Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-08-10

| to some observations on the choice of our next
president. We consider it in your power at
this time to decide this question, for NC presume
there can be noAioubt, that the vote Of Virginia
would secure the election of either Mr.. Adams,
or Gen. Jackson and that M all probability,
this is the option which viii ultimately be pre-
scented to us. From the present manifestations
/ of public opinion throughout the Union, il is
evident that ii Virsinis persevere in her resolu-
ton to support Mr.. Crawford, she will not only
carry the election to the House of Representa-
tives, but lose that inaHcnce, which prompt
decision between his two great rivals would give
her. Nor can we believe when we recollect
the long devotion Of our state to constitutional
principles, and her uniform preference of civil
above military worth, that she will hesitate in
her election ON this occasion. In order to ex-
plain the grounds of our own preference, and
our opinion Of the character of the present adj
rnustraton Of the general government, we
would ask yonr attention to n few remarks on
the origin of the two parties which have hereto
fore divided our country, and of the two, which,
are now forming 10 divide il in future.
Previous to our political experiment, there
| had not been IN the annals of mankind, any in
stance of n republican constitution of govern
Iucnt, which had been able to MAINTAIN itself in
IFS original purity, after its extension over a
large territory. The force of exa .,ple is neccs.
sarily strongin the minds of experienced and
rejecting men; and hence the abest political
spectators of the last century imagined that a
republican government could noe long prevail
over populous or extensive country. The
fate OF the Roman CONFERENCE.-The, in particular,
| had created belief, that whenever such, ro-
yernnrcnt extended itself beyond the limits Of a
small state, il naturally grayitated to arisiocracv
| and to monarchy. When, therefore, our fore
fathers bad successfully terminated the war of
independence. the wrecks of the republican ex-
perisncnts of former ages, became bcacons of
alarm To them. and an excessive jealousy Of
state rights immediately characterized the most
fervent admirers offrae government. a very
loose aud disIoiutcd confederation, in which the
small states voted equally with the large Ia con-
federation totally incompetent TO the ends of
seif-prc.crvston ana self improvcment,) was
consequently the sorn of government under
which we lived, until its many i,npcrEctions led
10 the adoption ofour present Federal Corstitu-
ton. Great were the approximations, which
many OF the more ardent friends of liberty en-
tertaintd, that this new Constitution would lead
10 consolidated government, and it was then
said ot IT. that g 1t savoIed strongly of arstocra-
cr, aud had an awful squirting at monarchyn
Accordingly when it went into operation, these
politicians excrted all their ability to check and
unit IT'S powers, according TO the letter of the
instrument, and hence arose the republita an par
~. Another set of politicians, who apprelcnded
more danger of the dissolution, than of the con-
sohdaton OF the Union, and who had exerted
themselves IN the Convention to increase the
grants of power TO the general government,
were III favour ola more Hber al construction Of
the new Constitution, and hence originated the
FEDERAL party These parties must in the nature
OF things have divided the American public for
soinc years, even if no adventurous circumstan-
ccs had occurred 10 keep them alive. But the
Unparalleled revolution in France soon served To
create new causes of discord, and to divide the
parties In their opinions OF the external poiicy,
as well as 'nternn1 administration of our GOV ern-
;nent. The Republicans conceiving Justly, that
there was an inyinciblc hostility between the
principles of our government and those of the
Old absolute monarcliies of Europe, thought il
our duty TO side with the new governments i'm
preference to the OLD. The Federasts, on the
contrary, were particularly shocked by the
horrors OF the French revolution, and appre-
hending more danger TO our institutions from
the amaze hy Of the new system, than from TIC
despotisrn OF the old, became the friends of the
anti-rcvoiutionary cause. The overthrow of
Napoleon, and the triumph OF the dreadful al
lance which now tyranniZes over Europe, soon
ut an end to their scheme of our f,,rcipn policy
On the other hand, the successful and hapov
operation oil our new constitution in practice
combined with the opposition of Massachusetts
to the war, by convincing, the republican party.
that the centrifugal tendency OF the members of
our contederacy was greater t!ian the centrioe
tai; and that it was te interest of all the states
that the will Of the majority should be obeyed,
mas diminished the intense jealousy, which the
republicans at first felt ofthc powers OF the rene
raj government, and led them to embrace such
Opinions, as experience proved TO he wise and
saiutary. Since the extinction of the causes
which produced aud kept alive those parties,
the parties themselves have been gradually diving
away, and the American people with the cx-
ceptIon OF few iactioIIs Individuals have be-
come what Mr. Jefferson said they should be.
- all iederalists and all republicansn
Such however, are the diversitcs of human
opinion on the multiplied relations of civilized
society under complicated government. that il
is perhaps Impossible for pleasing uniformity
To prevail for any length of time There will
be some who approve, and some who condemn
every scheme of policy. Hence has arisen what
now exists III this country, and what is probably
destined to exist as long as our government en-
durcs an Administration party, and an Opposi-
ton party-the ins and the Outs, who will occa
sonaiiy suPp!ant each other, as the party admin
isterihg the government happens TO be wise and
or weak and corrupt
Under Mr.. Madison's administration, the
Feieraiists lost their real ground of opposition
to the government, and under his successor, in
proportion the last diving echoes of fcde-alisn,
have ceased TO reverberate, the murrnurs of an
anti administration party have become audible.
No attentive and candid observer of POLITICAL
events can deny this fact, although the COM |
pIarnants have not, until very recently, acknow-
LEGGED themselves party. Not twelve months |
SINCE the existence of an opposition or Radical
party, w5gug - war in disguisc,n OH the admin |
Istration, was POSireiy denied By their own