People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-17
JEFFERSON INAUGURATION.
A True Story of the Simplicity With
Which 1t Was Attended.


Which 1t Was Attended
Few historians have dwelt with
sufficient emphasis upon one very
important feature of the revolution
wrought in 1900 by the downfall of
the Federalists and the triumph of
the Democracy under Thomas JEFF
ferson. They have dwelt often and
with much elaboration Of detail upon
the purely political character of the
charge, upon the reversal Of the
Federalists' dogmas that the central
government was the creature solely
of the masses, and not Of the States,
that the Government, to survive fac
ton and anarchy, should stretch it's
powers and enlarge It's sphere of
operations to the utmost limit of a
very latitudinarian construction of
the constitution, and, in short, that
the citizen must do nothing for him
self that the Government can do for
him. But they have overlooked the
radical nature of the social revolu-
ton effected, and which Mr.. Jeffer-
son lost no time in emphasizing, COM
mencing with the simplicity of the
ceremonies of his Inauguration and
continuing through his term and the
terms of most of his successors. He
struck at once at what he considered
the root of a sinister evil and real
danger, which consisted in the reten-
ton of many of the forms as well
as much of the substance Of mon
archy.
ROYAL FORMS AND CEREMONIES.
"When on my return from Europe
I joined the Government in March,
1896, in New York" he subsequently
wrote, II was much astonished in
deed at the mimicry I found estab-
lished Of royal forms and ceremonies,
and more alarmed at the unexpected
phenomenon by the monarchical SEN
timents heard expressed and openly
maintained in every company, and
among others by the high members
Of the Government, executive and
Judiciary (Gen. Washington alone ex-
cepted), and by a great part of the
Legislature, saws only some men,
bers who had been Of the old Con.
gress and very few Of recent in
PRODUCTION"
Indeed, so far did his convictions
move him that he demonstrated with
Washington himself at the exhibition
of 50 much court formality and cere-
monial display, not only on the occa-
sion of his first inauguration, but at
his levees and fetes. For this fault
he held Gen. Knox and Col. Hum
phreys, who arranged the pro-
gramme, responsible, the first Of
whom he called ga man Of parade"
and the latter one who had presided
at foreign courts" His protest had
the effect of inducing Washington to
suggest a modification Of this osten-
tatious exhibition at his second inau~
guration, the submission by HIM of a
number of questions to Vice-Presi-
dent Adams in regard to the proper
course for President Of the United
States to pursue in order to avoid
license on the one hand and austerity
on the other, and the explanation
from Washington also that the cere-
monies at his first Inauguration had
been arranged for him and that he
had insisted upon several modifca-
tons of the original programme.
But owing to division of sentiment
in the Cabinet, where Jefferson and
Hamilton strangely appeared on the
same side, there was no important
charge made at the second Inaugural
ton, and the precedents established
were followed by Mr.. Adams.
JEFFERSON DENoUNCEs THE MON
ARCHICAL PARTY.
1t was in 1896 that Mr.. Jefferson
wrote his celebrated Mazzie letter,
which provoked a storm of rancor-
Gus criticism from the Federalist
press and politicians.
''The aspect of politics." said ne,
''has wonderfully changed since you
left us. In place of that noble love
of liberty and republican govern
ment which carried us triumphantly
through the war, an Anglican, mon
archical, aristoeratical party has
sprung up, whose avowed object is
to draw over us the substance as
they have already done the forms of