St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1857-11-12
Party Politics.

hcddSlo VI SSito Poi'liSdi JUL AaiS
are apt to believe that the present era
of parties is the most violent and dan
gerous one in the whole history of the
country. This, however, must be far
from the fact. The Union has been
dissolved dozen times-on paper and
in frethy declamation-and yet it re-
mains. When the simple question of
ratifying or rejecting the Federal Con-
stitution came up, in 1871, question
that people of the present day would
think likely to be carried by unani-
nous "aye," the whole people were
suddenly arranged into two parties
Federal and anti-Federal. Taking for
example Massachusetts and South Car
DINA, we shall see the strength of par
ties in the State Conventions called to
consider the famous document. In
Massachusetts, 1871 delegates voted
"aye" and JOS moe In South Car
DINA l49 voted "aye" and IS "noe )"
more than two TO one i'll the atfirma-
tive. At that time South Carolina
showed a greater proportion of sense
than Massachusetts.
Afterwards. when the Federalists I'M
dertook to celebrate the ratification of
the Constitution, very violent cxhibi-
tions of party feeling occurred. In
Providence, Il. l., the very seat of free
speech, a mob of a thousand men,
some armed, and headed by judge of
the State Supreme Court, prevented
the Federalists from celebrating the
constitutional victory. In Albany the
procession of the Federalists was at
tackled with clubs and stones and the
Constitution burnt. In New York
City q mob of Federalists destroyed
the types of Grecnbrass's Political
Register for obnoxious remarks
against their doings and sayings.
One of Patrick Henry's last phiippics
was directed against James Madison,
in the Virginia Assembly, opposing
his election to the United States Sen
ate. Although Gen. Washington's
election as President was unanimous,
there were deren candidates voted for
as Vice President by the electoral col
leges.
The debates of the first session Of
Congress were very spirited and warm.
Anti-slavery memorials and petitions
for abolition" poured in : Benjamin
Franklin headed one, as President of
Philadelphia Society. These Of
course excited most acrimonious de-
bate, and the papers of that day show
that later personalities in the Uuited
States Senate were more than eclipsed
by those of the first Congress and,
what is very astonishing to us nova
days, the majority of the Representa-
tivcs from Maryland and Virginia de-
cidedly leaned towards anti-slavery
views. \ year or two later, Jefferson
had an idea that Adams and Hamilton
were engaged in a conspiracy to over
| turn republican institutions and the
latter entertained views that the for
mer was Jacobin, quite as danger
Gus to the country.
So, from that time to the present,
the parties of the United States have
been contending one against another,
talking and writing, and conducting
the country through all sorts of imi-
nent dangers =" and crises" and so
it will be until the world comes to an
end, and with it this government. 1t
would be well for US to remember, on
all sides, that anmosity of debate and
personal conflict have been part Of
politics from the time the Israelites
quarreled about Saul and Samuel
down to the last Kansas election. Let
us all keep cool and save the country,
each in his own way for it is ever
desirable to look back and gather a
little light from that great lantern OF
experience which Patrick Henry, in
Revolutionary times, so cloquently
eulogiscd.