New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-25
GOVERNMENT,

ment. In this country the people, after
many years Of experience, have undoubt-
edlv come to the conclusion that the re-
publican form of government, in which
the sovereign power is lodged for a given
period in representatives elected by the
qualified electors, is the only popu-
lar. and at the same time, conserva-
tive plan Of government that can be safely
adopted.
This idea Of popular government pre-
vailed at the foundation Of the great
American republic. Washington, Hamil-
ton. John Adams, Ben Franklin, Roger
Sherman. and even Mr.. Jefferson-whom
the Democrats of our day delight to cite
as authority for all their wild and revOlu-
tionarv schemes-favored the republican
instead Of the democratic idea of admin
istering the government. He never en-
tertained views antagonistic to the in
tegrity Of the Union or the perpetuity Of
republican principles. He, in fact,
headed the Republican ticket in the
presidential election Of 1900, when
Mr.. Adams was the candidate Of the
Federal party. The contest was most
spirited one, and political parties were
bitterly arrayed against each other. But
neither Mr.. Adams nor Mr.. Jefferson par
took Of this feeling. Mr. jefferson became
President, and Mr.. Adams gracefully re-
tired from the high Office he had filled,
with so much honor to the country and
distinction to himself. The inaugural
address Of Mr. jefferson abundantly
proves that his heart was with his whole
country and the success Of republican
government. After abiding to the throes
and convul sions Of the ancient world and
the agtations through which the people
of the newborn republic in the new
world had Just passed, occasioned by the
conflict Of opinion, Mr.. Jefferson says;
But every difference of opinion is not
difference Of principle. We have called by
different names brethren of the same prin-
cipIe. We are all Republicans; we are all
Federalists If there be any among us who
would wish to dissolve the Union, or to
change its republican form, let them stand
undistuTbed, as monuments of the safety
with which error of opinion may be toll
Grated, where reason is left free to com
bat it.
We are aware that our modern Demo-
Gratis are fond Of referring to Jefferson and
jackson as the favored champions of the
pernicious doctrines and wild fallacies Of
the Democratic party; but there is nothing
in the characters of those truly distin-
guished men that savored in the least Of a
disposition to render the operations Of a
lawful government uncertain, or make it
the plaything Of every capricious and
clamorous mob or party that might take
upon itself the right to speak in the name
Of the great body Of Tue people. For the
purpose of protecting itself against its
enemies foreign or domestic -and en-
forcing its acts, Mr.. Jefferson believed this
to be the strongest government on earth.
And when the iIIustrious jackson filed
the presidential chair, he never shrunk
from the duties Of President. When
South Carolina, under the lead of the
great Calhoun, attempted to nullify acts
Of the government and threatened to Sc
cede from the Union, President Jackson
took prompt measures to enforce the laws,
and said "The Union must and shall be
preserved" Nor was he less deci-
sive when it became necessary
for the government to assert itself
against those persons who had conspired
to run it, independent of the action of its
lawful agents. He suffered no subor-
dinates opinion to stand in the way Of
what he conceived to be his duty. He
did not hesitate to remove a Secretary Of
the Treasury in order to secure a removal
of the United States deposits from Mich
olas Biddle's bank He did this, too in
the face of powerful party Of outsiders
who were attempting to cOerce the govern
ment into the way they would have it adj
ministered. But jackson neither shirked
responsibility nor listened to the dicta-
ton of selfish and mischievous outsiders,
who were constantly endeayoring to shape
the course of the administration to suit
their own purposes. Neither Jeferson's
nor Jacksons ideas Of government coin
eide with the views of the Democratic
party since the days of Calhoun, nor Of
the Bourbon Democrats of the present
day. They were Republicans, and be-
lieved in the power and responsibility OF
the government to make good its acts;
believed that when the people had made
choice Of their representatives to admin
lister the government, they had to abide
by their stewardship.
The leaders Of the Democratic party,
since the days of jackson and the party
itself have been gradually falling into
those wild notions of government that
have so repeatedly disgraced France,
where the mob, in the name Of the peo-
pie. temporarily usurped its functions.
Our modern Democrats are not satisfied
that the duly chosen representatives Of
the people for that purpose should admin
lister the government, unless through
their dictation nor are they, unless done
in this way, willing TO recognize as valid
the acts Of government
This feeling has been gradually over
come, SO far rs the nation is concerned, by
tho roDidlv growing Republican senti-