Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-09-28


and had an awful squirting at monarchy"
Accordingly, when it went into opera
ton, these poiucians excrted all their
ability TO check and limit It's powers, ac-
cording TO The letter the Instrument,
and hence arose the republican party.
Another set OF politicians, who apprc-
hended more danger Of the disc luton,
than OF the consolidation of the Union,
and who bad exerted themselves IN the
+ Convention to increase the grants of
power to the general government, were
in favor oil a more liberal construction of
the new Constitution, and hence original
ed the federal party. Tnsse parties
must, in the nature OF things, have d.
vided the American pubic for some
years, even ii no adventurous circnm-
T stances had occurred 10 keep them alive
Bot the unparalleled revolution III France
socn served 10 create new causes of dis
cord, and 10 divide the parties in their
OPINIONS OF the external aokcy, as welt
as internal administration of our GO
vernmen,. The Republicans ooncelv-
/ ing, Justly, thai there was an invincible
hostility between the principles of our
! government and hose OF the old absolute
monarchIes oil Europe, thought it our
duty 10 side Wi h the new governments
in preference 20 he old. The Federali,ts,
on The contrary, were particularly shock.
ed by the horrors OF the French revolu-
ton, and experimenting more danger to
orr institutions from The anarchy OF the
new system, than from the despotIsm OF
the old, became The friends of the anti
revolutionary cause. Inc overthtow oil
N Napoleon, and The triumph Of the dread
III alliance which now tyfaaizes over
Europe, soon put al end 70 their schene
OF our toleign poilty. On the other
hand, the successful and happy operation
OF our new constitution in practice, com
bmed with The opposition of Nlassscnu-
sets 10 the var, by convi iBe the re-
publican party that the centrifugal ten.
deucy OF the members OF our contedera-
cy Was greater than the cen,ripeial; and
that il was the interest OF all the states,
that the will oil The majority should be
obeyed, has diminished the intense zeal
ousy watch the republicans at first felt OF
the powers OF the general government,
and led them TO embrace such opinions
as experience proved 10 be wise and sa-
lutary. Since the extinction OF he caus-
es which produced and kept alive those
parties, the patles themselves ,isve been
gradually dying away, and the American
people with the exception of a lew fac
tious Individually have become, what
Mar. Jefferson said they should be-" al
ledcrsllsts and ali repgbicans.
Such, however, are the diversit!es oi
human opinion on the multiplied rela
tlons OF civilized society under conpli-
Gated government, Mat ii is perhaps i'm
possible Tor pleasing uniiormity 10 pre-
vail for any length OF line. There VIII
be some wi1o approve, and some who
condemn every scheme pi policy. Hence
has arisen what now exists IN :his,coun-
try, and what is PROBABLY destiaed 10 ex-
ist as ions, as our government endure,
an Administration party, and an Oppose
ton pariy-lhe ms and the Outs, WIZ
will occasionally seppian each other, as
the party administering the government
happens to be wise and virtuous, or weak
and corrupt.
Under Mr.. Madlson's administration,
the Fcderalists lost their real ground o,
opposition to the government, aud under
MS successor, in proportion as tho last
lying echoes OF federalism have ceaseu
o reverberate, the murmurs of ain anil
administration party have become audi
pie. No attentive and candid observer
Ut political events can deny this fact, al
nough the complanants have not, unjli
very recently, acknowledged themselves
A party. Not twelve months since, the
existence OF an opposition or radical par.
g, waging "war in disguisc," on the ad
minislratioD, was Positively denied by
their own prints; but during The last
session Of Congress, the skeleton assum
ed at Washington its flesh, form, and
complexion.
Political parties are either real or Ter
sonat. Real, when entertaining dltfe-
rent principles on the form oil govern
ment, or different opinions Of the best
mode of administering ii; and personal,
when arising from devotion to a particu-
lar individual, or family, or cont inatlon
OF men. The present opposition parry
is composed in part Of the one, and in
, part OF the other. So far as 1t is form
ed Of that fragment of the republican
party, called radical, and composed Of
persons unfriendly to our present naval
and military establishmen,s-Io the erec-
tion Of Notifications ON our coasts and