DEATH IS ETERNAL #428

3,000 words

I could’ve begun writing this DEATH IS ETERNAL this morning, but I didn’t because time slips away from me in a way I can neither understand nor explain. So, once again, here I am, running late and looking at the clock, wondering if someday I’ll have the time I want to have to write. I want to believe that, yes, I’ll have it, but more and more, I’m sure time is an illusion, and we never have enough of it.

Contents

1. A BARGAIN AT THE BRINK

2. Bye!

3. Life (from November 18 to December 01, 2024)

4. Reviews #355, #356, #357, and #358: NIGHTWING by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, and others, THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA by Friedrich Nietzsche, DETECTIVE COMICS by Ram V and others, and WOLFS

5. The end

1. A BARGAIN AT THE BRINK

Photo by Srikanta H. U on Unsplash

The wind whispered through the frosted windows of the chamber, a subtle reminder of the shifting seasons and the unrelenting passage of time. John Jay sat alone, the flickering candlelight casting his shadow against the cold stone walls. In his hand, he held the draft of a treaty that could either solidify peace or plunge the young United States into chaos. His brow furrowed, his thoughts clouded by the weight of expectation. This was no simple agreement—it was a gamble that pitted the ideals of a fragile republic against the machinations of a global empire.

Across the Atlantic, Britain loomed large, its navy prowling the seas, seizing American merchant ships, and asserting dominance over the trade routes the young nation desperately needed. Yet it was not British might alone that stirred unease. The French Revolution was ablaze, and France, once a staunch ally, now viewed any reconciliation with Britain as a betrayal. The United States stood precariously between these two giants, a neutral power struggling to define its place in a world still shaped by the legacy of kings and conquest.

Jay had been chosen for this delicate mission not just because of his skills but because of his temperament. Ever the architect, Alexander Hamilton had devised the framework for negotiations, and George Washington, with his unwavering focus and stability, had endorsed it. But the task itself was monumental. The British still occupied forts on American soil, defying the Treaty of Paris. They armed Native American tribes resisting westward expansion. They demanded payment of pre-Revolutionary debts while refusing compensation for enslaved people who had escaped during the war. Trade, boundaries, and sovereignty hung in the balance.

Arriving in London, Jay was greeted with politeness but little warmth. British officials eyed him suspiciously, uncertain if the fledgling republic could be trusted. Diplomacy unfolded slowly, a meticulous dance of offers, counteroffers, and veiled threats. The Royal Navy’s seizure of American ships weighed heavily on the discussions, as did Britain’s insistence on retaining control over trade with its West Indies colonies. Jay pressed for resolution, knowing that compromise would anger many at home.

Weeks turned into months, and the treaty began to take shape. Britain agreed to vacate its forts, though the timeline stretched into the future, and arbitration was introduced to settle disputes over wartime debts and territorial boundaries. These were victories, however small, that promised a measure of stability. Yet the concessions stung. The issue of impressment—the forced conscription of American sailors into the British Navy—remained unresolved. Southern slaveholders, bitter over the lack of compensation for their “lost property,” would see the treaty as a betrayal.

As news of the agreement spread back home, the country erupted in debate. The Federalists, led by Hamilton, hailed it as a pragmatic step toward peace and prosperity. Trade with Britain, after all, was essential to the economy. The Democratic-Republican, with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison at their helm, denounced it as capitulation. Public opinion flared like dry tinder, ignited by fiery rhetoric and a growing distrust of centralized power.

In Philadelphia, protestors burned copies of the treaty in effigy. Town meetings degenerated into chaos, rocks were hurled at British officials, and calls for Jay’s resignation grew louder. “Damn John Jay!” they cried. “Damn everyone that won’t damn John Jay!” The division was not just political but deeply personal. The Jeffersonian press attacked Washington himself, accusing him of betraying republican ideals for aristocratic appeasement. Once-united leaders now found themselves bitterly estranged.

Jay returned to America to find himself vilified. He remarked wryly, “I can travel at night by the light of my burning effigies.” Yet amidst the uproar, the treaty had its defenders. In Congress, the battle over ratification was fierce. The Senate narrowly approved it, but the House, controlled by the treaty’s opponents, held the final say on funding its provision. Months of heated debate followed, culminating in an emotional speech by Fisher Ames, whose eloquence swayed just enough votes to secure passage. Even so, the scars left by the struggle would linger for years.

Washington, resolute as ever, stood by the treaty. He believed the United States could not afford war—not with Britain, nor with France. His decision cost him dearly. Once revered universally, he now faced unprecedented criticism, with protestors demanding his impeachment and newspapers depicting him as a traitor. For Washington, the personal betrayals were perhaps the most painful. Once a close confidant, Jefferson now orchestrated vicious attacks against him in the press. Their friendship, and that with Madison, dissolved under the strain.

When the treaty took effect in 1796, its impacts were immediate and lasting. Trade flourished, and the United States avoided entanglement in Europe’s wars for a decade. However, the political fissures it created only deepened. The Federalists and Democratic-Republicans solidified into opposing factions, each claiming to represent the true spirit of the revolution. The “First Party System” had been born, and its rivalries shaped the nation’s future.

For Jay, the toll was personal and political. He retired from public life, leaving behind a nation that was both stabilized and fractured. The treaty he negotiated was not perfect—it left key issues unresolved and alienated many. Yet, in its own way, it postponed war with Britain and preserved the neutrality Washington so fiercely valued.

Years later, as the echoes of the War of 1812 subsided, many would reevaluate the Jay Treaty. For all its flaws, it marked a pivotal moment in the story of America’s emergence. And for John Jay, who endured the flames of public scorn to uphold a fragile peace, it was a testament to the burdens—and the quiet heroism—of leadership.

The end

2. Bye!

Here’s where we say our farewell to the free subscribers. If you want to read the rest of DEATH IS ETERNAL, consider becoming a paying subscriber. If you already are a paying subscriber, first of all, thank you very, very much! And second, I’ll see you on the other side of the paywall.