Evening star., 1936-08-02

of another member who had insulted
him-was sent to Jail for words he
used about the administration and
won his reelection from Jail.
AS the war spirit died down, the
Federalists began to split. One wing
wanted to pump new life into it.
Some newspapers printed French
atrocity stories. But a change of ad-
ministration in France and fresh ad-
vices to Adams convinced him that
it might not be necessary either to
spend millions for defense or q cent
for tribute.
He investigated, found that a COM
mission would be received, and. dis
regarding the cries Of his partisans
for war, sent the delegation.
Federalists Divided.
Whereupon, as the campaign opened,
the divided Federalists put into the
field Adams and Charles Cotesworth
Pinckney of South Carolina, a brother
of Thomas Pinckney, with whom
Adams had run in 1896. One historian
says that there was a caucus agree
ment to give equal support to Adams
and Pinckney for the presidency.
Certainly Hamilton and his allies IA
vored Pinckney and played the game
that way.
The Republicans chose Jefferson
and Burr. There Is one account Of
caucus agreement that both Of these
would be supported equally for the
presidency, but quite few historians
and a lot Of Republicans of that day
did not seem to think so.
Since the electors in most States
were selected by the State Legisla-
lures. the partisans took their dis.
putations out into the States in letters
and speeches.
Party platforms had not come into
vogue, but Jefferson put forward a
program which amounted to one. AS
outlined in letters to his friends, it
bore many phrases that sound Strik-
lngly familiar in the light of present
day campaigns. 1t set the pattern
for denouncing opposition party pol
icieS by aSsailing the alien and sedi-
ton laws, the Federalist tax, Army
and Navy spending programs. It said
the constitutional rights Of the States
should be asserted, a division Of power
between States and Congress should
be maintained. the Government should
be vigorously frugal" Offices should
not be multiplied, free commerce
should be maintained, freedom Of
speech and press preserved.
Jefferson spread the word through
letters to his lieutenants in every
State. He had newspapers established.
pamphlets published. If money were
needed, he levied it from his friends.
Campaign by Letters, Pamphlets.
For the most part the campaigning
on the other side was also done by
letters, pamphlets and through Fed
eralist newspapers, but there were
speeches, too, and numerous confer
ences.
Compared to the scorching phrases
that went into the newspapers Of
that campaign, the political screeds
of today are lukewarm, without spice
or substance.
New York, as 1t has been many
times since, was the State which de.
cided the campaign. There Aaron
Burr waited until Hamilton had put
out a weak ticket, seeking men he
could control. Then Burr built up
ticket of outstanding men and sum-
moned Tammany hatchets to put it
across. He bought money and men
into the battle, card indexed every
voter in the city and set out to win
them at the polls. He set up an
espionage system that gave him Fed
eralist information frequently before
Hamilton got it.
With the campaign at its height,
Adams discovered that two Of the
members of his cabinet were loyal
to Hamilton instead of to himself
He booted them out. He never dis
covered the third.
At this point, Hamilton, who for
months had been striving for the elec-
tion Of Pinckney over Adams, came for.
ward with his blast against the Presi-
dent-one which, curiously enough,
after telling why Adams was not quail
ified for the presidency, wound up by
urging the people to vote for the
ticket Of Pinckney. It brought into
the open his efforts against Adams,
which he already had carried to the
point of making tour of New Eng
land to canvass against the President.
Adams did not reply.
There was much maneuvering on
both sides both in Congress and in the
legislatures. An effort was made to