The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-03
POLITICAL HISTORY.
TO the Editor Of the Democrat:

The election Of Mr.. Jefferson occurred Id
1900. and not 1910, as the printer made me
say.
This being the first republican administra-
tion. great prudence and sound Judgment was
required on the part OF Mr.. Jefferson, but he
was equal to the occasion. In his first lnau-
guraI his policy was plainly and fully set
forth In very short address, substantially as
| follows: equal and exact justice to all men !;
peare. commerce and friendly relations with
al foreign nations; entangling alliances with
none; the support Of the State governments
In their rights the preservation Of the gen
eral government In It's constitutional vigor; q
jealous care Of the purity of elections; econ
omy III the public expenditures freedom of
the press, freedom Of the person, and trial by
juries mpartialIy selected" With the above
platform. and the grand central idea Of diffu-
sion Of power among the people. holding that
ia the States themselves resides the original
inherent sovereignty, having delegated spec-
fled powers for certain purposes to the gen
eral government, which were only to be made
made manifest by acts Of general character
and for the good Of all the States, looking to
the local authorities and the patriotism OF the
people for all home government.
| With this broad and catholic platform the
republican party stood before the country.
! The accession of Mr.. Jefferson to power
caused complete change In affairs. His
simple habits were regarded as decidedly
pIebian by the court party, his predecessors
had moved to the capital In grand state to be
| lnaugurated, while Mr.. jefferson rode alone
| OH horseback and without any grand eere-
mony took the oath Of office.
| Many other changes were made. not neces-
| sary to mention, which called forth sneers
and terms Of derision from the court or Fed
l Nag T,,G,
| level he had the good Of his country at
| heart and he therefore let these things pass
on, and he kept his eyes fixed upon the Ameri-
can eagle, and moved straight TO the front.
During this administration the Louisiana
| purchase was made at mere nominal cost
giving vast territory of over q million of
| square miles to the country. Many changes
| were made and laws repealed and passed that
| gave great satisfaction to the people-so
much SO that at the next election, In 1904 Mr.
Jefferson was again elected, carrying fifteen
! of the sevent IN States.
notwithstanding these defeats, the Federal
| lists Still kept up their organization, and were
readyto strike when occasion presented, They
were particularly strong in New England-so
strong, indt ad as to cause grave uneasiness.
| When Congress found 1t necessary to pass
| the embargo act on account OF the hostile
acts Of Great Britain and France, the FEEDER
| allsts opposed this measure with great bit
| terness and power. So intense did the oppo-
sttion become that John Quincy Adams Sen
ator from Massachusetts, found it necessary
to resign his seat, he having advocated the
| measure.
| Mr. Adams, upon resigning, assured the
| President that ii this measure was pressed
| that New England would separate from the
Union; that the plan for separation had
already been discussed and arranged, and
that 1t would be approved by the people of
New England Here we find the first germ of
secession.
| Following the example OF Gen. Washing
T.,r. y
the wisdom and vigor of his administration
had SO commended itself to the people that
Mr.. Madison, the nominee Of the republicans
In 1908, was easily elected over the Federals.
Mr.. Madison followed the track laid out by
Mr.. Jefferson, thereby moving along smoothly
until toward the close Of bis first term, when
war with England seemed to be inevitable
This was favored BY the Democrats and OPP
posed by the Federals. War was declared.
Republicans renOmtnated Mr.. Madison. Fed
| erals nominated De Witt Clinton, and upon
the issues made went to the country Mr.
Madison was again elected by good ma
jority.
The country was not well prepared for war
consequently the first two years were disas-
trous to the Americans, causing deep depres-
sion upon the people; but the Federalists
were rejoced, rather than depressed, at the
misforturnes of the country, and took this
occasion to give aid and comfort to the enemy
Boston had, at the declaration of war, or
dered the flags of her shipping to be hosted at
half mast, and now all New England, the hot
bed Of Federalism, was denouncing the war
aud The war party in a most yindictiye man
ner.
The enemy fully understood the Federals Of
New England, for while blockading their
ports closely little or no damage was done to
her people or property, while at the same
time untold outrages were committed on the
| coast Of the South; villages and farm houses
burned, people murdered, many OF them re-
CARELESS of age or sex. The enemy had
| hot
Of the New England States to the British
crown. No hope was felt for any other State
for only New England was loyal.
The Federals manifested their sentiments In
Massachusetts resolved, as the sense of the
Senate of Massachusetts, that in a war like
the present. waged without iustifiable cause
and prosecuted In manner that indicates
that conquest and ambition are it's real mo-
tives, It is not becoming moral and religious
people TO express any appreciation OF military
OF naval exploits which are not Immediately
connected with the defense Of our seacoast or
Soil.
Another Instance: When Decatur, with
his little fleet, lay closed up In the harbor of
New London, anxious to escape the blockad-
Ing heet, found, on every attempt he made to
get out, btue tights burning on the banks of the
River Thames, he was satisfied that these
were signals to the enemy, and of this there
Is no doubt. The Federals were charged with
this traitrous act, and no one, to my knowl-
edge, has denied it. At all events, from that
time. they were called "Blue Light Federal
ists.''
Another, which was considered at the time
the most important and dangerous to the
public interest, and that was the assembling
of the Hartford Convention which
was believed to be for the purpose of
concerting measures for separating from the
Union. and but for the fact that peace was de-
clared a short time afterward, it was thought
they would have carried their purposes into |
effect, thus showing the white feather" by
DESERVING their colors while under fire.
It has been denied by some that they in
tended to go so far, but the odium attached
to them, and so strongly, that even to this
day to mention Hartford Convention" to q
modern Republican makes him blush with
shame.
At all events the acts of the Federals dur
ing the war brought such infamy upon them
that they have ever since sought cover under
another name, but In spite of the cover the