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Show THE TWO iREAT PARTIES. A few evenings since I read a commuuicaticu from Prof. J. H. Paul concerning the two grcaj: political parties of our country. In tliis communication he gave some valuable information, and yet there are a few ideas untouched by him which it seems are worthy of consideration. con-sideration. To bo well acquainted with an individual, we must know something of his history. Ry s.ich knowledge w e shall be letter able to perceive tho motives which underlie under-lie his actions and give imjiulsv to tliem. So aLso with political parties. Political creeds aud platforms are but tho crystalizeil ideas of vast masses of men who have, perhaps long before, already discussed these respective political principles. Happily for the easy explanation of this Mil je-ct, wc may add that, so far as the changed circumstances of our country admit, the republican republi-can party of the present day very much rescmble-s the federal Irty of a hundred jcars ago. Wc may thcrcfore-.for purports of illustration, speak of the political parties loth then aud now as democratic and niKililican. Tlie original thirteen colonics in their isolated iositioiis. in seme instances in-stances Miiaiated by trackless forests, for-ests, as well as in the different conditions con-ditions of their settlement, had much to lead each to look upon Itself It-self as a sovereign state-, the affairs of which could lie Interfered with by nothing except the vaguely de-flnesi de-flnesi claim of the sovereigns from whose dominions the colonists had come. The hardy Knickerbockers of New Netherlands (now New York) had no idea of amalgamating w ith the inhabitants of New lng-l-iml, who spake another language and believed another religion. Neither was it to be expected that the Quakers of Pennsylvania would aOillato with the sturdy Kpiscoiialiaus of Virginia, much less with the Catholics of Maryland. In a word,each of the colonics was settled set-tled under conditions, either ex-prtsed ex-prtsed or implied, that no other colony nor all other colonies combined com-bined iiad n right to interfere with its internal affair'. Tills was the ge-nu, the pith, the marrow of democracy. This was tlie idea that permeated society when the colonist formed their first "Articles of Confederation." Tho tecond article of that instrument expressly declared ".Each State retains re-tains its sovereignty, freedom nnd independence, nnd every power, jurisdiction and right which is not by this confederation expressly delegated dele-gated to the United Stales iu Congress Con-gress assembled." Frem 1777 to 1769 the United States u ere governed by this compact. com-pact. But twelve years of unrest was sufficient to prove that the democratic Utopia was impracticable. impractic-able. As soon ax the great strain of Uiewarof Indetiendcncu was ove-r, and the people had time to reflect, tbcjj perceived the Inherent weakness weak-ness of their government. The wisest statesmen of America.sucii as Washington,Frankllii Adams, Alexander Alex-ander Hamilton, Morris Rutledgc and William Livingston began to agitate for greater strength to the central government. At thl juncture junc-ture was founded the t'ederatut by Alexander Hamilton, which afterwards after-wards proved to be one of the ablest political magazines ever published. Here aroe the germ of the Federal or republican party, which, after a few years' agitation, so Influenced society that at length the people of the United StatesJaid aside the old 'Article of Confederation" and i nt forth the pr.rlamatl.ii that "We, thu people of the United State", in order to form a more t:r-fect, t:r-fect, union, etc, ' do hereby ordain aui establish litis Constitution Constitu-tion for the United Slates of North America." Hero then wo see the inherent inher-ent difference between thu two great iiolitical parties. Tlie democratic demo-cratic holds that all power originates with the sovereign Stm aud Congress csscsses no power except that which these States have delegated to it The Republicans both then and since have a thousand times declared that the supreme power originates with tho people In their collective capacity, and the States possess no powers except those given to them by Congress. Con-gress. In shot t then, wc may perceive thit tho Democratic party is the champion of local self-government with a tendency to Slate independence, independ-ence, while the Republican party Is the special advocate of a strong central government with a tendency tend-ency to imperialism. Having thus defined the status of each party, it is easy toircelve their tendency in each political movement. In the very constituting constitut-ing of Congress we see these two principles at work. In the formation forma-tion of the Senile rach State is considered as sovereign and Independent, Inde-pendent, and Is recognized as having the right to send two senators senat-ors irrespective of its size or population. popula-tion. Thus little Rhode Isiaud Is accredited with two senators, while New York, nearlv forty times as large, and with fully twenty times Its population, sends liken lso two senators. On the other hand, In the House of Representatives where each member Is elected by a constituency irrespective of State boundaries, we perceive the tendency to follow tho Republican idea. Si also In the subsequent political movement we perceive the workings work-ings of these two antagonistic prla clples. The purchase of Louisiana the accession of Florida and tlie acquisition ac-quisition of Texas were all the logical logi-cal sequence of democratic action. The formation of a national system of banking, the creation of a navy and the enactment of a high protective pro-tective tariff" are the natural results of republican tendency of centralizing centrali-zing lower. Tlie fact tliat in some parts of the country tho democratic rtirty lias lately favored a high protective pro-tective tariff" Is doubtless owing to this: That iu those sections certain cer-tain industries have been started which demand protection from foreign production, and not any real change in partv policy. The terrible civil war.frorn whl-h our country emerged scarcely a quarter of a century ago, had Its origin in the antagonism o the two great political jartles. Aside from the question of negro slavery, which had remained a relic of barlmristn in the midst of advancing civilization, civiliza-tion, there was also the deep though often disavowed antagonism of centralization cen-tralization on UicoucliandandStatu sovereignty on tho other. Tho true patriot must regret the danger to which our country is exposed from extreme measures by either party. J. II. Ward. |
