304, 305; open-mindedness, ii. 317;
passionateness, i. 58, 73, 90;
personal appearance, i. 57, 136, 137, ii. 282, 343, 385-389; religious views, i. 321, ii. 393;
romantic traits, i. 95-97;
sense of humor, ii. 371-377;
silence regarding self, i. 14, 69, 70, 116, 129, 285; ii. 37, 336; simplicity, i. 59, 69, 348; ii. 50, 340; sobriety, i. 49, 52, 134; ii. 43, 45, 333, 373; tact, i. 162, 243, 244-246;
temper, i. 73, 92, 110, 168, 236, 237, 260; ii. 98, 392; thoroughness, i. 112, 323, 341, ii. 381.
_Political Opinions_.
On Alien and Sedition Acts, ii. 196; American nationality, i. 191, 250, 251, 255, 262, 279, ii. 7, 61, 133, 145, 324, 325, 327, 328;
Articles of Confederation, i. 297, ii. 17, 24; bank, ii. 110, 111;
colonial rights, i. 120, 124-126, 130; Constitution, i. 38-41;
democracy, ii. 317-319;
Democratic party, ii. 214, 239, 240, 258, 261, 267, 268; disunion, ii. 22;
duties of the executive, ii. 190; education, ii. 81, 326, 330;
Federalist party, ii. 71, 246, 247, 259, 260, 261, 269-274, 298; finance, ii. 107, 108, 112, 122;
foreign relations, ii. 25, 134, 142, 145, 147, 179, 217-219, 323; French Revolution, ii. 139, 140, 295, 318; independence of colonies, i. 131, 159, 160; Indian policy, ii. 82, 87, 88, 91, 92, 104, 105; Jay treaty, ii. 184-205;
judiciary, i. 150;
nominations to office, ii. 62;
party, ii. 70, 222, 233, 249;
protection, ii. 116-122;
slavery, i. 106-108;
Stamp Act, i. 119;
strong government, i. 298, ii. 18, 24, 129, 130; treaty power, ii. 190, 207-210;
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, ii. 266, 267; Western expansion, ii. 6, 8-16, 135, 163-165, 218, 322.
Washington, George Steptoe,
his sons educated by Washington, ii. 370.
Washington, John, brother of George, letter of Washington, to, i. 132.
Washington, Lawrence, brother of George Washington, educated in England, i. 54;
has military career, 54;
returns to Virginia and builds Mt. Vernon, 54; marries into Fairfax family, 54, 55;
goes to West Indies for his health, 62; dies, leaving George guardian of his daughter, 64; chief manager of Ohio Company, 65;
gives George military education, 65.
Washington, Lund,
letter of Washington to, i. 152;
rebuked by Washington for entertaining British, ii. 303.
Washington, Martha, widow of Daniel P. Custis, meets Washington, i. 101;
courtship of, and marriage, 101, 102; hunts with her husband, 114;
joins him at Boston, 151;
holds levees as wife of President, ii. 54; during his last illness, 300;
her correspondence destroyed, 368; her relations with her husband, 368, 369.
Washington, Mary,
married to Augustine Washington, i. 39; mother of George Washington, 39;
limited education but strong character, 40, 41; wishes George to earn a living, 49;
opposes his going to sea, 49;
letters to, 88;
visited by her son, ii. 5.
Waters, Henry E.,
establishes Washington pedigree, i. 32.
Wayne, Anthony,
defeated after Brandywine, i. 198; his opinion of Germantown, 199;
at Monmouth urges Washington to come, 235; ready to attack Stony Point, 268;
his successful exploit, 269;
joins Lafayette in Virginia, 307; appointed to command against Indians, ii. 100; his character, 100;
organizes his force, 101;
his march, 102;
defeats the Indians, 103.
Weems, Mason L.,
influence of his life of Washington on popular opinion, i. 10; originates idea of his priggishness, 11; his character, 41, 43;
character of his book, 42;
his mythical “rectorate” of Mt. Vernon, 43, 44; invents anecdotes of Washington’s childhood, 44; folly of cherry-tree and other stories, 46; their evil influence, 47.
West, the,
its importance realized by Washington, ii. 7-16; his influence counteracted by inertia of Congress, 8; forwards inland navigation, 9;
desires to bind East to West, 9-11, 14; formation of companies, 11-13;
on Mississippi navigation, 14-16, 164; projects of Genet in, 162;
its attitude understood by Washington, 163, 164; Washington wishes peace in order to develop it, 218, 219, 321.
“Whiskey Rebellion,”
passage of excise law, ii. 123;
outbreaks of violence in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, 124; proclamation issued warning rioters to desist, 125; renewed outbreaks in Pennsylvania, 125, 126; the militia called out, 127;
suppression of the insurrection, 128; real danger of movement, 129;
its suppression emphasizes national authority, 129, 130; supposed by Washington to have been stirred up by Democratic clubs, 242.
White Plains,
battle at, i. 173.
Wilkinson, James,
brings Gates’s message to Washington at Trenton, i. 180; brings news of Saratoga to Congress, 220; nettled at Sherman’s sarcasm, discloses Conway cabal, 220; quarrels with Gates, 223;
resigns from board of war, 223, 226; leads expedition against Indians, ii. 95.
Willett, Colonel,
commissioner to Creeks, his success, ii. 91.
William and Mary College,
Washington Chancellor of, ii. 339.
Williams,
Washington’s teacher, i. 48, 51.
Willis, Lewis,
story of Washington’s school days, i. 95.
Wilson, James,
appointed to Supreme Court, ii. 72.
Wilson, James, “of England,”
hunts with Washington, i. 115.
Wolcott, Oliver,
receives Fauchet letter, ii. 195; succeeds Hamilton as Secretary of Treasury, 246.
Wooster, Mrs.,
letter of Washington to, ii. 61.
YORKTOWN,
siege of, i. 315-318.
“Young Man’s Companion,”
used by George Washington, origin of his rules of conduct, i. 52.