The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-04-20

uly, IO@o, JuSG MY years aIteE Tic
adoption of the immortal Declaration
of Independence he had written. He
was secretary of state in Washington's
cabinet, vice-president for four years
during the administration of Mr.. John
Adams from the 4th of March 1897, to
4th of March, 1901, when the people
called him up to the highest Office in
the world. His Inauguration occurred
under such circumstances as to confirm
all his opinions previously expressed
in regard to tbs federal party. While
a member of Washington's cabinet the
lines had been drawn so clearly be-
tween the democrats with Jefferson as
leader, and the anti-democrats with
Alexander Hamilton as their leader,
that the two factions had become quite
bitter at each other. In 1876, Adams
had only been elected over Jefferson
by majority of three votes, and when
he saw his ambition blasted by the ami
hilation of the federal party and the
triumphant election of Mr.. Jefferson
his indignation had no bounds. He
was like the viper when he bites file,
all the damage done was to his own
teeth. In this case Mr.. Adams showed
the tigers teeth to all the world, and
how little he appreciated the funda-
mental principle of the "divine right"
of man to self-goyernment. Early on
the morning of the 4th of March 1901,
Mr.. Jefferson, then the vice-president,
was to be indicted into the presiden-
tial chair for four years, Mr.. Adams
arose with the coming of the sun, break
tasted in haste, hitched up his carry-all
and started to Massachusetts, rather
than see his country disgraced and
ruined by the installation of plebeian
and anarchist as its president. And
this same spirit has come down to our
time in full vigor. 1t was the master
full genius of Mr.. Jefferson in 1899,
that evolved order out of chaos, or
ganized our system of coinage laws and
gave us the silver dollar as the unit Of
value. And it was the republican par
ty with John Sherman as prophet and
priest that changed all this in 1878, by
negative legislation which has thrown
as back to the British idea we had es-
capped by the blood and sacrifices of the
1776 revolution. But to properly APP
preciate the antagonism of Adams and
the federal party to Jefferson and de-
mocracy, we must go back to the con
vention of 1887, in which Hamilton fa-
vored an elective monarchy as the best
form of government. The federalistS
generally agreed with Mr.. Hamilton,
and in the discussion growing out Of
this difference of views when it was
urged that man was not capable of gov
erning himself, Mr.. Jefferson answered
them in the laconic phrase:
"Then, as honest men, how dare you
to trust his government to others?"
This crushing answer caused the PEG.
pie at large to love Jefferson, while
they looked with indifference or con
tempt on the men who sought to mode
our form Of government on the English
plan with the single change of making
the King elective as in Poland. Hence
the singular medley we have in our fed
eral government, part Of it being dem
ocratic, part aristocratic and part m on
archcial. To avoid all doubt or uncer
tainty where he stood, Mr.. Jefferson
said in his final inaugural address il
1901:
"About to enter, fellow citizens, OF
the exercise of duties which >compre
bend everything dear and valuable t.
you, it is proper that you should un
derstand what / deem the essentia
principles of our government, and con
sequently those which ought to shap,
it's administration. [ will compress
them within the narrowest compass
they will bear, stating the general prin
ciple, but not all its limitations. Equa
and exact Justice to all men, of what
eyer state or persuasion, religious o
: political; peace, commerce, and homes
friendship with all nations entanglinI
alliances with none-the support of tn
state governments in all their rights
as the most competent administration
for our domestic concerns and the sur
est bulwarks against anti-republica,
tendencies; the preservation of til
general government in its whole con
stitutional vigor, as the sheet ancho
: of our peace at home and safety abroad
. jealous case of the right of electio
81 by the people-a mild and safe correC
tive of abuses which are Tapped by tn
sword of revolution where peaceabl
: remedies are unprovided; absolute &C
a quiescence in the decisions of the ma
: iority-the vital principle of republics
I from which there is no appeal but t
force, the vital principle and immt
date parent Of despotism-a we'll dis
ciplined militia best relianc
in peace and for the first moments Q
| war, till regulars may relieve them
$ the supremacy \of the civil over tn
military authority; economy in tn