Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-07-09

PARTON ON THE PAST PRESIDEN-
TIAL NOMINATIONS.

lent promise Oh success, which Is even
increased by the number at hand
Frank w. Potter contributes an in>
terestng article ON parke Goodwin,
of the New York Ereniag Post James
w. Schovel, "a Day with Richard
Golden !" and James Parton, an in
teresting paper on "Past Presiden
tial Nominations" from which we Sc
lect the following:
ORIGIN OF PARTIES IN THE UNITED
STATES.
During General Washington's first
term,the parties were formed and ev-
err attercontended for tho supremacy.
Each OF these parties consisted at
first of one man. The first American
Democrat, in the party sense OF the
word, was Thomas Jefferson, Secrc>
tary Of State and the first Federal
list was Alexander Hamilton, Secreta
ry of Treasury. These two men, as
ISOLATED in the Cabinet of General
Washington, soon discovered that
they differed fundamentally on almost
every point on which it is desirable
that Cabin ministers should agree.
The French Revolution was the great
topic at that time. Jefferson, fresh
from France, hailed that mighty re-
volt with the kcenest approval, for
he had witnessed the oppression
which justified it. Hamilton at first
regarded it with horror. Hamilton
had low opinion of mankind, and
thought that Government must nee
essarily be both powerful and impos-
ing. Jefferson, on the contrary, re-
spected his fellow citizens, and desir
ed their Government to bc simple, in
expensive and strictly limited. The
consequence was, that the two Sccro
taries, as Jefferson remarked, "were
pitted against each other every day
in the Cabinet like two fighting
cocks and this dissension communi.
eating itself to their friends and fol-
lowers, gradually divided the nation
into parties.
Those who sided with Jefferson
were called Republicans, and those
who sympathized with Hamilton
were called Fedcralists. The Repub-
lican party embraced these, descrip-
tons of persons: first, young menof in
tellect and enthusiasm, like Jefferson
himself, who had faith in their fellow.
men, and believed il the progtess OF
their species; secondly, considera>
bic number of the wealthy planters
of the South, who, without being
Democrats, desired the General Gov
eminent to be SO simple and limited
rs not to detract from the impor-
lance OF the State Governments
thirdly, the more intelligent artisans
and poor men Of the North, who
were naturally attracted by the
equalizing doctrines of the Declare
ton OF independence. The Federal
party consisted Of a large majority
Of the men of property and education
the men who are-in all times and
lands ma turally disposed to con.
servatism. These solid men of the
land, and the voters whom they infu-
enced, constituted the Federal party.
! CALUMNY AS A POLITICAL WEAPON.
A dastardly weapon earl y employ
cd in our presidential contests was
calumny but the wounds it inflicted
were never mortal. We may assert
that SANDER has never harmed a
public man, though it has frequently
aided one. Hamilton, accused of
peculation, could only refute the
charge by confessing himself an adul.
tcrcr; but neither the lie nor the
truth lesscned his influence us a pol>
itican, nor indeed lowered his char,
acter as man for those who la
mented his Immortality honored his
frank acknowledgements. Jefferson
is said that his plantation swarmed
with the yellow faced proofs OF his
| RIGHTEOUSNESS. These accusations
gained for him more votes than they
lost. The virtuous John Adams was
accused of importing mistresses from
| England, but no one regarded the re-
| diculous tale. Such caumnies as
these had no pernicious effect they
prevented. well-founded charges from
being believed. Aron Burr, for ex~
ample, was neither moral nor an
honest man; but in the midst of
such a torrent of groundless SANDERS,
who could believe that the candidate
for the Vice Presidency was protli-
gate and debauched So, in later
times, when true representations
of tho violence Of Andrew Jackson
were given to the public, pepole dis,
believed them as q matter Of course.
JEFFERSON.
A profound peace settled upon the
politics of the country after the in
auguration Of Jefferson in IS0l.-
That great man knew the importance
of little things. The stately cere.
monies and tedious etiquette of tho
White House were Immediately laid
aside, and republican simplicity
characterized all the intercourse be-
tween the President and his fellow.
citizens. A coach and four no long
er conveyed the President through
the miro of Washington. When Mr..
Jefferson had occasion to visit the
Capitol, he rode thither on horseback,
unattended, and tied his horse to a
pos tbefore entering the building
While such trifies as these enchanted
the multitude, wise men were graft
fed to see the national affairs con.
Quoted with dignity, wisdom and
economy, which, we truly believe,
have never been equalled in the gov
eminent of any nation, it cannot be
that Jefferson was chimera of the
popular imagination. No mans con-
duct and character have ever cndur-
ed so long and keen scrutiny as his,
and he retained to the last the ven
Grafton of great majority of, the
American people. Such an ascendancy
as he maintained for thirty years over
the popular mind was not due to any
splendor of talent, or to the eclat of
military exploits; it was the honest
tribute Of intelligent DeOplc to the