162 University of California Publications in History

 Concerning the second point, heated dispute occurred among
members of the Cabinet, and between Adams and the French min-
ister, whose argument was largely over an incident which greatly
offended Adams' dignity.
 Onis' difficulty from chilblains had lessened sufficiently by Feb-
ruary 17 for him to attend the President's last drawing room of the
season. There he approached the executive on the subject of the
navigation of the rivers along the boundary, and the ownership of
the islands. The President was conciliatory, and after some con-
versation, according to Onfs' report,
The President shook hands, and told me that he would do what I wished, that
he could not refuse me anything, having had a personal esteem for me ever
since the first day he had dealt with me, he offered to drink a glass of wine
with me, and the matter was agreed, not without the great resentment of Mr.
Adams, who could not forget the shame of having his ultimatum destroyed in
all its points."
 Monroe's cordial words, if Onis reports them correctly, are remi-
niscent of his ingratiating manner toward the French in 1794. That
time he incurred the wrath of the Federalists. On this occasion it
was the sensitive and precise nature of Adams which was offended.
He could not properly condemn his chief, but to Hyde de Neuville
he poured out his anger at Onfs. What right, he asked, had Onis
to go directly to the executive over the head of the secretary of
state, who had full powers to negotiate 1 Eventually Adams got
the better of the controversy, for it was agreed that the western
bank of the Sabine and the southern banks of the Red and the
Arkansas should form the boundary, but that the navigation of the
rivers should be free to both countries (Art. 3).
 The third dispute involved one of the most common misinterpre-
tations which historians have made of the treaty. There was no "pur-
chase" of the Floridas. The claims discussion, as has been stated,
was kept quite separate during the whole course of the negotiations
from that on the boundary. Adams always spoke of sacrifices in
other sections of the frontier, particularly in Texas and the North-
west, as the price of the Floridas, and never mentioned the claims
assumption in that connection. Secretary of the Treasury Craw-
ford tried to influence Adams to keep the amount stipulated as low
as possible. Onis, on the other hand, saw the possibility of mis-
interpretation and vehemently objected to the limitation to five