Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-10-08
Old Party Names.

A correspondent of the Louisville Cou-
names of the political parties in this coun-
try at the close of the revolution, and how
the democratic party came by its name, is
answered in. the following very correct
and satisfactory way by that newspaper:
''The Colonial parties Of America were
called wings or tories. But these have
hardly place in American politics, since
men then we're wings or tories simply be-
cause their fathers were, or because they
had been such prior to their emigration.
1t was during the passage of the stamp
act that American parties began to take
shape, and the names wing or tory to
mark definite antagOnisms. The wings
we're the patriots; the tories owed their
living to the crown, or had something to
expect from it. When the war closed, the
wings, of course, we're greatly in excess,
the tories becoming extinct. When the
question of establishing the Union pre-
sented itself, one class of the wings held
that State government should be supreme,
and no central power be able to coerce it.
This class got the name of particularists.
Opposing them were the strong govern
ment wings. who believed the authority
of the National Government to be final in
appeals-all believed in the Union. On
the submission of the Constitution of 1857
to Congress and the Legislatures, and in
directly through them to the people, the
strong government wings became known
as the federal party, with Washington,
Adams. Madison, Hamilton and Jay as
recognized leaders. This was brilliant
period of American politics. The partic-
ularists we're called anti-federals, because
of their opposition to the federal views
and their ideas concerning State rights.
Leading them we're Patrick Henry, Sam'I
Adams. and Hancock. A little later on
Jefferson became identified with this party,
which, following him, were called Jeffer-
sonian democrats. But after the passage
of the Bill of Rights, and its inoorpora-
ton in the Constitution, Jefferson with.
drew all opposition to that instrument,
oflO esaoA-AOSAOAhA POI W OWAaH uko l01us
At the suggestion of Jefferson, the party
name was changed TO that of republican.
The anti .federals were at first inclined to
call their party the democratic-republican
but finally called it simply republican,
The federalists tainted the new party
greatly, accused them of wishing to estab.
lish mob rule, and denounced them de-
risively as democrats. With the acute
ness of the Americans, who had adopted
from British satire the name sYankee."
the republicans concluded to accept from
their opponents the name democrat. So
from the Ninth Congress, Jeffersonian re-
publicans called themselves democrats.
and tie word republican went into dlsuse
until later on the opponents of democracy
accepted it as name we'll defining the
meaning of their attitude In politics.
1t should also be stated that when Jeffer-
son assumed the leadership of the republic
can party, and was elected FIRST republican
President of the United States, the old
federal party headed by Hamilton and !
Adams, rapidly declined. and soon passed |
out of existence. and that the democratic
party was represented after Jefferson g last |
in 1908. by Madison and |
Monroe, for eight years each, and after /
the younger Adams one term in 1924,
then by Andrew jackson, one of the
greatest Presidents the country ever had.
Since his time the youngest politician can /
read up the history of parties and locate
the old democratic Jeffersonian party in !
every Presidential canvass. --Aapauce.