The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-30
THE THREE PARTIES OUR CLAIM.

The Wing and Democratic parties are fire.
quently represented as coeyal with the organi-
cation of the Government. No assumption
can be more untrue.
On the question Of the adoption of the Fed
eral Constitution the People of the several
States were divided in opinion. Those who ia
vored it were styled Federalists; those who
opposed it. Anti. Federalists The former party
triumphed, and came into power with the
ratification of the Constitution In these days
there are no -Federalists, if we except the
Disunionists of South Carolina and the few
Anti-Slavery men who have declared war
against the Union.
On the Federalists deyOlyed the task of or
ganizng the first Administration, and laying
the foundations of the policy of the country
Questions arose concerning the powers con-
ferred by the Constitution, the sphere of Fede-
raj action, the reserved rights of the States
and of the People.
The object Of the Fedcralsts was, to give
activity and application to those powers and
in directing exclusive attention to this matter
they were liable to mistake or exaggerate
them Their old opponents, constrained to ac-
auiesoe in the new Government but still eal-
Gus of its operation and fearful of its trespass-
ing on the rights of the States and of the
People, arrayed themselves in opposition, and
endcavored now to restrict its sphere, az they
had tried to prevent its institution. The con-
hict naturally engendercd bitterness, prejudice,
misconception, and excess. A stretch of power
on one side led to violent opposition on the
other and this again provoked new usurpa-
tions; until Democracy leaned to anarchy,
and Federalism to tyranny. At last the Fed
eralists were overthrown, and the Democratic
party under Jefferson and Madison controlled
the dcstnies of the country
Now, the federalism which passed the Alien
and Sedtion Laws, has no representatives at
this day, organized as distinct party though
it has its disciples among Wings and Demo-
Gratis as is shown by the attempt of a Wing
Administration to introduce among us the law
Of constructive treason for the protection of
Slavery and in the conduct of the slavehold-
ing sections of both the Wing and Democratic
parties, and their allies when they passed II
grossly unconstitutional Fugitive Slave Law
and then in their Conventions attempted to
enact its " tinality," and suppress freedom of
discussion
On the other hand, the Democratic party
which acquired ascendeney under Jefferson
and Madison, in it's general views of the Con.
stitutieu and in its foreign policy, has perpetu-
ated itself in no particular party, but is repre-
scented by both the Wing and Democratic par
ties of this day 80 far as their latest declara-
tions Of sentiment may be regarded ~ defining
their positions.
After the war Of 1912, until the Presidency
of Mr.. Monroe, the Democratic party held and
acted upon the views of the old Federal party
in respect to finance trade, and internal i'm
provements. 1t was in favor of National
Bank, of Protective Tariff, and Of great
system of Internal improvements and its
head, MIR. Madison, recommended the estab-
lishment of National University Surely the
Democratic party Of to-day does not recognise
itself as the lineal descendant of the Demo-
cratic party of 1916 Every distinctive meas
gre of that party it has distinguished itself by
opposing The doctrines and policy of that
party now constitute the characteristics of the
Wings against whom it has so long struggled,
Under the Administration of Mr.. Monroe
there was complete hull of party strife The
old topics of controversy had been disposed of;
the Fedcralists appeared content as the Ad-
minstration, styled Democratic, had adopted
their general views of policy In fact old
party combinations were broken up.
The two parties, now called Democratic and
Wing, were organized in their present forms un-
der the Administration Of Gen. Jackson, and
had their origin in controversies concerning the
connection of Government with banking insti-
tutions, the policy Of IA Protective Tariff, and
system Of Internal improvements by the
Federal Government. The old Democratic
policy of Madison and Monroe had favored
the growth of Centralism, the dread of De-
mocracy. Alliance with the Moneyed Power
of the country was endangering the purity Of
the Federal Government, and investing it with
fearful capacity for mischief; and its schemes
of internal improvement if carried out, would
have concentrated power and patronage in its
hands at the expense of State sovereignty.
Jackson took ground against this policy; those
who sustained him were Democrats; those
who opposed him soon took the name of Wings.