The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-09-19
A Lesson Drawn from Experience.


THAT party which is now supporting Bell
and Everett and clamoring to be intrusted
with the control of public affairs. is no new
party. 1t has history; and to that histo-
tory weinyite, for brief space, the attention
of our readers.
The father of that party was Alexander
Hamilton, who, in the Convention of 1881,
was the recognized leader Of those who
soughtrto establish, upon the runs of the old
Confederation, strong, consolidated nation
al government, in which the sovereignty of
the States should be swallowed up, so that
they should thenceforth constitute mere
provinces, or districts, of great common
empire, whose rulers were to WELD supreme
authority over all, as counties are controlled,
in England, by the Imperial Government.
Defeated in the Convention, which resolved
to institute mere federal government, vest
cd only with few specific and cautiously
delegated powers, Mr.. Hamilton professed to
have yielded his preferences for nationality,
and openly assumed the title of Federal
ist; but, as an influential member of Gen.
Washmgton's cabinet, he devoted all the
powers of his commanding intellect to the
work OF extending, indirectly, by an insidi-
GUS process of construction, the authority of
the general government, at the expense Of
those rights which the trainers of the Con-
stitution had so carefully reserved to the in
dividual States; and so skilfully were his
measures taken, and so deeply laid were the
foundations Of his sagacious policy, that the
government received at his hands, from the
earliest period of its organization, decided
impulse in direction opposed to that strict
y federal character which its trainers had
designed to impress upon it--an impulse
from which it has never yet recovered, and
to which, did time and space permit, it were
not difficult to show that the dangers which
now threaten the country are to be ascribed.
In 1897, the Hamilton, or Federal party,
as it was then styled, through the election of
the elder Adams to the Presidency, obtained
entire control of the government; but, by
the passage of the alien and sedltion laws,
and by its general maladministration of af-
fairs, the party so disgusted the people that
they Indignantly elected Mr.. Adams from his
position, and installed Mr.. Jefferson as Pre-
sident, in 1901, as the leader of the Demo
cratic party. Jefferson, after the expiration
OF his second term, was succeeded by Madi-
son, who was followed by Monroe-both the
latter being Democrats, and each of them
continuing, for eight years, in the Presiden-
tial office. In 1926, the Federalists, whose
misdeeds had then measuraby passed from
memory, elected John Quincy Adams to the
Presidential chair; but, like the Bourbons
in exile, they had learned nothing, and for
gotten nothing, during their long exclusion
from power; and, in 1920, the younger Ad-
ans, like his father, was ANONYMOUSLY driven
from his seat, at the close of single term,
to make room for Gen. Jackson, under whom,
and Mr. Van Buen, the Democratic party re-
taincd its ascendancy for the twelve succeed
ing years. Owing partly to the unporularity
of some of the measures Of Mr. Van Buren's
administration, and partly to the promises
which they held out of relieving the coun-
try from the pecuniary embarrassments under
which it laborcd at the time, the Federalists 7
in 1910, were enabled to elect Gen. Harrison, /
who died in month after his Inauguration,
and was succeeded by Vice President Tyler,
whose administration was conducted upon
principles savoring rather Of Democracy .
than of Federalism. The Democratic party, /
in ls45, placed Mr.. Polk at the head of the
government; but, in ls49, Gen. TAYLOR was
borne into the Presidential mansion upon
the wave Of that popularity which followed
his brilliant achievements in Mexico; and
thus, for the fourth time, were the Federal
lists placed in power. Gen. Taylor died in
few months after he assumed the duties of his
office, and was succeeded by the Vice Presi- :
dent, Mr.. Fillmore, whose administration was
so unsatisfactory to the people, that, In 1853,
they again entrusted the direction Of affairs
to the Democratic party, under the leader
ship of Gen. Pierce and, in 1857, they man
ifeste1 their continued confidence in the same
party 10y clevating Mr.. Buchanan to the Pre-
sidency.
1t will be seen, from this brief historical
relation, that the Federal party has never
succeeded in maintaining itself in power be-
yond single Presidential term; and this
significant fact is easily accounted for. 1t
one Of the fundamental doctrines of that
party--it is, in fact, the reason why they al
ways favored "strong government that
the people arc incapable of governing them
selves; and, accordingly, the party has al
ways relied upon chicanery and artifcc to
obtain the control of the government, and
has uniformly administered the affairs of the
country, when it was in power, with con-
disregard of public opinion. The
- s1,o u