Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/276

 262 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

words : " They condemn the revolutionary acts of Adams's administration as subversive of the free government of the United States, and clearly set forth the powers of the Federal Government as resulting from a compact or agree- ment between independent and sovereign States, each State possessing an equal right to decide for itself as well of infractions as of the mode and man- ner of redress."

In short, these "Resolutions" reaffirm the assertion of the Declaration of Independence that "all just government derives its authority from the consent of the governed."

That political opinions are no criterion of moral worth is a self-evident fact, men of character equally pure and high being invariably found on both sides of every political question. Thus no one will deny that Adams and Hamilton were as sincere and ardent patriots as Jefferson and Madison. Every man has an undoubted right to his own political ideals, and is at perfect lib- erty, so far as in him lies, to mold public opinion according to these ideals by all legitimate methods. Morally considered, all equitable governments stand upon precisely the same level. There is no special virtue inherent in a republic above a mon- archy, or in a monarchy above a republic. Consequently, the honest advocates of one form of government are quite as much entitled to respect as the equally honest advocates of the other. While the fact remains, therefore, that the leaven of centraliza- tion had been introduced into the body politic, up to this point there was no taint of dishonor connected with its workings.

This fair and above-board struggle for supremacy on the part of the Federalists, however, was not of very long continuance, for, finding themselves worsted on their old issues, they saw that in order to get back into power it was necessary for them to adopt a new name and bring forward new issues. This was in 1820. In a letter to Lafayette ex-President Jefferson described the situation as follows :

On the eclipse of Federalism with us, its leaders got up the Missouri question under the false front of lessening the measure of slavery, but with the real view of producing a geographical division of parties which might ensure them the next president. The people of the North went blindfold into the snare.

While in another letter Mr. Jefferson wrote :