Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-03-25

i VIC SSuSIai 1ONOrDTneu'. WHICH, OelHy leu
| eratiye, was called Federal. Sons of tn
people, as well as some of the members o
The Convention who formed the Constitu
| ion, were for the new General Government
| and some were against it. Those who were
against IL, and who were for a Government
OF still more democratical form, were cal.
led at'frst' .dati federaHsts bua of late
they have been called Republicans. in oppo'
sition TO the Federalists, who we're for go.
vernment of an arisfocraficai, il not of near
ly kiagiy form, and who proposed, in the
Convention. President and Senate for life.
There vas at this time great struggle be-
tween the parties the opposition of the
Republicans spoiled the projects ofthe Fe.
deralists--and the Government was, at last,
OF form and nature, which was wholly
pleasing to neither, but which did not, on
the other hand, greatly displease either.
The Federalists, however. took the whole
credit on themselves ofhaviHg formed the
Government aud, as General Washington
who had been President of the Convention,
and was decidedly for Federatiye Gene.
raj Governments, was elected President un
der the new Constitution, the Federal.
lists at once assumed, that they were the
only persons who had any right or title to
nave any thing 10 do with that Governs
ment treating their Opponents as perseos
necessarily hostile to, and. of course unfit
to be entrusted with, the carrying on of
the Federal Government
When the first Congress met, under the
new constitution, il was clear, hat the Fee
deraliSts endeavored 20 do by degrees that
which they had not bsen abe to accomplish
all at once in the Convention. They pro
posed to address the President by the title
OF ms serene highneSs, & to introduce other
forms and trappings of royalty, or, at least,
OF high aristecracy. Their Intention was
defeated, to their inexpressible mortifica
ton. The people were shocked at these at
tempts and, from that moment, the oppo
ste party seem 10 have gained ground in
the confidence of the people. who abhorrcd
the idea of any thing that bore a resem-
biance OF kingly Government, or that seem
ed to make the slightest approach towards
hereditary or family rule.
When the French Revelation broke out
when that great nation declared itself Re
public, and went even further than Ameri"
ca had gone in the road of democracy, the
| two parties took their different sidcs.-
Heats and animositles were revived-Vhile
| General Washington remained Presideut
| however, he acted with so much caution
=
| ny one openly TO censure him. He was bla-
med by both parties. One wished him to
| take part with France, the other with Eng
| land He did neither, and, upon the whole,
he left no party any good reason to com
plain of him But when Mr.. Adams, who
was a native of Massachusetts, where the
federal party was in great force, became
President, he certainly did, yielding to the
counseis of weak and violent men, push
| things very nearly to an offensive and de-
| telsige a iasce with us, The violent ard
| unjust proceedings Of the French Govern
| ment furnished a preteXt for raising an ar
| my, which was for some time, kept or f,o,
| in time of peace, in the very teeth OF the
Constitution. A Sedition Bill was passed
| with power Of sending aliens out of the
country and many other things were done,
| in The heat OF the moment, which Mr Ad.
ans, had ne not been surrounded by the
Massachusetts Federalists, never would
have thought Of, being a republican a
heart, and real friend to the liberties OF
| his country.
Mr.. ADAM Presidency ended in March,
| 1901 He was proposed to be reelected
but he lost his election, and the choice fell
upon Mr.. Jefferson who had always been
deemed the head of he Republican party.
| The truth is. that the people were Repuoli-
cans at heart. Every thing had been tried
threats, alarms, religion, all sorts of schemes
but they took alarm at nothing but the
attempts upon their liberty, and they hurled
down the party who had made those at
| tempts. Since thai time. the government
has been in the hands OF the Republicans
Mr. Jefferson was President for eight years
Mr.. Madison for four years, and is now go.
lug On for the second four years
| TConclusionin our next