[Sidenote:  Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions 1798-99. McMaster, 212-213.]

[Sidenote:  Jefferson and Madison on the Constitution.]

[Sidenote:  The Kentucky Resolutions of 1799.]

225.  Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, 1798-99.—­In the exciting years before the Revolutionary War the colonial legislatures had passed many resolutions condemning the acts of the British government (see pp. 77, 84).  Following this example Jefferson and Madison now brought it about that the Virginia and Kentucky legislatures passed resolutions against the Alien and Sedition Acts.  They declared that the Constitution was a compact between the states.  It followed from this that any state could determine for itself whether any act of Congress were constitutional or not.  It followed from, this, again, that any state could refuse to permit an Act of Congress to be enforced within its limits.  In other words, any state could make null or nullify any Act of Congress that it saw fit to oppose.  This last conclusion was found only in the Kentucky Resolutions of 1799.  But Jefferson wrote to this effect in the original draft of the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798.  The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions called the voter’s attention to the Federalist abuse of power and did much to form public opinion.

[Sidenote:  Death of Washington, 1799.]

226.  Death of Washington, 1799.—­In the midst of this excitement George Washington died.  People forgot how strongly he had taken the Federalist side in the last few years, and united to do honor to his memory.  Henry Lee spoke for the nation when he declared that Washington was “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”  To this day, we commemorate Washington’s birthday as we do that of no other man, though of late years we have begun to keep Lincoln’s birthday also.

[Sidenote:  Election of 1800. McMaster, 215.]

[Sidenote:  Jefferson and Burr.]

[Sidenote:  The election in the House of Representatives.]

227.  Election of 1800.—­It was for a moment only that the noise of party conflict was hushed by the death of America’s first President.  The strife soon began anew.  Indeed, the election of 1800 was fought with a vigor and violence unknown before, and scarcely exceeded since.  John Adams was the Federalist candidate, and he was defeated.  Jefferson and Burr, the Republican candidates, each received seventy-three electoral votes.  But which of them should be President?  The Republican voters clearly wished Jefferson to be President.  But the Federalists had a majority in the House of Representatives.  They had a clear legal right to elect Burr President.  But to do that would be to do what was morally wrong.  After a useless struggle the Federalists permitted Jefferson to be chosen, and he was inaugurated on March 4, 1801.

[Illustration:  PRESIDENT WASHINGTON, 1790.  “Observe good faith and justice towards all nations.”—­Farewell Address.]