1791-5

Foreign Affairs.

185

New Hampshire of property in the soil was supposed to be of little value. Finally, however, the payment of thirty thousand dollars to New York secured the consent of that claimant, and the "Green Mountain Boys" took their seat in the great family of States (1791).

7. Treaties had been made with most of the Indian tribes within the territorial limits of the United States, but those north of the Ohio river became dissatisfied with the boun

daries which had been assigned them, and showed Indian war. their dissatisfaction by numerous hostile acts.

They waylaid the boats in which emigrants were proceeding, attacked settlements, and committed many murders. Washington sent a force under General Harmar to subdue them, but he was defeated. A force under St. Clair was next surprised and defeated with heavy loss; and it was not until 1794 that the savages were overcome. In that year they were defeated by General Wayne, "the Mad Anthony of the Revolution," in a desperate battle fought on the banks of the Maumee river. This victory, followed up by severe measures, compelled the Indians to sue for peace, and at Greenville, where eleven hundred warriors had assembled, a treaty was made by which a large tract of territory was ceded to the United States (1795).

8. The French, being at war with England, expected to receive aid from this country; and many of the American people, grateful to their old allies, were desirous of giving it. Washington, however, believing that such a course Foreign would imperil the liberties of the United States, affairs. recommended a neutral policy. The French Minister here tried to involve the people in the war by fitting out privateers in American ports; but at Washington's request he was recalled. Difficulties had also arisen with England, growing out of violations of the treaty of 1783; but these were disposed of by a new treaty negotiated by John Jay, Chief Justice, who had been sent to England as a special envoy for the pur pose. A large number of persons, including those who de

sired to aid the French, regarded this treaty with decided aversion. They thought it favored the English too much. Still it was ratified by the Senate, though in the face of a determined opposition on the part of many Senators, and was approved by Washington (1795).

9. "This, one of the wise statesmen of the Revolution, who survived to perform services of

inestimable value to the new

John Jay.

constitutional govern

ment was a man whose character needs no apologists. Webster finely said that the spotless ermine of the judicial robe, when it fell on the shoulders of John Jay, touched nothing not as spotless as itself.' His integrity ran down into the roots of his moral being, and honesty was in him a passion as well as a principle. The celebrated treaty with Great Britain which he negotiated as the Minister of the United States occasioned an outburst of wrath such as few American diplomatists have ever been called upon to face; but in all the fury of opposition to it, few opponents were foolish enough to assail his integrity in assailing his judgment and general views of public policy." 1

JOHN JAY.

Whisky Insurrection. In 1791 Congress imposed a duty on domestic liquors. This caused great discontent in several quarters, but particularly in western Pennsylvania, where, in 1794, the people rose in rebellion, and declared they would not pay the tax. Upon the approach of a body of militia sent by Washington, the insurgents changed their minds and yielded.

John Jay was born in New York City in 1745. He was a member of the "First Continental Congress;" with Franklin, John Adams, and Henry Laurens, negotiated the treaty of 1783 at Paris (see p. 176); ren dered important aid in favor of the adoption of the Constitution (see p. 179), and was the first Chief Justice of the United States, which office he resigned on his return from England, in 1795.

1795

Invention of the Cotton-Gin.

187

Invention of the

made an engagement with a Mr. B., from Georgia, to go to that State and reside in his employer's family as a private teacher. On his way thither he had as a traveling companion Mrs. Greene, widow of the eminent Revolutionary general, who was returning with her cotton-gin. children to Savannah, after spending the summer at the North. Mr. Whitney's health being infirm on his arrival at Savannah, Mrs. Greene kindly invited him to the hospitalities of her residence until he should become fully restored. At that time she happened to be engaged in embroidering on a peculiar frame known as a tambour. It was badly constructed, so that it injured the fabric, while it impeded its production. Whitney eagerly volunteered to make her a better one, and did so on a plan wholly new, to her great delight and that of her children.

