M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1857-03-05
4 shOrt Review OF ll,e Pnst.

80 NNN ~ a SSANNA VI - ~
States, being the thirteenth person who
has been elected to that important Of
flee. OF these thirteen, Wasl ingtor,
Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Jack,
son served two terms /; John Adams,
John Q. Adams, Martin Van Buren,
James X. Polk and Franklin Pierce
served but one term each. President
Harrison lived only n month after
his Inauguration, and President Tay-
lor only about n year.
The Administration Of tho "Elder
Adams "became obnoxious on account
of its aristocratic tendencies, there be-
ing a party then, asnow, which doubt
ed the capacity of the people to gov
ern themselves. The alien and sedition
laws were passed during this admins
tFation. The Democracy succeeding
to power, with Jefferson as President,
these odious laws were repealed, and a
liberal policy was inaugurated which
has ever since been q distinguishing
characteristic Of the Democratic party.
During this administration the vast
territory of Louisiana was acquired.
The Democratic policy was contin-
ued under Mr.. Madison, whose adj
ministration was celebrated chiefly by
the last war with Great Britain, which
proved SO glorious to American arms
and American principles, and which
was opposed in abolition New Eng
land by the press and pulpit.
During Mr.. Monroe's term, altho'
party lines were somewhat obscure,
and that period became noted as the
era ofgood feeling, " the general pol
icy of the government was in accor-
dance with Democratic principles.
Party lines became we'll defined again
under John Q. Adams, who was cleo.
ted to the Presidency by the House of
Representatives, and Andrew Jack
son, as the champion of the Democra-
cy, was elected to succeed him. The
struggle with the U. S. Bank during
this period is fresh in the memories of
many of our readers.
Van Buren, was elected to succeed
Jackson in 1886, and four years after
wards occurred the most violent par
tizan war Of which our country has
yet been the scene. 1t ended in the
election of Gen. Harrison to the Presi-
dency. His death and the veto of the
U. S. Bank charter by John Tyler,
crushed, finally and emphatically, the
hopes ofthe advocates of that institu.
ton, and it became an "obsolete idea"
The election of Polk and the reduc-
ton Of the tariff was alsSa death blow
to tie high tariff" for although Gen.
Taylor was elected by the party which
had advocated that measure, no at.
tempt was made during his admins.
tration to increase the duties. Hence,
it was, also, deemed an "obsolete
question" and the Democracy, after a
twonty-four years struggle, were com
pletely triumphant.
During Mr.. Folks Administration,
the Mexican var occurred, its termi-
nation giving us immense possessions,
as indemnity for the past and socuri-
ty for the future" From the COIN
mencement to the close of this war
the abolition orators, press and pulpit
were engaged in giving aid and
comfort" to the enemy. They also
opposed the annexation of Texas and
the acquisition of California and New
Mexico, declaring those countries to
be barren hills and dreary wastes.
Gen. Scott, havingfought for his coun.
try in both wars to which Abo-
litionism had been opposed, failed to
receive the vote of that party, and as
a consequence, Franklin Pierce was
elected by an overwhelming majority.
During the Administration of the lat
ter, Know Nothingism swept through
the country like a tornado, and after
destroying the last vestige of the Old
Wing party, subsidized as suddenly as
it had risen. In the North, the men,
bers ofthat secret order have become
mostly abolitionized, and in the South
they are but a small minority. The
opposition to the Democratic party is
now split into factions, and to-day,
after having controlled the destinies OF
tba TTpson g.. Ct. L.. -. "