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162 portance, partly because Clay's course had injured his own influence more than that of the administration, and partly because, as there was no western man in the Cabinet, it was a matter of pride with that part of the country to have a western man in the Speaker's chair, and there was no western man of sufficient eminence to be put in competition with Clay. “In all this,” wrote Adams, “I think the President has acted and spoken wisely.” It was indeed wisely spoken, for, had a contest been made, it would after all have appeared that most of the members of the House, although they voted against Clay time and again in his opposition to the administration, were proud of the lustre his brilliant abilities shed upon the House, believed in his patriotism, and liked the gay, spirited, dashing Kentuckian as a man. So he was, on the first day of the session, December 6, 1819, reëlected Speaker virtually without opposition.

Before long he was up in arms against the administration again. After long and arduous negotiation, Mr. Adams had, in February, 1819, concluded a treaty with the Spanish Minister, which provided for the cession of the whole of Florida to this Republic, fixed the southwestern boundary line of the United States along the Sabine River (thus excluding Texas), expunged the claims of Spanish subjects against the United States, and provided that the United States, as a compensation for the cession of Florida, should undertake to settle the claims of American citizens against Spain