M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-11-01
Jefferson on Political Parties.

The great dividing line between po
litical parties is the same now that i
was in the early history ofthe country
and the characteristic of Wing anC
Tory as they obtained then, or Demo
crat and Black Republican as they ex
ist now, are just as manifest to-day as
they were then. The Wings of that
day, says the Portland Argus, claimed
that Parliament had no right to inter.
tere with the internal policy ofthe col
onies, and that the people Of each
should be allowed to manage theil
own affairs. The Tories held to Just
the opposite-defended the tyranny o.
Parliament and opposed resistance to
its aggressionS. After independence
the same characteristics prevailed
The Wings insisted upon confning
the national government strictly to the
powers conferred upon it, and were te.
nacious OF the reserved rights of the
people; the Tories, Cl the contrary,
distrusted the people, wanted a con.
solidated general government and ad.
vOcated the exercise ofthe larger pow.
er by it. The same is true at this
time. The modern Tories insist up.
on a latitudinarian construction of the
Constitution, and the exercise of the
largest powers by the national govern
ment. They hold that the people Of the
territories are but political serfs Of
Congress, and that it can and ought to
govern them in all their domestic af-
fairs; Just as the Tories Of old claimed
that Parliament could control all the
local affairs of the colonies. The
Democracy, on the contrary, place
confidence in the people, aud insist
that they have the right to seli-gov-
ernment in Territories as we'll as in
States. They hold that the general
government should confne itselfstrict-
ly to the general affairs of the whole
country, and leave the people Of each
community to manage their local con-
Germs in their own way. Read what
Mr.. Jefferson said OF parties and see
how we'll it fits now; the words we
quote are tc be, found on pages 5O7
and sos Of Rayner's Lie Of Jefferson,
and are as follows:
"The Hartford Convention, the vic
tory of Orleans, the peace of Ghent
prostrated the name Of federalism. Its
veterans abandoned it through shame
and modification, and noaC call them.
Solges Republicans. But the name
alone IS changed; tile principles are
the same. For in truth, the parties
Wing and Tory are those of nature
They exist in all countries, whether
by these names or by those OF aristo.
Gratis and democrats, or by any other.
"The sickly, weakly, timid man
fears tie people, and is a Tory by ma.
tnre: The healthy, strong and bold
man, cherigheS them, and is found a
Wing by nature. On the eclipse Of
federalism with us, although not its
extinction, its leaders got up the Mis-
souri, question, under the false front OF
lessening the measure Of slavery, but
with the real view oi producing geo,
graphical division OF parties, ayhich
might inSurethem the nect President.
The people Of the North went blindfold
into the snare, and followed their lead.
ers for awhile with a zeal truly moral
and laudable, until they became SEN
sible they were injuring instead ofaid-
ing the real interests Of the slaves, and
that they had been used merely as
tools for electioncering purposes. The
line of division now is the preservation
of State rights as reserved in the Con.
stitution, as against strained construc.
tons of that instrument. The Tories
are for strengthening tie General and
EsecatiUs Government; the Wings
cherish the representative branch, and
the rights reserved by the States as a
bulwark against consolidation, which
must Immediately generate monar-
cby."
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