reserved my decision of his Excellency, Governor-general Miro, and his
people until I saw them for myself. A little calm reason, a plain
statement of the case, will often remove what seems an insuperable
difficulty, and I assure you that Governor-general Miro is a most
reasonable and courteous gentleman, who looks with all kindliness and
neighborliness on the people of Kentucky. Let us drink a toast to him. To
him your gratitude is due, for he sends you word that your tobacco will
be received."

"In General Wilkinson's barges," said Mr. Wharton leaning over and
subsiding again at once.

The General was the first to drink the toast, and he sat down very
modestly amidst a thunder of applause.

The young man on the other side of me, somewhat flushed, leaped to his
feet.

"Down with the Federal government!" he cried; "what have they done for
us, indeed? Before General Wilkinson went to New Orleans the Spaniards
seized our flat boats and cargoes and flung our traders into prison, ay,
and sent them to the mines of Brazil. The Federal government takes sides
with the Indians against us. And what has that government done for you,
Colonel?" he demanded, turning to Clark, "you who have won for them half
of their territory? They have cast you off like an old moccasin. The
Continental officers who fought in the East have half-pay for life or
five years' full pay. And what have you?"

There was a breathless hush. A swift vision came to me of a man, young,
alert, commanding, stern under necessity, self-repressed at all times--a