Because their society is unstable. They allow anyone and everyone in from many different cultures. Hence the cradle part.
Congress was split, as the French had helped the young United States during the Revolutionary War, however, many where confused what direction the revolution was going (spoiler alert, the French Revolution traded a monarchy for a dictatorship with Napoleon at the helm - so it didin't accomplish a whole lot).
Although both parties(the Democratic-Republicans and Federalists) had different hopes for the french revolution, they both agreed that war would be economically not possible and would possibly open the U.S up to attack, so the U.S remained neutral.
I consider myself a conservative!!
