Question

“In my opinion it would be both just and proper to declare the treaty with France to be void--but I think it would be more advisable to direct reprisals than to declare war at present, for the public mind does not appear to me to be quite prepared for it. . . . Whenever the mass of our people are convinced that the war would be just, necessary, and unavoidable, they will be content that it should be declared, and will support it vigorously, but I doubt whether that conviction however well founded, is as yet so prevailing and general as it ought to be. . . .” -Source: John Jay, letter to William North, 1798 14.The ideas expressed by Jay in the excerpt were most similar to those of which of the Founders? a.Thomas Jefferson b. James Monroe c. James Madison d. George Washington

Answer 1

The ideas expressed by John Jay in the excerpt are most similar to those of **George Washington**. Both Jay and Washington advocated for caution and deliberation in matters of war and foreign relations. Washington, in his Farewell Address, warned against seething into war without widespread public support and emphasized the importance of national unity and the need for careful consideration before engaging in military conflict. This perspective aligns with Jay's hesitance regarding declaring war immediately without the public's conviction of its necessity.