11. A large party of Georgians, from Augusta and the plantations above, soon after paid Mrs. G. a visit. Among the topics discussed by them around her fireside was the depressed state of agriculture, and the impossibility of profitably extending the culture of cotton, because of the trouble and expense incurred in separating the seed from the fiber. These representations impelled Mrs. Greene to say: 'Gentlemen, apply to my young friend, Mr. Whitney-he can make any thing.' She thereupon took them into an adjacent room, where she showed them her tambour-frame, and several ingenious toys which Mr. W. had made for the gratification of her children. She then introduced them to Whitney himself, extolling his genius and commending him to their confidence and friendship.

12. Mr. Whitney promised nothing and gave little encouragement, but went to work. No cotton in the seed being at hand, he went to Savannah and searched there among warehouses and boats until he found a small parcel. This he carried home and secluded with himself in a basement room, where he set himself at work to devise and construct the implement required. Tools being few and rude, he was con

strained to make better-drawing his own wire, because none could, at that time, be bought in the city of Savannah. His mysterious hammering and tinkering in that solitary cell were subjects of infinite curiosity, marvel, and ridicule among the younger members of the family. But he did not interfere with their merriment, nor allow them to interfere with his enterprise; and before the close of the winter his machine was so nearly perfected that its success was no longer doubtful. Mrs. Greene, too eager to realize and enjoy her friend's triumph, invited an assemblage at her house of leading gentlemen from various parts of the State, and, on the first day after their meeting, conducted them to a temporary building, erected for the machine, in which they saw, with astonishment and delight, that one man with Whitney's invention, could separate more cotton from the seed in a single day than he could without it by the labor of months."

13. When the cotton-gin was invented the whole business in the interior of the Southern States was in a languishing condition; and for want of employment the inhabitants were leaving. This invention at once set the country

Value of

the in motion. To planters and others, who were Invention. depressed with poverty, it opened the way to employment, wealth and respectability. Cotton soon began to supplant wool, flax, silk, and even fur. By means of this machine the annual production of cotton in the Southern States alone was increased from five thousand bales to over five million bales, or one million tons, in value equal to seveneighths of all the cotton produced on the face of the earth. Then cotton was King, and his majesty on his throne did not seem to be aware of the influence which surrounded his cradle."

66

14. The Atlantic States were the chief seat from which issued the migration destined to people the west. “An ax, Migration a couple of horses, and a heavy rifle, with store of to the West. ammunition, were all that were considered necessary for the equipment of the man who, with his family,

Migration to the West.

189

removed to the new State; assured that, in that land of exuberant fertility, he could not fail to provide amply for all his wants. To have witnessed the industry and perseverance of these emigrants must at once have proved the vigor of their minds. Regardless of the fatigue attending every movement which they made, they pushed through an unexplored region of dark and tangled forests, guiding themselves by the sun alone, and reposing at night on the bare ground. They had to cross numberless streams on rafts, with their wives and children, their cattle, and their luggage, often drifting to considerable distances before they could effect a landing on the opposite shores. To these troubles add the constantly impending danger of being murdered, while asleep in their encampments, by the prowling and ruthless Indians. Others, perhaps encumbered with too much luggage, preferred descending the stream.' They prepared arks pierced with port-holes, and glided on the gentle current.

15. Many travelers have described these boats, formerly called arks, but now named flat-boats; but have they told you that in those times a boat thirty or forty feet in length, by ten or twelve in breadth, was considered a stupendous fabric ? -that this boat contained men, women, and children, huddled together with horses, cattle, hogs, and poultry for their companions, while the remaining portion was crammed with vegetables and packages of seed? The roof or deck of the boat was not unlike a farm-yard, being covered with hay, ploughs, carts, wagons, and various agricultural implements, together with numerous other things, among which the spinning-wheels of the matrons were conspicuous. Have they told you that these boats contained the little all of each family of venturous emigrants, who, fearful of being discovered by the Indians, moved about in darkness when night came on,

The particular stream referred to here is the Ohio river, and the emigrants were going to the new State of Kentucky; but the description will apply to the western emigrations that took place, not only then, but in succeeding years, and even to recent times.