company that had been attracted to the capital followed him there, and
for a time New York languished in neglect.

It now began to look as though the United States would be drawn into
another war with Great Britain. For the French Revolution was in
progress and the French people were at war with the English, and thought
that the Americans should help them as they had helped the Americans in
Revolutionary times. But President Washington and some of the very wise
and good people about him thought it best to have nothing to do with it.
So a treaty was made between England and the United States, and the
French did not get the help they asked.

Some of the citizens of New York, quite a large number of them, were
very angry when they heard of this treaty and burned a copy of it on the
Bowling Green, with all sorts of threats. But after a time those who had
shouted against it changed their minds. They had something more serious
to think of nearer home before many years, for the small-pox broke out
in the city and thousands upon thousands hurried away to escape the
dread disease. All business was at a standstill, and even the churches
were closed. When the scourge had spent its force, it was found that
more than 2,000 had died of it.

There was one man who took advantage of the small-pox scare to his own
profit. This was Aaron Burr. You will remember him as a boy fighting
by the side of Montgomery in Canada. He was now a lawyer known for his
great skill the country over; a man of education and deep learning.
He was the leader of a political party, a party which contended with,
fought with, disagreed with at every turn the party of which Alexander
Hamilton was one of the chief leaders.