[267] As early as the winter of 1795 William Bentley made the disgusted comment: “The Clergy are now the Tools of the Federalists.” _Diary_, vol. ii, p. 129. Commencing with the participation of the clergy in the discussion over the treaty, Democrat newspapers like the _Independent Chronicle_ began to administer mild rebukes to the clergy for the unwisdom of their conduct in favoring the British. _Cf._ the issue of the _Chronicle_ for July 20, 1795, for one of the earliest utterances of this sort. The spirit of resentment grew apace. Three years later this spirit of moderation had been fully discarded, and the clergy were being lashed unmercifully for their folly. For typical outbursts of this character, _cf._ the _Independent Chronicle_ of Dec. 3, 1798. Jedediah Morse paid tribute to the political concern and service of the clergy in a letter to Wolcott, written Dec. 23, 1796: “Very few of ye Clergy of my acquaintance seem disposed to pray for the success of the French, since they have so insidiously and wickedly interferred in the management of our political affairs, & I apprehend the complexion of the thanksgiving sermons throughout N Engd. this year, are different from those of the last, in respect to this particular. I can speak of more than one with authority.” (_Wolcott Papers_, vol. viii, 20.) [268] Morse, _The Federalist Party in Massachusetts_, p. 121. [269] Pamphleteers and newspaper writers were much more explicit. _The Pretensions of Thomas Jefferson to the Presidency Examined: and the Charges against John Adams Refuted_, was one of the well known political pamphlets of the day. According to Gibbs, in his _Memoirs of the Administrations of Washington and John Adams_, vol. i, p. 379, it was prepared by Oliver Wolcott and William Smith, the latter of South Carolina. It marshalled the reasons why Jefferson should not be elected to the presidency. Among these “reasons” the charge of a close alliance between Jefferson and the men of the country who were notoriously interested in the cause of irreligion was boldly affirmed. _Cf._ page 36 _et seq._ This pamphlet was published in 1796. Later the charge of impiety was lodged against Jefferson with great frequency. Typical utterances of this nature may be found in the _Library of American Literature_, vol. iv, pp. 249–251: “The Imported French Philosophy” (from “The Lay Preacher” of Joseph Dennie). This disquisition was much quoted in the newspapers of the day. From the position that the leaders of the Democrats were irreligious, it was easy for the Federalists to glide over to the position that the spirit of infidelity, believed to be spreading far and wide through the country, was consciously and deliberately backed by the restless and unscrupulous elements which, in the view of the Federalists, formed the opposition. _The Connecticut Courant_ of January 19, 1795, reflects this attitude. “The French”, it is asserted, “are mad in