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selfish people. Riches alone here fix consideration, and, CHAPTER as no one likes to be despised, they are universally sought after. Nevertheless, this depravity has not yet embraced 1794. the mass of the people. Still there are patriots of whom I delight to entertain an idea worthy of that imposing title. Consult Monroe he is of this number; he had apprised me of the men whom the current of events has dragged along as bodies devoid of weight. His friend Madison is also an honest man. Jefferson, on whom the patriots cast their eyes to succeed the president, had foreseen these crises; he prudently retired in order to avoid making a figure in scenes the secret of which will, sooner or later, be brought to light.

"As soon as it was decided that the French republic purchased no men to do their duty, there were to be seen individuals about whose conduct the government could, at least, form uneasy conjectures, giving themselves up with a scandalous ostentation to its views, and even seconding its declarations. The popular societies soon emitted resolutions stamped with the same spirit, which, although they may have been prompted by love of order, might nevertheless have been omitted, or uttered with less solemnity. Then were seen coming from the very men whom we have been accustomed to regard as having little friendship for the system of the treasurer, harangues without end, in order to give a new direction to the public mind.”

We shall have occasion to state hereafter the joint explanation, lamely attempted by Fauchet and Randolph, of the unofficial intercourse between them, disclosed in these extraordinary dispatches. They are given here, not for any weight to be attached to their allegations or conjectures, but as going to show the opinions which Fauchet had imbibed of the state of politics and the char

CHAPTER acter of individuals, and as tending to throw light upon

VII. subsequent events, by exhibiting the position in which 1794. Randolph really stood to the policy of the administration

and his colleagues in it. It certainly must be confessed that Washington was at least very unfortunate in the Virginia members of his cabinet.

Among numerous other bugbears suggested by those who had opposed the use of force against the Pennsyl vania insurgents, the danger had been much dwelt upon that they might cut off the supply of provisions for the army in the West, thereby exposing it to disbandment or destruction. But as the militia were crossing the mountains, news arrived of a complete victory gained by Wayne over the Indians.

Wayne had commenced operations early in the summer by pushing forward a strong detachment from his camp at Grenville to occupy St. Clair's battle-field, twenty-four miles in advance. Fort Recovery, built June 30. upon this spot, was presently attacked by a large body of Indians, who were repulsed, however, after a two days' fight. But the Indians were not entirely unsuccessful, since they carried off three hundred pack-mules, and inflicted a loss of fifty men upon an escort of three times that number, which had just guarded a provision train to the fort, and lay encamped outside. Meanwhile, General Scott was employed in Kentucky in raising a body of mounted militia to re-enforce Wayne's legion, which, garrisons deducted, did not much exceed two thousand effective men. Upon Scott's arrival with eleven hundAug. 8. red of these volunteers, Wayne advanced to the confluence of the Au Glaize and the Maumee. The Indians had expected the advance in another direction. Taken by surprise, they fled precipitately, and this "grand emporium" of the hostile tribes, as Wayne styled it, was

VII.

gained without loss. Here were fields of corn, planted CHAPTER by the Indians, more extensive than any which Wayne had ever seen. The fertile margins of these beautiful 1794. rivers, for several miles above and below their junction, appeared one continued village. For the permanent occupation of this important district, a strong stockade was built, called Fort Defiance, and another, called Fort Adams, on the St. Mary's, as an intermediate post, to connect it with Fort Recovery. The main body of the Indians had retired down the Maumee about thirty miles, to the foot of the rapids, where the British had recently built a new fort. Wayne sent a messenger proposing to treat, to which the Indians replied by asking delay for ten days. On receiving this answer, the army was at once put in motion. Two days they marched down the Aug. 16. Maumee; a third was spent in reconnoitering the enemy, who were found encamped in a bushy wood, their left protected by the rocky bank of the river. The position

of the Indians having been ascertained, the advance was resumed in the same order as before, the right flank of Aug 20. the legion leaning on the river, one battalion of the mounted volunteers on the left, another in the rear, and a strong detachment in front, to give notice when the enemy were found. As soon as the Indian fire was heard, the legion was formed in two lines, in the midst. of a thick wood, the ground being covered with old fallen timber, prostrated in some tornado, a position very favorable to the enemy, since the mounted volunteers could hardly act. The Indians were in three lines, extending from the river at right angles within supporting distance of each other. They seemed, from the weight of their fire, to be endeavoring to turn the left flank of the legion, whereupon Wayne ordered the second line into position on the left of the first. He also directed

CHAPTER the mounted volunteers to attempt to gain the enemy's VII. rear by a circuitous route, and Captain Campbell, with 1794. the legionary cavalry, to push in between the Indians and the river, the ground there being somewhat more open. Orders, simultaneously given, for the first line to start the enemy from his covert at the point of the bayonet, were obeyed with such alacrity that, before the other troops could get into position, the Indians were completely routed. Wayne lost a hundred and seven men in killed and wounded. Neither the loss nor the number of the Indians was ever ascertained. The Indian cornfields were ravaged close up to the British fort, and the establishment of M'Kee, the British Indian agent, was burned with the rest. It was the universal opinion in the army that the British had encouraged the Indians to fight. It was even believed that some of the militia from Detroit had been in the action; but that was utterly improbable. Some very tart correspondence passed between Wayne and the commander of the British fort, to whom a deserter had reported that Wayne intended to attack him, for which, indeed, the army was sufficiently ready, had a good excuse and opportunity occurred.

Three days after the battle, Wayne fell back to Fort Defiance. The defenses were completed, intermediate posts were established, garrisons were left in Fort Defiance and Fort Recovery, and, after a very successful campaign of ninety days, during which he had marched three hundred miles along a road cut by the army, had gained a victory, driven the Indians from their principal settlement, destroyed their winter's provisions, and Nov. 2 left a post in the heart of their country, Wayne returned with the legion into winter quarters at Greenville. The mounted volunteers, who had suffered severely from sickness, had been dismissed some time before.

VII.

The day fixed for the opening of the session of Con- CHAPTER gress was the fourth of November. Washington had. hastened back from Bedford in order to be present; but 1794. it was two weeks before a quorum of the Senate was obtained.

While the Senate were waiting for a quorum, the House took up a report on the standing rules and orders made at the last session, but not acted upon. Hitherto there had been but one standing committee, that on Elections; the amended rules and orders provided for another on Private Claims, which already began to occupy no inconsiderable part of the time of the House. Hitherto it had been the custom to refer petitions of this sort to one or the other of the secretaries for report; but Hamilton, to whose share most of this business had fallen, had loudly complained of the burden. He had requested the adoption of some other organ of investigation; and hence this new standing committee.

The late insurrectionary movements in Western Pennsylvania formed the main subject of the president's speech their origin, progress, and the means finally Nov. 19. adopted for their suppression. Among the causes of the extremity to which things had been carried, the speech alluded to certain "self-created societies" which had taken upon themselves to criticise and condemn the government, and to stimulate resistance to the laws, the president leaving it to the "calm reflection" of the people to determine whether the insurrection had not been fomented by combinations of men, who, from an ignorance or perversion of facts, had disseminated suspicions, jealousies, and accusations of the whole government, careless of consequences, or forgetful that those who rouse can not always appease a civil convulsion."

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Another important paragraph referred to the foreign