been tried in all his long and busy life. The success of the Americans in their struggle against tyranny, and the formation of the American Republic had set folks in Europe to thinking. Especially was this the case in France, where the king had been the ruling power for hundreds of years and the nobles had made slaves of the people. Gradually the people began to talk and then to act, until at last, in 1789, came that uprising of the people, so like and yet so unlike our own. This was the French Revolution. The people of France got their tyrants by the throat; they became mad with success, and did many terrible things. They murdered their king and queen, the princes and nobles; the men and women who had been in power ran away or, not being able to get off, staid behind and were put to death. Alone and unaided France fought all Europe fought, defeated and, by the aid of a young soldier who was not a Frenchman but a Corsican, named Napoleon Bonaparte, finally conquered it --and then lost all it had gained, because Bonaparte was not a Washington and thought more of himself than he did of the country that had made him Emperor.

France, as you know, had assisted America in her struggle for independence; she had helped to make the United States a republic. So, when France tried to do the same thing, she naturally supposed that America would help her, and there were thousands of people in America who supposed and said the same thing. Especially, when, in 1793,

war was declared against England, and a Frenchman named Genet was sent to America to fit out vessels, called privateers, to destroy English vessels and ruin the commerce of England, from which its strength and prosperity came, did the French republicans think they could do about as they pleased in the land which, so they said, would not have been free had it not been for the French help.

Washington saw the danger. He was full of friendship to France for the help she had given America, though none knew better than did he that France gave that help, not because she loved and pitied America, but because she hated England. But," he said, "if we let France come over here to fit out vessels and enlist men to fight England, we ourselves shall soon get into a war with England and that would be the worst thing that could happen to us now. America is weak and poor as yet; what she needs is peace, not war. If I let myself be guided by these people who wish to help France, I shall get the whole country into a bad fix. It is best for America not to meddle in the troubles and struggles between European nations; she has her hands full in trying to get on here. Therefore the United States, in this war between France and England, must be neutral -- that is, we must help neither the one nor the other. If we do, it may

be our ruin."

So he preserved what is called "a strict neutrality." Genet, the Frenchman, who had come across for help, threatened and blustered and scolded and said all sorts of

harsh and mean things against Washington, and, strange as it may appear, so did hundreds of Americans who should have known better and should have had faith enough in Washington to know that what he did was right. But they did not, and, instead, they made his life miserable by insisting upon his doing things he ought not and would not do. They called him hard names and made ugly pictures of him and did and said many things that we, today, knowing how great and good a man he was, cannot understand.

And, with the French trouble came others that needed all Washington's wisdom and firmness and courage to face and settle. The Indians in the Ohio country, which, years before, Washington had struggled over with France for possession, begun to annoy and attack the settlers who were forcing their way into the new lands to make homes and build towns therein. They would not agree to the terms or offers that President Washington made them, but kept on burning and killing until soldiers were sent to punish them. Twice, the soldiers returned unsuccessful, and then Washington collected a large army and sent it out under command of General St. Clair, an old Revolutionary fighter, to conquer the Ohio Indians. He gave General St. Clair all the good advice that so successful an Indian fighter as Washington had been in his young days could give, and especially he said to him, remembering Braddock's terrible defeat, "Beware of a surprise." But St. Clair was surprised