Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-29
sprnted from TAs Posi- Of April Isl lsISl

Reprinted from The Washing of April 49, 1919
To the Editor Of The Washington POst-sr:
Mr. Wilson lately revived the ancient Federast custom Of
speech to the assembled Representatives in Congress-
ally inucng them upon their duties and obligations to the
Administration
rs to me that the significance Of this Presidential per-
formanC. been largely overlooked.
Is not worthy Of that the last President to indulge
in this formal procedure was John Adams Federast
President and that the first President dispense with this
monous custom Thomas Jefferson the first Democratic
In the early days Of this Republic there distinct
lines Of thought in the politics of the country and two distinct
bodies OF citizens supporting these lines Of thought
the one hand were the Democratic Republicans be-
eved both in the letter and in the spirit Of the Declaration Of
both advisable and advantageous that the old established
systems OF government by superior class were failures and
nat p all the people was not only Inc most JUST
eminent that could be devised
On the other hand the Federas who regarded rad
cal innovations as more or less dangerous and be-
eved that for the American Government to be entirely safe
and sound must be modelled largely upon the established forms
OF government in the older European countries.
This division Of opinion and policy among patriots at
that early date entirely natural and temperamena Men
OF conservative thought like Hamilton were Federa and be-
eved in the established order Of things Men Of original and
adventurous thought like Jefferson believed in and bet
ter order Of things and dreamed of greater and nober nation
than had ever known built firm foundations of jus
tlce and equality, Of liberty and opportunity
These dreams have true but in those early days there
sufficient experience in popular government to guide
all men to confidence in the order Of things and so the
continued for while to form formidable party.
At this day Federaists still exist but not in sufficient num-
bers to form separate party and they are found scattered
through the other parties and sometimes in commanding posi-
tions in one of the other parties.
The distinguishing mark of the Federass from the be-
ginning been their special admiration for and confidence in
the English system of Hamilton the real creator
Of the Federa party carried inclination to incorporate
the English procedure into American form Of
far that he accused by Jefferson secret desire to make
the United States monarchy. s 4@ ~ sesA N
We hardly believe that the most extreme Federal
st would have been willing to to that length but most GER
tanly the Federass whole apparently unable to
understand and appreciate the beauty the simplicity the hui
raay and the practicabty of Jeersons dnctvey Amer
invariably the autocratic and
aristocratic methods of the mother country.
The Fedeast method of speech by the President to Con-
gre adaptation of the British usage of speech to
Parliament from the Throne
The arstocratc Adams approved it and practiced it.
But Thomas Jefferson who founded the Democratic party
and introduced American political life the simplicity which
has since characterized it, adopted the modest democratic method
of writing message Congress- expressing his views and Of
feTing suggestions for legislation.
It is singular thing that for hundred and thirteen
years great Democrats from Andrew Jackson Grover Ceve
land and great Republicans from Abraham Lincoln to Theo
democratic method Of Thomas Jefferson and that only in the
Democratic administration of day return made in this
Presidential speech the ceremonous and somewhat spectac
lar procedure of the close Of the eighteenth century
President Wilson the introduction Of his speech to
Congress explained his somewhat sensational performance by
stating that he wished to show that President was human
being
public life except Mr. Wilson, who believed that President
could possibly considered anything else than human being
If however Mr. Wilson's suspicion is correct and there
has lately arisen among independent and intelligent American
citizens belief that there something superhuman and
natural about President Mr. Wilson has effectively dspeed
that superstition by proving that President possess all
the purely human weaknesses including vanity and craving
for newspaper notoriety
The significance Importance however Of President