of "ragamuffins" and "mercenaries" applied to soldiers. Accordingly, a night or so afterwards certain of them insulted him publicly in a theater. Randolph seized the opportunity thus afforded, and wrote to the President an account of the incident, with incidental observations not at all complimentary to the policies of the Administration. He addressed the letter to "John Adams, President of the United States," without the customary title of "Your Excellency," and signed it, "Your fellowcitizen, John Randolph." Mr. Adams sent the letter to the House, where the question of dealing with it as a "breach of privilege" was debated at great length, finally ending in a deadlock. CHAPTER VI THE NAVAL ESTABLISHMENT [1812] Anti-naval Policy of Presidents Jefferson and Madison-Debate in the House on a Naval Establishment [1812]: In favor, Langdon Cheves [S. C.], William Lowndes [S. C.], Lyman Law [Conn.], Henry Clay [Ky.], Josiah Quincy, 3rd [Mass.]; Opposed, Adam Seybert [Pa.], Jonathan Roberts [Pa.], Samuel McKee [Ky.], Richard M. Johnson [Ky.]. Ο NE of the chief issues between the Federalists and Republicans during John Adams's administration was the navy, the Federalists desiring to increase it greatly, in view of the offensive attitude taken toward the United States by France and Great Britain, and the Republicans wishing to maintain it at a minimum strength, for fear that an increase would too greatly augment the power of the Executive, and so menace State rights and the liberties of the people. Indeed, it was a part of the bargain made by James A. Bayard, Sr. [Del.], the leader of the Federalists, with the supporters of Thomas Jefferson, whereby the deciding Federalist votes were cast for Jefferson against Aaron Burr [N. Y.] in the House contest for the Presidency, that Jefferson would at least not reduce the existing strength of the navy.1 While Jefferson fulfilled the letter of the bargain, he did not go beyond it, but showed antagonism to every measure which tended to the aggrandizement of the naval power of the Government. Thus he made it a pet policy to build little shallow "gunboats" to run in and out of our shallow rivers, and so be available for defence, though not for attack, instead of large and powerful men-of-war which could strike the enemy on the high seas and even in his home ports. Historians are generally agreed that this was the chief, if not |