The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-06-27
"REMINISCENCES.

Readers Of certain infammatory prints are
apt to believe that the present era of parties
is the most violent and dangerous one to the
country in its whole history. This is far
from the fact. The Union has been dissolved
dozen times--on paper and in froth pre-.
cisely as it is being dissolved now.
When the simple question of ratifying or
rejecting the Federal Constitution came up, in
1887, Ia question the reader of 1856 would
think likely 10 be carried by a unanimous
"aye" from Maine to Georgia) the whole
people were suddenly arranged into two par.
ties-Federal and anti Federal. Taking for
example Massachusetts and South Carolina,
we shall see the strength of parties in the
State Conventions called to consider the
famous document. 10 the former State 1877
delegates voted "aye" and l6s "no;" in the
latter State, South Carolina, l49 voted "aye"
to 73"no"-just two to one in the affirmative.
South Carolina'was more sensible at that
time than Massachusetts,.
When the Federalists undertook to cee-
brate the ratification of the Constitution very
violent exhibitions of party feeling occurred.
In Providence, Rhode Island, (the very seat
of free specify mob Of thousand men,
some armed, and headed by Judge of The
State Supreme Court-prevenied the Feder.
aists from celebrating the constitutional VIC
tory. In Albany the procession of the latter
party was attacked with clubs and stones, and
the Constitution burnt. In New York city n
mob of Federalsts destroyed the type of
Greenbrass's "political Register" for obnox.
ious remarks against their doings and sayings.
One of Patrick Henry's last philippics was
directed against James Madison, in the Vir.
ginia Assembly, opposing his election to the
United States Senate. Although General
Washington's 3 election as President was unan.
nous, there were eleren candidates voted for
as Vice President by the electoral colleges
The debates of the first session of Congress
were very spirited and warm. Antislavery
memorials and petitions for abolition" pour
ed in-Benjamin Franklin headed one, as
President Of Philadelphia society. These
of course excited most acrimonious debate,
and the papers Of the day show us that the
recent personalities in the Senate were more
than eclipsed by those in the first Congress;
and, what is very astonishing to us now.a-
days, the majority of the Representatives
from Maryland and Virginia decidedly leaned
toward anti-savery views. A year or so later
Jefferson had m idea that Adams and Hami.
ton we're engaged in conspiracy to Overturn
republican institutions; and the latter enter.
tained views that the former was Jacobin
quite as dangerous 10 the country.
So, from that time to the present, the par.
ties Of the United States have been at one
another, wrestling and snowballng-sone.
times black baling-talking and writing, and
conducting the country through all sorts OF
"imminent dangers and 'crisises;" and so il
will be until the world comes to an end, and
with it this Government.
Upon the eve, then, Of another Presidential
campaign, let us remember, on all sides, that
animosity Of debate and personal conflict have
been part of politics from the time the
Israelites quarrelIed about Saul and Samuel
down to the last hour of the Kansas discus.
sion. Let us keep cool and save the Union in
our own way; fol- it is always desirable to
look back and gather little light from that
great lantern Of experience which Patrick
Henry, in revolutionary times, so eloquently
eulnuised