Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-12-15
THE BAYARD OPPOSITION TO JEFFERSON
AND JEFFERSONIAN PRINCIPLES

Oince IN new Chbllt SOunty.
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THE BAYARD OPPOSITION TO JEFFERSON |
AND yEFFERs0NIAN PRINCIPLES.
The Advertiser of Saturday devotes long ar |
tcle to eulogy of James A. Bayard, "the ell |
der" to which we should not need to refer, but |
for the fact that it involves some structures upon
the COMMERCIAL. This paper is charged with |
having reasserted' a "sander'' of John Qun- |
cy Adams's concerning Mr.. Bayard, in one of the
articles in which we reviewed the recently-pub |
lished diary of the former This is an error.
In the first place, we neither endorse nor chal-
lenge Mr.. Adams's opinion of Mr.. Bayard. 1t
would not be graceful task to Extensively probe
old stories concerning one who WAS, certainly,
prominent citizen of Delaware, though one of
whom his contemporary, as it seems, thought
and wrote with severity Mr.. Adams knew Mr..
Bayard well, saw much of him, WAS associated
with him in public service, and certainly had the
opportunity to learn something of him, but that
he did so learn, or that he has left just record,
we do not care to either affirm or deny John
Quincy Adams would doubtless stand against our
criticism and does not require our endorsement.
As to "re-asserting" therefore, what the Alder
Eser may regard as his ISLANDERS" we have done
nothing of the sort.
But in fact the Adoertiser has mixed up its
case. 1t is concerned about the action Of Mr..
Bayard in casting his vote for Jefferson, and
conceves that the charges against him in rela-
ton to that were made by Mr.. Adams. This
is confusion of circumstances. Mr.. Adams, in
the pages from which we quoted in our review,
referred to the course of Mr.. Bayard when the
election of Mr.. Madison was being shaped, and
not at all to the vote for Jefferson. He was not
in the country at the time of the latter like the
Adrertiser's ancestors, he was living and loving
though not fighting, sin another continent
He therefore records nothing in his Diary about
that circumstance, and consequently neither
ISLANDERS nor otherwise characterizes it. This it
Id just to Mr.. Adams that our contemporary
should get to comprehend.
As to what course Mr.. Bayard did take in ref
erence to the snti-Jenerson contest in 1901, the
facts are all historical and need scarcely be sta
Ted. Mr.. Bayard was a Federalist a very strong
one. He bitterly dsliked Jefferson's Democrat
ic principles. General Samuel Smith, for many
years U. s. Senator from Maryland, and the
warm personal friend of Jefferson, in letter
written in 1880 to the present James A. Bayard
and the late Richard II. Bayard advised them
not to stir up the question, and said
MY experience in life has shown that few
men take advice unless it comports with their
own views. loiH, hotDeUel, recommend utdt yOt
let nell enough dloue. Your father lods a biler,
most bitter enemy OF Mr.. Jefferson his enHtii5
,cds knoton TO all, "-&c., &c.
Being thus 30 strongly opposed to Jefferson
Mr. Bayard voted for Aaron Burr, when the con
test took place in Congress, in 1901, and contin
ned to do 80 uutil he began to fear that no Pres
ldent would be elected at ALL that the Unioi
would fall to pieces, and Delaware would los,
the protection which the confederatet
strength threw over her. He sal,
in letter to Alexander Hamilton, afte
the result had been reached, that though Bur
had completely forfeited the confidence an,
friendship of his party there are many con
/" siderationa which would have induced me b
prefer him to Jefferson" and 30 he supporte
him, till, as he says in his own defense, he con
cluded "that representing small State with
out resources which could afford her adequat
protection, he did not dare to stand out farther
AT the last, therefore, he, with the other Fedei
alists, gave up and Jefferson wa
elected. But Mr.. Bayard did not vot
for him at ALL and the alluson of th
Advertiser to the formers ''casting VOTE" whic
Launched the United States into Democrat
''policy, by electing Thomas Jefferson is G,
tremely amusing, il indeed, the lack of acquaii
tance with the facts which it shows does n,
render it ridiculous. Jefferson was chosen
the change in the votes of Vermont and Mar
land. This gave him ten States he had pr
viously only had eight which was Just one hal
there being sixteen in the Union. Mr. Bayar
on the last ballot, threw away his vote, castr
itblank. The support OF Burr was abandon,
but he was too ''bitter an enemy of Jefferst
and Jefferson's politics to vote for him.
1t is this opposition OF the elder Bayard
Democratic principles which is to Ills the into
esting feature in these passages OF history.
to the stories about his trying to make bargai
with Jefferson and Madison for the transfer
his support to those gentlemen-and these a
the ISLANDERS" which our contemporary is co
cerned over-we care next to nothing abo
them, but the fact that the elder Bayard was
hot Federalist is of some consequence, becau
cause his and grandson tread in his stel
and they, like him, are opponents of the Dc
trines which jefferson held. AS the old gent
man vehemently disliked the red-haired Dem
crat Of 1901, 80 likewise the Delaware Senat
Of 1874 repudiates the Democracy which cal
from Monticello, and contemns some Of the fou
dation principles of free government IT
does concern uH.