Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-09-23
Jockson's Influence
In Our Struggle
For Democracy
THE AGE OF JACKSON
By Arthur M. Schlestnger, T.
little Bro7pr1 IS

By Arthur M. SchleStnger, T.
little, Bropn; So
A work Of profound scholarship,
this book will certainly meet with
welcome from the scholars, but
probably from the scholars alone.
1t has few of the qualities of popular
history. 1t presupposes a special
lists interest in its subject and it deals
with that subject in very close de-
tail, so that its significance in the
long perspective of our history is
frequently obscured. The subject is
the struggle between the political
parties which marked the "age of
Jackson" that age being, in Mr..
Arthur M. Schlesinger's ipterprea-
ton, the years between 1928 and
1868. from Jackson's first election
to the end of Andrew Johnson's
administration.
1t was the struggle between the
Wings, who inherited the neo-
Federal position (Hamilton plus
Madison plus Clay and the Demo-
Gratis, who were the heirs of Thomas
jefferson In the 40 years Of which
Mr.. Schlesinger treats, the party
clash was represented in number
of issues and these he analyses in
minute detail. But basically, he
holds, 1t was fight between priv
ilege and nonprivilege, wealth and
poverty, conservatism and radi-
calism.
The Wings through the years
wanted a government which would
protect property on the basis of the
status quo; the Democrats advocated
measures which would assure the
breaking up of that status
Historic Parallels
Mr.. Schlesinger obviously sees, in
the ferment which marked the 1830s
an analogy to that which began in
the sos of the present century. But
he does not labor the likeness. On the
contrary, he avoids general state
ments with great scrupulousness. He
simply recounts the war of the two
parties in terms of the actual issues
in which 1t was fought out-issues
dead as herring today and, in many
cases, not even mentioned in history
texts, the routine party skirmishes
behind which the two political
armies laid their plans and massed
their strengths.
It began. in his view. with An
drew Jackson's war on the Bank of
the United States and his SUISSE
auent fight for hardmoney policy.
"Hard-money policy is not a term
which means much today. Accord
ing to Mr.. Schlesinger. it meant a
threefold democratic program in
the age Of Jackson. It had an eco
nomic purpose, Ito prevent periodic
depreSSions. another essentially po-
litical. to prevent the rise within
the State of Independent powers.
not responsible to the people and
able to defy the Government, and
the third essentially social, to pre-
vent the rule of money aristocracy
Systematically exploiting the hum
bic members of society,""
Ending DetreSSions
These aims have a familiar
enough sound today-ve are still
figuring on how to end periodic de-
pressions, for instance. But. though
they were just as serious 100 years
ago. they were fought for on fronts
which seem to us strange indeed
The idea of a subtreasury as a
menace to the country's business
stability is hard to understand now
The compulsion of the churches tc
defend national bank as a bull
wark of religion is likewise odd
reading. But on these and like
issues the voters of the land split
aligning wealth and an owning class
on one side and poverty and work
ers on the other. AS parties oppor-
tunistlcally revamped their claim;
and in accordance with the sec
tional differences of different parts
Of the country the fronts shifted
but the main battle was always the
same and it lasted until the col
lapse of the Democratic party after
the Civil War, not to be revived
until the times of Cleveland ane
Bryan.
1t is this history that Mr.. Schles-
niger recounts. telling it almost al
together as he found it in hi.
sources, quoting continually from
the contemporary records, for hi
own part merely arranging anc
assembling. 1t is a superb job, bu
one for the historian rather thar
the general reader.