1From Alexander Hamilton to Theodore Sedgwick, [1–15 March 1798] (Hamilton Papers)
In my opinion these things— The President ought to make a solemn and manly communication to Congress the language grave and firm but without invective—in which after briefly recapitulating the progress of our controversy with France the measures taken toward accommodation & stating their degrading result—he ought to advert to the extremely critical posture of Europe the excessive pretensions...