The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1840-07-14
WHO ARE THE DEMOCRATsa- No. Ill


"The principles, which divide the two parties,
the same now as formerly. The party support
ing the present administration of the general gov
eminent, is the same party which elected MIR. JET
ferson to the Presidency in the year 1909, and
tanned his principles. Ii is the same party which
supported Mr.. Madison and defended the measures
of his adm inistration in ISl2--l3 and ID. On the
other hand the party, which now opposes the gen
eral administration, is the same old Federal party
which wasiiounded by Alexander Hamilton and
~''i.' "r.aiA .~d ."rporteu me odious and aristo
cratic measures Of the administration of John Ad
ANS during the years of 1898 and 1899"
C.P. VAN NESS.
I remarked in my first number that each of the
political parties of the day claimed an exclusive
right the title of Democrats. This claim is main
tanned by the Wings from belief that whatever Of
The democratic doctrines Of ISl2-l3 and ID remain
ed in the politics Of the time belonged appropriate
y to them while their opponents had adopted those
principles which had characterized the Federal par
I, OF the same periods, and whoever will give him
self the trouble to fully investigate this subject,
will, think arrive at the conclusion.
In my last, exhibited the democracy OF Mr..
Van Buren,. have not quite done with wor
thy President yet, but shall ,eserve what have
to say of him to tho more appropriate occasion
wheL speak Of tho political parties OF the last
war. Atpresent shall go farther back and exam
inc the history and political opinions of those times
when the two designations, Federal and Democrat,
arose. This will carry me TO the convention that
formed the constitution; and here meet ca
governor; for it is to this period that he attempted
to trace the Federal party. Both the Gov. and my
sell might go further We shall find the origin OF
this party or at least we shall find kindred party
beyond the convention that formed the constitution
II existed in the confederacy, and may even be
| traced into the revolution.
Before, however, proceeding to this point, it may
be we'll to make preliminary remark or two
Names are not always indicative of principles II
often happens that those who are most tenacious
of names most careless of principles most
ready TO desert the principles upon which
their cognomen is based And it is usual to find
those persons who are loudest in their professions
of democracy fartherest from the practice Of it. And
modern democrats have not been the first to sue
gest such remark. Others well as they have
stolen the guse of heaven to serve the devil In
The principles of political parties constan tly
changing. The party now in power present at
eminent example ofthis They came into power
protesting creed and they have practiced al
other entirely the reverse. They have started new
principles and new political questions also. Whc
ever heard of the Sub Treasury before the admins
traton of Mr.. Van Buien? Or rather, what part,
ever made it a test question until the present az
ministration did it? Will they show that thu
democratic party of 1900, Of 1912, IS, ID did so
Was il in existence then? Is il not new question
altogether? Here then party which claims t
bare date with the Constitution mako question
not four years old the very test of political oItho
doxy-a test of the democracy Of fifty yeats ago
This is absurd 1t is utterly ridiculous. The sub
ject is newt is an Innovation upon the uniform
and established practice of the government, an
yet, forsootf, it is an old democratic measures g
1SOO-1S12, IS, ID, and he who ventures to dout
it's expediency propriety is John Adams Fed
;, erast! He belongs to the school of Alexande
4 Hamilton who died before the author of th
. scheme had escaped from the nursery.
But men are constantly chaging, and parties ar
+ changing. 1t must be so. New subjects Of poit
cal action are continually arising. The precise
n litoal questions that now agitate the country ca
rover exist again. They never existed before, an