Washington, with a loftiness of purpose truly characteristic of a great and good mind, refused to identify himself with either party.  In forming his first cabinet, moved with a desire to heal the dissensions which distracted the country, he selected its members equally from the adverse factions.  Hamilton and Knox represented the Federal party, and Jefferson and Randolph the opposite.  During his entire administration, “the Father of his country” steadily aimed to keep himself clear from all party entanglements.  He was emphatically the President of the whole people, and not of a faction.  His magnanimous spirit would not stoop to party favoritism, nor allow him to exercise the power entrusted him, to promote the interests of any political clique.  In all his measures his great object was to advance the welfare of the nation, without regard to their influence on conflicting parties.  In these things he left behind him a pure and noble example, richly worthy the imitation of his successors in that high station.

The Revolution in France, and the measures adopted by the Allied Sovereigns to arrest its progress, excited the liveliest interest among the people of the United States.  But their sympathies ran in different channels, and very naturally took the hue of their party predilections.  The Democrats, believing the French Revolution to be the up-springing of the same principles which had triumphed here—­a lawful attempt of an oppressed people to secure the exercise of inalienable rights—­although shuddering at the excesses which had been perpetrated, still felt it to be our own cause, and insisted that we were in honor and duty bound to render all the assistance in our power, even to a resort to arms, if need be.  The Federalists, on the other hand, were alarmed at the anarchical tendencies in France.  They were fearful that law, order, government, and society itself, would be utterly and speedily swept away, unless the revolutionary movement was arrested.  Cherishing these apprehensions, they were disposed to favor the views of Great Britain and other European powers, and were anxious that the government of the United States should adopt some active measures to assist in checking what they could not but view as rapid strides to political and social anarchy.  However the two parties differed as to the measures proper to be adopted in this crisis, they were united in the conviction that our government should take some part as a belligerant, in these European struggles; and exerted each its influence to bring about such an interference as would be in accordance with their conflicting views of duty and expediency.