Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-02-09

| more untrue than to represent Pr'nciPie as a. a'
bottom of Il; interest is al the oottou' anu lux
opposilion of principle is subservieni 10 inc op
position of interest Accordingly The result MAJ
been, that unless perhaps where dynasty wa
changed as in 1888, and for some time AFTER
wards, ard excepting on questions connected
| with this change. The very same e"nduc' acaS @eta
and the same principles professed by both parfT:
chin in office, AMI by bott ,chen IL opposition
The Whic IN oppost ion ,oas for retrenchment and
for peace; transplant him int, cfee, he c7rsd hti'
for either. Bills Of coercion, suspensions Of M
| Constitution nerc his obhorrence wten pro-
pounded by To,is; in place he propounded men
| himself Acts of indemnity and OF attandci
were the favcriies of he Tory in power: the
| Tory in opposition was the enemy oil both
| The gravest charge ever brought by the Wing
| against his adversary, YVES the personal pro
scription of an exalted individual TO please {
King; the worst charge that the Tory can leve
against the Wing, is the support OF proscrip
ton, still less jus.yfqblc, TO please ylceroy.'
Tho quotations from Halam show that 9
Wing was not Republican that "genuins
Whigssm is opposed 10 Tory and Republican
principles that while The Wing party o
Great Britain frmerly protested hostility L
royal power and devotion TO civil liberty, 1t ha:
long since SHIFTED its ground in regard 10 both
| While Lord Brougham admits that there wal
formerly plain line Of distinction between the
Wings and Tories, he says it would be absurd
to PRETEND that this line cGn noD be traeed."-
In what respects do the Wings of the United
States resemble the Wings of Great Britain
except IN name, love Of power and want of con
sistency2 Why should not our political parties
act independently, and use names in harmony
with the character Of our Government? Why
should tue Wings desire the transient ustre af
iorded BY borrowed plumage' Why should they
exhibit such undue reverence for, and ardent
attachment to name, the meaning of which
hes been rendered ambiguous by the lapse OF
party?
There are only two great political parties in
this country, and they are nearly co-eval with
the organization of our Government. The Re-
publicau party, concurring with Mr.. Jefferson
favored strict Interpretation Of the Constitu-
| ton, while the Federal party, concurring with
Alexander Hamilton, favored lattudinous
construction Of tha, instrument. The one re
garded liberal construction Of the Constitu-
ton, as pregnant with danger 10 the reserved
rights Of the States-the other deemed strict
Interpretation Of The Constitution, unfriendiy 10
The full security and adequate strength Of Go
vernment. The one party apprehended danger
from the centripetal tendency ofpower; the other
from the centrifugal tendency. The Republi-
can party favored the Limitation and distribu-
lion of Power-tbe Federal party favored its
enlargement and concentration. The conduct
Of the one evinced that jealousy of power
which has been justified by all human expe-
rence-the conduct Of the other indicated a
dis,rust Of the capacity of the people Tor self
government These parties had their origin,
not in Jealousy of Executive power and hos,il-
ty TO Executive encroachment, but in their con-
hcting views respecting the true Interpretation
Of the Constitution of the United States. Among
other proofs Of this position, we may adduce
the testimony of Judge Marshall, who observes
that the establishment of the first Bank of the
United States Contributed. not inconsidera bly,,
to the complete organization of those distinct
and visible parties, which, in their long and du-
bious conflict for power, have since shaken the
United States to their centre. See Marshalls
Washington, volume 3D.
To demonstrate The obnoyiou, character of
the Alien and Sedition Laws was not the only
object of Madison's Report II was also de
signed 10 counteract those principles of con
siructon which Hamilton and the Federal
party had adopted and inculcated. Hamilton
had maintained, "that whatever concerns the
general interests Of learning of agriculture, OF
manufactures, and Of commerce, are within the
sphere Of the national councils, as far as re-
CARDS an application Of money" Tho Report
exposes the unsoundness of these positions, and
afirms "that a spri, has, in sundry instances,
been manifested BY the Federal Government, 10
enlarge its powers by forced constructions of
the constitutional charter, which defines them. "
Reference was made 10 the "Bank law, which
from the circumstances Of its passage, as gei
as the LATITUDE Of construction on whieR 81 !,
founded, strikes the attention with singular
force" Mr.. Jefferson not only regarded the
Bank as inexpedicnt, but he said the institution
was Of deadly hostility against tho principle
and form Of our Constitution
The poiica revolution OF 1900 brought Mr.
Jefferson and the Republican parry into power
for nearly quarter Of century, they made II
serinns exsrti,ns = Te.aiJ p"l;i.Al ascendancy
L. 1921, ;Ecy rla Nj John quincy Adams 70
the Presidency, aud he failed 10 ob'ain the conf
dence and sufrages OF a maj oriiy Of The people
Owing 10 the want Of concert and union on tn
part OF The Republican pl'ty, no election Of Pre-
sideut was made by The people, and Mr. Adam
was elected by the House o. Representatives. a
the ensuing election the Federal party was expell
ell from power, and Mr.. Adams was succecde,
by Gen. Jackson. Il was during Gen. Jackson
administration, and ia consequence of The dissai
| isiactiou created ia som. portions Of the Union
by certain acts Of his administration, that the Fe
| deral parry awaited ilseli OF the oppor unity L
| acquire new allie ant additional strength. Ma
nv recruits were ca,ls'ei. The name OF Federal
ist had no magical influence, and indicated te
| nels which hal been condemned and repudia,e
| by the people. 1t was unacceptable TO the ne,
| allies, and the vesran members of the party be
gan 10 regard the name Of Federalisl as The sy
nonyme oil disaster and defeat. To have contin
ued the use oi ihis name would, in their opinion
have been, 90 use he language OF Fouche,
"worse than crime: it woult have been blum
der" The meot Wing was known to he an
clen,, and by MANY considered venerable Ii wa
known 10 be ambiguous, but instead of an obj.c
lion, This constituted recommendation. To hav
selected name which would have served as
index 10 their Political principles would hay
evinced deplorable want cfacl, as such cou $
would in their opinion, have rendered success