Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-04-22
Names Of Political Parties.


a designation of the principles of government
by the party. IF those principles
tend to promote the best interest of community,
the name whatever it may be-, will be honor
able but when tyranny and oppression seek to
cloak their nefarious operations by mere name
an intelligent community will seldom be long
deceived or misled
The opponents of the doctrines of the admin
istration of John Adams were organized under
the auspices of Mr., Jefferson, and, by his advice,
assumed the name of Republicans, but the fed
eraliss of that day called them g Democrats"
a name at that time rendered odious from
its being the name assumed by party in
France, the principles and conduct of which
had been of q character abhor1ent to human
ity, andwas intended by the federal party as a
term of rrproach and disgrace, and was seldom
used or countenanced by Mr.. Jefferson. 1t
was intended to render odious those excellent
principles of government promulgated by Mr..
Jefferson in his first inaugural address, among
which were the following g Equal and exact
justice to all men of whatever state or per-
suaslon, religious or political" I" The sup.
port of the state governments in all their
rights" A jealous care of the right of elec-
ton By the people," " Absolute acquiescence
in the decisions of the Majority lie also in
sisted upon freedom of speech, freedom of the
press, I" the diffusion of information, and the
arraignment OF all abuses at the bar of pub
lie reason" He desired the diffusion of i'm
formation for the purpose of having truth free to
combat error, and for the purpose of having
those who held trusts for the public good, held to
rigid accountability the people. Here arc
the great doctrines of popular sovereignty.
During the administrations of Mr.. Jefferson
and several others, those excellent principles of
government were 50 faithfully carried INTO OK
ecution, and their value SO well appreciated by
the great majority of the people, that the name
" Democrats" given and intended to render
those principles unpopular, became honorable
and Indicative Of the best principles for the ad-
minstration Of our government and were 50
very popular that Mr.. Monroe, at his second
election in 1920, received every vote of the
electoral college, except one and, after that
time, few were willing to wear the name of
8 Federalist -
Among the objectioral measures of the old
federal party, were the Alien and sedition
laws" 50 called-the former authorizing the
President to expe' foreigners from our country,
and the latter restricting the liberty of the
press, authorizing criminal prosecutions in the
United States Courts for whatever. might be
deemed libel of government official thus al
lowing the people to be dragoonod into submis-
sion, under threat of their being brought be-
fore the Circuit Court, and from thence before
the Supreme Courta Washington, thereby az
bitrarily interfering with the just right and
duty of the citizens to express freely their opin-
ions of all public and political measures.
Mr.. Jefferson, Oh the contrary, ''gave q
practical illustration, (says his biographer
Professor Tucker) of the great political max
inns from which our civil institutions take theil
shape and derive their sfaialenlbat Experiment.
was instituted for the benefit of the governed
and, consequently, that its power is not a
property in those who administer it, but a
trust for the public good: that as power is
grateful in itself, and its exercise always more
l., N;at, L
others, it shqu3d be as sparingIy delegated, ana
as forbearingly cGertcd, as is consistent with the
great purposes Of peace and security. And in
conformity with these maxims, Mr.. Jefferson
made no attempts, and exhibited no desire to en-.
large the PoDers Of the erecutire,"
Mr. Jefferson, during his administration o.
eight years. practiced economy in the public ex
penses, suppressing unnecessary offices, and, al
he said in his second inaugural address, acteC
on the conviction, % that with nations, as wei
as individuals, our interests, soundly calculated
will ever be found inseparablc from our mora
duties - and it may safely be said, that thu
whole expense of the government, during tn,
eight years of his administration, did not much
exceed that of u single year of Mr.. Buchanan
administration.
1t is in vain for any one to deny, that mon
archical party has become fully developed unde
the leadership of Mr.. Buchanan, and of cours'
the people will cease to wonder why Mr.. Choat
and few other monarchical federaists SHOULD
50 readily become his supporters, and why Mr.
Buchanan should be 50 hostile towards Mr.
Douglas, the great leader in the Jefferson prin
ciples of government.
Notwithstanding we are at peace with all ma
tions, Mr. Buchanan has found means to use III
about S75 ,OO0, 600, of revenue during the las
year, and Congress has been compelled to pas
IL defciencv bill. No one doubts thatlar sum
of money have been expended to enlarge an
strengthen the powers of the executive, an
oven to bring Congress into subsection to tn
will of the President, by means of his patron
ago. and it is even regarded as crime suffcicn
to Justify removals from office, to support tn
y principles of government promulgated by MI
Jefferson.
For cndeavoring to do equal and exact justice
and supporting the citizens of Kansas, in thei
. rights, and especially for exercising a jealou
: care over the right of election by the people {
that territory, enumerated by Mr.. Jefferson a
! among the first duties of the general government
:, Mr.. Douglas hiss been denounced by the Pres
dent, and his followers. Force and fraud hay
always, and in all cases, been considered q
vitiating the most solemn acts, and yet MI
/, Buchanan, for no better reason than that the
: have complied with the forms of law, has use
the whole power of his influence and patronag