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party, at least, a desire for an absolute breach with France—a desire felt by
Hamilton, and by at least three out of the four cabinet officers whom Adams
had chosen and kept in office.
In his message to congress, announcing the expulsion of Pickney and
Marshall, Adams had declared that he would never send another minister to
France without assurance that he would be received. This was on the 21st of
July, 1798. Therefore, when on the 18th of February following, without
consulting his cabinet or giving them any intimation of his intentions, he
sent into the senate the nomination of Van Murray as minister to France, the
act took the country by surprise, and thus hastened the defeat of the federal