The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-10-29

seryative and non W
aggressive pro = 49, -
gram, and 1t
brought into pub -
lie life the second
genera ion OF
great American statesmen. The
young Americans, or the young Re
pubicans, as the factionists were
called. were led by Henry Clay and
John c. Calhoun, by Richard NJ. John
son and Felix Grundy. by Langdon
Cheyos and George NJ Group. Not
one or these men at this time was
more than forty years old. They
were indeed and In truth, young
Americans and young Republicans.
They also were the first insurgents
in American political history ana IL
is interesting TO note that they ac'
complished their revolutionary pur-
poses in an on" year election.
The Federalist party never recov-
cred from the crushing blow OF $500,
and the Democratic majority in Con
gress increased with every biennial
election during the eight years OF JET
fersons two administrations. But not
withstanding the overwhelming pre-
ponderance OF the Democratic party
and the great popularity or Mr.. JeI-
ferson, the last years or his admins
tration were far removed from ponu-
cal peace. When the time came 10
choose his successor in 1908 the Fed
eralists attempted 20 galvanize their
party into new life, but the gains they
made were not sufficient 20 give them
control either OF the electoral colleges
or the congress. In the house they
increased their vote from thirty-one
to forty-six. in the senate from seven
TO ten, and in the electoral colleges
from the fourteen votes given against
Jefferson in 1904 TO forty-seven votes
given against Madison Madison re-
ceived 122 electoral votes and went
into office backed by majority OF
more than two 10 one IN both the
senate and the house.
But all was not harmonious. The
great majority Of the people preferred
to call themselves Democrats, and
they hated the Federalists, but they
did not agree on questions OF public
policy. The great issue before the
people was how 10 solve the problem
OF dealing with British and French
interference with American COM
merce.
For a time. beginning about 1903,
almost the entire merchant shipping
business OF the world Was conducted
by Americans. The titantic struggle
between Napoleon and all the other
powers of Europe had driven from
the seas the ships of every belliger-
ent nation except England, and even
the British ships were forced to be
cautious. and British wares were car
ried I'm American bottoms This ship
ping business was vastly profitable
md was worldwide. From Africa,
from China, from South America,
from Java, from the Philippines, from
the West Indies, from every export
ing port in the world, American ships
carried cargoes to the United States,
there TO be landed and neutralized
before being reshipped for European
ports. While England was striking
at France TO maintain and establish
the British supremacy Of the seas,
that supremacy was in fact about to
be taken away by England's lately re-
volted colonies. In 1904 Great
Britain began to harass American
shipping by laying series OF paper
blockades and by again insisting up
on the right TO seize American ships
and search them for deserving British
seamen.
Napoleon in his efforts to cripple
England did not purpose 70 permit
British manufactured wares TO reach
the continent under the alleged neu-
trail protection OF the American flag
and 60 he issued the famous DEGREES
OF Berlin and Milan. Between Eng
lish orders In council and French
'Imperial DEGREES" the prosperous
American merchant marine was para
lvzed. American ships and cargoes
were confiscated in European ports
and British men OF war insulted and
harassed American vessels In every
possible manner.
Jefferson and the Democrats OF the
old school, the men who had helped
found the Republic, who hated mon
arches, who feared autocratic power,
who had led the Revolution Of 1900,
who had inveighed against the Alien
and Sedition laws. who had support
ed the Kentucky and Virginia resolu-
lions. feared the menace OF military
power more than they feared the
stagnation OF commerce. Jefferson
had made his will the will Of the peo-
pie OF the nation and he was opposed
10 a standing army and TO a navy
with all the zeal OF a fanatic. There
fore there was no American navy cap
able OF opposing the English navy,
and the American merchant marine
was defenseless.
When jefferson came into power
he found il expedient and necessary
TO abandon in part mis- extreme ideas
as to the strict construction OF the
constitution He, himself, admitted
that he stretched the constitution I'M
III IL cracked when he purchased
Louisiana from the French. When
the Alien and Sedition laws Of the
Adams administration were opposed
by the radical states rights propa-
ganda embodied in the Kentucky and
Virginia resolutions, the Federalists
had accused the Democrats OF con
spring TO disrupt the union. When
Jefferson purchased Louisiana the
New England Federalists began to
talk OF secession.
Unable and unwilling 10 protect
American shipping from European In
suits by war, Jefferson and the Dem
ocratic congress passed the Embargo
Act which forbade American ships
90 coil from American porta IN III.