Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-08-08

ny tllt WuIlu, nty nave Decn I'M
subject Of so many orations, aud o
Of such general interest that theJ
are familiar to every mind. Th,
present Grafton shall contain a shor
historical sketch of the most prumi
nent actions Of the party now IN pow
cr in this country, and their conse
quences aud also inquiry concern
ing the course which sound polio,
dictates that the government Of IN,
United States should pursue in 70
tufe. The importance Of those sub
jecls, although not strictly connecle,
with the celebration Of this day, will
trust, be their apology to ever
mind,
There was powerful faction il
the United States opposed to tn,
adoption of the federal Constitution
The individuals Of which it was com
posed were called anti fcderalists
and were the founders OF the Dem
ocrauc party. They gloried in set
ting themselves in army agains, on
present admirable form OF govern
ment The authors OF this opposi,
ton were chiefly demagogues, who
might have risen to the head Of q
Stale faction, but who felt consciou,
that their talents would be ecipsed
~hen the lumiuaries of the United
States should be collected around
the General Government To graf
ify their ambition they wished that
this country should continue divided
into number Of petty state sover-
eighties without any efficient gov.
ernment fur their control.
Thus they desired although they
had the example OF ancient Greece
before their eyes, and well knew the
clashing interests of the States, and
their mutual jealousles, kept alive by
alliances with different foreign ma
lons, would have made this country
q perpetual theatre OF contention and
civil war, until il Ind fled for refuge
into the arms OF despousm. They
therefore sounded the alarm through
oui the Union against the federal
Constitution They predicted ruin
to the Stale Government and 10 the
liberties OF The people, from the pow
ers gwen 10 the fedora Government.
BY these means they succeeded in
alarming the fears Of many good
men, inducing them to believe that
government which is now the palla-
dum OF their safety, would be the
instrument OF their destruction. Not
wlihslandlng their desperate efforts
the Constitution was adopted and
Washington was elected President.
# night nave been supposed that
these fUucuonaues would have been
awed into silence 10y hls wisdom and
virtue. THIS was not the case
The opposition which they had Civ
en- TO the federal government was
now transferred TO its administration.
At first, indeed the voice of calum-
ny dared uot to whisper against
Washington aud his measures, but
ere long il was heard m thunder,
When the French revolution com
menced it was hailed by the people
Of this country, generally, as the
dawn of a rational liberty IN Europe.
But when, 10 IT'S progress, 1t mad be-
come the destruction of religion and
morality hen thousands of cIll-
zens were daily sentenced to death
and bulchered without trial and
without crime-when all the horrors
Of anarchy were poured out upon
that devoted country at home-and
when, AIula-bke, 1t had become the
scourge oi God 10 foreign nations,
the Washingtonian party began 10
entertain fears Of its result, and tho'l
it necessary to stem the torrent OF
French influence, which was rapidly
overhowIng our country. To this
duty they were imperIously called
as it was not only in theory one oI
the ayowed objects of that govern
ment to spread revolutionary primer
pies over the whole world, but they
had actually attempted to SOW the
seeds Of rebellion throughout the U.
States.
True to their original principles
and their first love, the Democratic
party Of that day became more the
friends of the French as they became
more the enemies OF social ORDER
When the proclamation Of neutrall-
ty was issued by Washington-ihal
prOclamauun which Ia now almost
universally admitted to have been the
salvation Of our country--that proc
lamatlou which lmparually placed
England and France upon the sam,
footing, and lnid open the commerc,
of the world to Amerlca-theY were
enraged that we had not entered into
an alliance with the French Repub
| lie, and waged war under their ban
ners against the human race. Blu
when the treaty OF peace with Eng
land, commonly called jays treaty
Yves ratified by Washington, torrent q
Of personal abuse were poured on
10y the Democratic party upon IT
head. They openly charged th'
father of his country with an lnten
ton of destroying his own offspring
TO such a pitch of ingratitude wer'
they carried by their diabolicat pas
SiOns that they dared publicly, anC
without the slightest foundation, l.
accuse him OF secretly putting hi
hand into the treasury, like lelon
aud appropriatIng, without authority