The Pacificus-Helvidius Debates of 1793–1794

The Pacificus-Helvidius Debates of
1793–1794 matched Hamilton and Madison in the
first chapter of an enduring discussion about the proper roles of executive and
legislative branches in the conduct of American foreign policy. Ignited by
President Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation of 1793, which annulled the
eleventh article of America’s treaty with France of 1778, the debate addressed
whether Washington had the authority to declare America neutral, despite the
early alliance treaty with France. The Liberty Fund edition brings together for
the first time all the relevant original documents of this controversy.

Morton J. Frisch (1923–2006) was Professor Emeritus of Political Science at
Northern Illinois University.