Year: 1879

WON IVlaiilNAL AiASA'-


UNITED STATES.


THE CoysTrruTIoNALAN AND POLITICAL HISTORY


OF TIE UNITED STATES. ny Dr IL. '9N i,,op


AN syo. pp ia. Chicago: Callaghau CO.


The present volume of Professor Won Holsts I'M
oortant contribution 10 the political history oi 'no
limited States extends from the election oil Uenora
Jackson TO the Presidency in 1s2s to the annexa-
tion of Texas in 1S45. and is marked by the same
comrrehensiveness of statement, Amplitude ot de-
tail and clearness of exposition which won SO
favorable a reception for the previous volume from
the American public. The Administration oil An
drew Jackson. which forms So important an epoch
An the history of the United States, of course occu-
MES very considerable portion of the vol
ume and is discussed with intelligence and
ability. if without any large pretenSions TO
jmpartality In the view of the author,
the election Of Jackson the triumph OF the
radical Democracy over the moderate section oi
that party. John Quincy Adams was the last staes-
man who for a long time was TO occupy the lies-
dental chair and upon ms retirement from once
crowd of eager and clamorous politicians took pos
session of the White House. The sketch of General
jackson Will be recognized az accurate in its es-
sental features by large portion of readers, even
among those who would give greater prominence to
qualities OF an opposite description, which are only
presented in faint light by the writer of this work
Previous 10 his nomination as candidate Tor tho
Presidency Jackson, according TO Professor Won
Hoist, had never evinccd any acquaintance even
with the alphabet of politics. HIS mind was as ur-
Trained as his passions were unbrdcd. 1t Is
true he had been lawyer of some note IN Ten
neSsee had been q judge of the Supreme
CouIt in his adopted State; but this was al
n time when q knowledge of the viles OF
the Indians. and skill with the pistol and rIiio
were 10 less important in the legal profession thah
an acquaintance with the laws of the land. Jack
son was known to the Nation at large only as bold
and successful general 1t was thought by the Lead
ing men Of the Eastern States that there was TOO
mnch political wisdom and political sobriety among
the people to allow such price rs the Presidency
for the battle of New-Oreans, and few victorious
fights with the Indians. But there was another
force not apparent first sight, which proved de-
cisiye in the end. jackson was the man OF the
masses because he belonged to them bo-h by his
origin and the whole of his ou'er and inner
Development IL was not ths victorious general but
the man of the people, whose warike deeds had
shown his fitness for leader. that was selected as
standaid-bcarer


The popular outcry against the election of John
Quincy Adams. II is affirmed by the author was not
only in direct contradiction with the spirit and let
Ter of the Constitution but it attacked the princi-
pie of the supremacy of law. In its ultimate con-
sequences il raised the caprice of majority to the
dignity of the supreme legal authority. was not
postulato of democracy, but the overthrow OF the
constitutional State. In constitutional democ-
racy the binding rule is rot the will of the majority
of the people expressed IN an arbitrary manner but
the will of the majority expressed in the way pro-
vlded in the Constitution and in no other. In such
State, the will of the people Is unquestionably the
will of the State but the highest expression of the
peoples will. and that which is the supreme tn
bunal, is the Constitutions Outside of these limits
loo cd
the subordination of the wril-considered
will of the people. as provided in the
fundamental law of the laud, to the
momentary wishes of the people. which, in
part at least, could be ascertasned only by uncer
tain combinations of circumstances. These events
In the election Of 1924 played so important part
In the campaign Of 1923, that it's issue rightly
designated by Senator Benton the victory of the
Democratic principle the theory Of the CoDsti-
tuition. The respective merits of the two can
ddates had little influence on the election. Adams
was in no case to be reelected because IL would
have justified he theory of the Constitution. jack
son was bound to succeed in order TO demonstrate
that 20 despise the will of the people, under
the sanction of the Constitution was an auda-
cious and a foolish revolt of the servant
against his master. This was the soul of the
whole electoral contest. This one thought
overrode all other political thought all political
thought that concerned itself with the real interests
Of the country. IntOxicatOn ruled the day. The
sovereign people paraded their power, with all the
tplcndor Of their plumcs. The most serious thing
was not that Andrew Jackson preferred 10 John
Quincy Adams. nor that the stiii-necked swordsman
was placed at the head of the state 1t was the
phase of the democratic element, as manifested in
the motives which now led The people, and the
manner IN which they gave expression 10 their Will.
The most fOrcible arguments were the erection of a
hickory pole. and "a hurrah for Andrew Jackson.
The wal of words was carried o. more violently
than ever before. but il had never vet been de-
void of political meaning. Personal gossip had
always been, to greater less degree. the
ing Of Presidential campaigns. but II now turned
into base and studied calumny.


The state Of the public mind at this period in re-
gard to the abolition Of slavery is hit of with few
vigorous and graphic touches. The debates on the
Missouri question, as stated bv the author. had
opened the eyes of the people to the threatening
influence Of slavery on the National politics. But
many Of them found rest in the idea that subinls-
sion TO the law the duty of the citizen and that
the North was absolved from all responsibility for
Southern slavery 10y the conditions of the Union.
This however was not the case with all. A few
bold thinkers protested against the right Of the
Constitution to give law to the conscience. There
arose up men who took up the battle with the
weapons Of Christian morality. The first Abolition
lists made martyrs of by the people. and mar
tyrdom transformed them into agitatOrs, with ali
Che energy of religious fanaticsm The times were
favorable 10 tue prOmug CATION of their convictions.
From the second quarter OF the century many OF the
Protestant churches came 10 he possessed by