The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-20

The drift toward democracy was fastened
by n split in the ruling class. In Virginia the
gentry soon began to call themselves Republic.
cans. whereas in New England most Of them
long continued to he Federalists. Curjously
enough. jefferson and his colleagues believed
themselves to be the genuine conservatives.
The Republican party wish to preserve tho
Government in its present FORM" wrote Jeffer-
son to Washington in justification Of their
course. Mr.. Ford shows that, as a matter %,
fact, what they did was to give a powerful
impetus to democratic tendencies. which were
destined to transform the Government. Men
like Madison. who. in the Constitutional Com
vention and in their first printed mmen
on the Federal organic law. had des-
canted on the evils Of democracy. and
tried to leave as little room as possible for
popular control over the Government. cast
aside their scruples when the only practicable
way of maintaining their own influence was
to stir up the people against the Government.
Mr.. Ford suggests that the Republican leaders.
in the latter years of the last century. were
very much in the position of the RockinghaLt
Wings in 1853. when, unable to make an effec-
tive resistance in Parliament. they had sub
sidized the demagogue John Wilkes. and
Allotted a pamphlet and newspaper war on
the administration 1t was not possible for
Jefferson to emulate the example OF ths
rich mobiles who gave Wilkes an annuity Of
81 900, but he assisted Calender by pres.
ents OF money. and he gave Freneau an
office in the State Department. keeping him
there despite Washington's complaint that
the publications in Freneau's Paper were
"outrages on common decency." III the Amer
lean colonies the censorship of the press had
been very strict. Benjamin Franklin In his
autobiography gives some amusing instances
of his collisions with the authorities because
Of his audacity in venturing an occasional re-
mark on public affairs. 1t was the Revolution
airy movement that gave liberty to journalism.
The practical convenience of such a medium
for the expression Of colonial opinion out
weighed all theoretical objections. and a stream
OF articles poured into the columns Of the
newspapers OF the day. until. gradually. polit-
zeal comment was recognized rs an ordinary
function of the newspaper press. and the edi-
torial article became al established ~institu-
ton.
Federalism. however. being essentially a
movement for the restoration Of the old order,
the traditional ideas as to the place and duties
OF the press in a well-regulated Government
were revived. In one of his essays on govern
mcnt. Fisher Amcs said: THE press is anew
and. certainly, a powerful agent in human al
fairs. II will change society: but il Is ditiruIt
TO conceive how. by rendering men indO"lla
and prcsnmptuouS. il can change them for thu
better, 1t has inspired ignorance with rrc.
sunni ~ ''"' NUS WIN amt bP gov
ernnd hy reason are no longer awed bv author
ity." These forcbodings soon seemed TO be in
ileses of Congress were violated with impunity.
The constitutional right Of members that "for
shall not be questioned in my other
place" was virtually annulIed. The Icons"
abominahle TO the supporters OF the Govern
ment: When the Republican Journals beEanto
from the Treasury than the law allowed. and
were circulating forged letters to show that
submit to the King. whatever contcmpt might
be felt for such attacks the effect upon public
t air1ni Mn. f i@@1aan n%f By be tI Isn Focf that Th r. p FrnSfrc
Republican journalists were men Of alien Dir b
regarded as destructiyc to constitutional e"y.
eminent. seemed 10 be a direct consequence
nn%tttfit1do" Of tRhSoSTr6tffiil anto 9G%isnl"t toward aTdd
bend the .rcmarkabIn features which the pol
ltifs Of the times eyent1qily presented r."
Adams'S Administratlon would seem TO be" IN
amazing exhibition of hcndI9ng p%9rtisnnsh ip.
irving to uphold the traditional idcoi' OF gov
which commended themselves to muiorities in
both houses OF Congress, seem 10 Us in rorro-
doubt that they doomed the Federaiist party;
The people rebellet against the yoke and
hlo ruin; The, extraordinary scenes which
disgraced the close OF John Adams's Admin
i%strGtion were the natural product Of FedriR'-
Isl ideas OF government. Tho Constitution
seemed 10 have gone To wreck. and, apparently.
as possible, II is well known that the
work Of appointing Fedcralists 10 Office wen.
OF, 10 the very last hour Of Adams's term ~
sons installation in the Chief aCisifacy was
an event regarded with TIE gloomieet fnrrlod-
in@, To them IL seemed that the time had ~
rived Of which Fisher Ames wrote "Tha
D"m"cratS really wish TO see an Impossible =
IprlIlphI ihlrly tried, and 10 govern VIII. -
There is, universally. a presur'p
In democracy that promises everything.
ind at the same tim" AN imbecility that an
nothing, not even preserve itself
In other CHAPTERS Of this interesting book We
see how the fsderalist forecast was refutpd ~
he event, and how there was at work in this
country. although as yet quite unsuspPctPd. q
1rinctnl" OF conservatism that seems 10 be pc.
,uliar, to party organization Of the English and