Brooks: Diplomacy and the Borderlands


to head off the United States in her ambitions to reach the Pacific,
and that an article promising nonrecognition of the insurgent col-
onies would be "absolutely inadmissible" at Washington.
 At the moment, though, neither boundaries nor the insurgents
comprised the chief problem for the administration. Monroe, who
had just returned to Washington from his Virginia farm, im-
mediately called his Cabinet together to discuss Jackson's venture
and Onis' protests." In seven days six Cabinet meetings were held.
Adams, who was determined to maintain the authority of executive
action by upholding Jackson, was convinced of the weight of the
Florida occupation as a diplomatic lever. He vigorously advocated
that opinion against the judgment of the President and all the
other Cabinet members. Secretary of War John C. Calhoun was
particularly censorious of his subordinate's action.
 The compromise reached was that an offer should be made to
return the seized posts; that Monroe should write Jackson a mildly
reprimanding letter; and that Attorney General William Wirt
should write a communication designed to gain public approval
which should appear in the administration organ, the National
Intelligence.
 Hyde de Neuville now reentered the negotiations as a messenger
 and counselor. In his anxiety to effect a peaceful settlement he had
 been actively endeavoring to persuade Adams to agree to the Sa-
 bine River as a boundary. He succeeded in obtaining the secre-
 tary's consent to a withdrawal only as far as the Trinity."
 Hyde de Neuville then turned to deal with Onis. Following the
 Cabinet's decision on Jackson, the French minister took Adams'
 note of July 23 to the Spanish minister at Bristol. He spent two
 days there urging the latter to accede to the demands of the United
 States. When Onis declined to consider the Trinity, Hyde de Neu-
 ville took it upon himself to say that he thought the Washington
 government could be brought to agree on the Sabine if Onis would
 yield on the other points at issue." This prediction of the agree-
 ment which was finally reached shows how clearly the Frenchman
 knew the situation.
 The Spaniard refused to declare himself further, however, say-
 ing that he was determined to await the outcome of the Pizarro-
 Erving dealings at Madrid. He wrote accordingly to Adams,
 enclosing documents from the Florida officials to combat any