, 1872-10-20
OUR PRESIDENTS.
A Review of Parties and Pol
itics From 1857 to 1869.
The Eighteen American Presidents,
and How They We're Chosen.

The Eighteen American Presidents,
and How They We're Chosen.
Ten years trial of the Articles Of Confedera-
tion, adopted by the Continental Congress in
TIT, proved that they were but 3 rope Of sand,
too weak to hold together the parts of the na-
tion that then styled itself ssThe Thirteen United
States of America" Nevertheless, it was with
great difficulty that j. change was made. The
calling Of q Convention to frame new Conetitu-
ton was opposed; every proposition made in
the Convention was opposed; and the ratifca-
tion of the instrument it finally submitted to
the States Was bitterly opposed. The Convention
met at Philadelphia: May Il, 1857. On Sept. II,
it finished its work. The question Of ratiica-
ton dirided the people into two parties. The
FederaIsts favored it; the anti-Federa1ists
(often nicknamed the "Antis y opposedit. twas
q compromise between extreme centralization
1nd extreme diffusion Of power, and, therefore,
acceptable only to non-fanatics, class that, in
all times Of political struggle, is in q hopeless
minority. In some States however, the ques-
tion WIS soon settled. Delaware ratified the
Constitution In 81 days.-Dec. Z, 1887. Two
other States ratified it during the sa1ne month,
and eight in the following year; but North
Carolina did not adopt it until 1883, and Rhode
Island gave q reluctant acquiesence, May 27,
1790. It is cutious fact that the opposition to
itwas based, in New York, on the undue power,
it gave to the small States and, in Rhode Ial-
and, On the undue power it gave to the large
ones. The final complete triumph Of the Fed
e1alists Was largely due to the then presence in
that party Of many men who afterwards
led the opposition. Thus, Jefferson,
frat President Of the :'Antis," gave silent sup
port to the Federal cause, and Madison, second
President Of the same party, co-operated with
Hamilton and Gay in uniting the 'sFederalista,"
which excited potent influence in behalf of
ratification. When that ratification Was assured,
the designs OF the two parties perforce changed.
The Federalists now wished to give 1atitudi-
marian construction to the instrument, and have
. strong, splendid, Central Government. The
Anti-Federalists demanded that it should be
strictly construed and that the Central Govern
ment should have not q whit more power than
was necessary to it's existence, and should be
conducted in the eimplest, most unost entatiouB
manner possible. The Continental Congress Of
1888 resolved that the first election OF Preslden-
tial Electors should take place on the first Wednes
day IN January, 1888, that the Electoral vote
should be cast on the first Wednesday in Feb
1nary; and that Congress should assemble and
IT, Pr saen se be na%ur1ssd On the t
the fourth Of the month"; chance that fixed an
histor1 day. The election WIS duly held but,
when the Electors came to New York on the 4th
Of March to meet Congress, there was no Con-
The ballots, cast in February, we're formally
opened, and it was found that
GEORGE WASHINGTON,
OF Virginia, he'd received 50 votes, and waB,
therefore, unanimously elected President OF the
1{1ffa7 Rfstaa tho EtataE rf Nhrr Vort- Rhn5a
Island, and North Carolina, not voting, they not
having ratified the Constitution in time Until
after the fourth election, the manner Of electing
President WAS for each Elector to vote for two
greatest number OF votes to be President, and
the oae receiving the next highest number to be |
Vice President. Washington was notified Of his
election st Mount Vernon, april Il.
W. !naagnrated at New York, With = pomp and |
parade that caused much disp1easure. Jefferson |
wrote that it was ssnot at all in character with |
the simplicity Of Republican Government" Al |
though federallat was now st the head OF af- !
fairs, Jefferson was made Secretary of State, and |
Randolph, a sympathizer With him, Attorney |
General. Party spirit seemed to die away. It |
WAS an age of hero-worehip, and Washington WAS /
= god It Was idle to resist his name. He was |
reelected in 1882, By another unanimous vote. |
The admission to the Union Of Vermont CThose |
petition to join the Confederation in 1T77 |
had been rejected), and Of Kentucky, as
veil as New YORK, Rhode 1aland, and North
Carolina, increased the number OF States to |
Is, and the Electoral vote to 1872. !
The vote for the second Office showed a sgni-
fcant change. Adams, to be sure, had a decided ]
minority, having received the suffrages of n |
Electors. But George Clinton, the head and |
front OF the Anti-Fede1aIists in New York, had ]
80 votes Jefferson, 4; and Burr, I. This showed |
an Opposition strength, against any Federalist !
except Washington, Of IS yotes in 1872. The inau-
gu1afon took place in Philadelphia, March 4,
1749 Wasf crtnrsS aoee76
nessee vas admitted into the Union. At this |
time, the territory OF the United States was ILL.,
defined. Spain held Florida (then much larger
than now) and the vast tract Of country called
Louisiana. Few Of the Indian titles had
been extinguished in what were then
the Western States. Our Northwestern boundary
remained unsettled until the Webater-Ashbur-
ton Treaty of 1912, and our Northwestern until
Polk became President. When it was known |
that Washington would certainly refuse to run |
again, the Anti-Federalists rapidly crystalized
Into strong party. They called themselves Re-
pubicans or Democrats indiHerently, and were
called bv their opponents the Oppoaitfon or the |