Evening star., 1936-09-05
Bv Marv Carter Roberts.

puzzlement over its title. "Jeffer-
i son in Power" Mr.. Bowers has
named it, and the phrase certainly
implies that the work will be In sub
stance an account of Jefferson as
Chief Executive. However, it Is no
such thing. Instead, it is a racy ac-
count of the congressional battles
which enlivened the great Democrats
two administrations, told in consid-
cradle detail and used to demonstrate
the. fact that Jefferson in his day
was the object of bitter partisan
hatred. There Is little of Jefferson
himself in it. He remains behind the
scenes, as if Mr.. Bowers, who avowed-
1y venerates him, considered him too
Olympian figure to strut upon the
stage with the embattled Federalists
and Democrats of the story.
Beginning with Jefferson's first ad-
ninistration, he gives us successfully
accounts of what he considers to have
been the great issue before each ses-
sion of Congress. Thus we have the
story of the abandonment of internal
taxes, the repeal of the judiciary act,
the negotiations leading up to the
Louisiana Purchase, the Federalist
disunion plots, the Florida negotia-
tions, the Burr conspiracy, the Yazoo
frauds, the controversy with England
over the impressment of our seamen,
and the embargo and non-importation
acts.
These are related with vivacity and
are highly readable. But few readers
will be able to escape the impression
that the point of Mr.. Bowers nara
tive in every case is not to interpret
the part played by Jefferson, either
in genesis or execution, but to demon
strate with what bitterness and un-
scrupulousness he was opposed. The
book Is more of an examination into
the wickedness of Federal tactics for
the author makes clear that with few
exceptions, he rates Jefferson's oppo-
nents as lacking in political morals,
honor or patriotism) than it is a de-
lineation of Jefferson's philosophy OF
government. If the title were changed
to Enemies of Jefferson in Power
the contents would be much more
exactly described than they are at
present.
Taking up the various leaders OF
the Federalist party, Mr.. Bowers visits
on. them scorn and contumely with a
lavish hand. Hamilton he holds re-
sponsible for formulating hypocriti-
cal plot designed to arouse popular
hatred of the President on the repre-
sentation that Jefferson wished to de-
stroy religion and the Constitution
That these are the perennial alarms
of any attacking party, Mr.. Bowers
insists with plentiful irony. He plain
ly disbelieves in Hamiltons sincerity;
he relates his intention to use the re-
lgious and constitutional issues as
wholly political. 1t is only in Hamil-
tons latter days, when he rejected
disunion and expressed agreement with
jefferson on certain points, such as
the Louisiana Purchase, that Mr.
Bowers will concede the Federalist
leader elementary sincerity in his
political attitude. And not only Ham,
ilton, but all Federalists, he feels,
were animated by partisan motives to
which they were willing to sacrifice
the welfare and even the existence OF
the American Nation.
: John Marshall is another eminent
figure who comes in for bitter re-
proach. Marshall did not hesitate to
use his position on the bench to
further the aims of his party-he was,
says Mr.. Bowers, "the fairest and
wisest of jurists, but in cases Of a
political nature the politician on the
bench-and he was constant and
consummate politician-was glaringly
revealed"
Josiah Quincy, Fisher Ames. Gou-
verneur Morris, Timothy Pickering
these are other Federalists whom the
author rates not merely as opponents
of the Democratic party and its
leader, but as partisans SO bitter that
treason was a commonplace in their
minds during the Jeffersonian era.
John Quincy Adams he finds an hon.
orable man-but, he points out,
Adams frequently defied his party in
order to agree with Jefferson.
Going among the ranks Of the
Democrats themselves, Mr.. Bowers
considers those Of Jefferson's own
party who took issue with him. These
he dismisses as merely unfortunate
Randolph, Macon, Varnum, and, for
. while. James Monroe.
- Plainly it Is a book written in a
spirit of complete adulation. Yet,
contrary to logical expectation in
such work, it contrives to be not only
Interesting but respect-worthy. Lash
ing ghosts must always be curious
occupation; lashing the ghosts OF
John Randolph, John Marshall, Alex
ander Hamilton and Gouverneur Nor
ris Is one which will hardly add to
Jeffersons great stature; he, himself,
was always tolerant and generous
toward his opponents. Yet Mr,~Bowers
bias is too uncomplicated to weigh
heavily against a good estimate OF
his book Once it is discounted the vol
ume reveals a great deal of excellent
material. The accounts of the de-
bates, the strategies, the behind-scene
maneuvering of our early statesmen
are highly entertaining. And the
picture of the gossipy background
Of Washington society is f1rst-rate.
Yet, making this statement, the re-
viewer cannot but be aware that
the implication will be displeasing to
the author. He has not written with
the intention of having his bitter
ness against the anti-Jeffersonians
discounted; he has not aimed at max
ing an amusing volume for ironists
to smile over. There is passion in his
assaults on the dead Federalists. 1t
Is unmistakable.
Why? one wonders. Thomas Jeffer-
son is no martyr. He was great and
august genius, whose own day and
generation accorded him the highest
honors it had to bestow and whose
memory is still peerless. Are we to
read into Mr.. Bowers story the moral
that the Good are remembered and
the Bad forgotten? He seems, at times,