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I

PART I

EARLY PARTIES, 1789 TO 1828

T was not until more than forty years after the establishment of the constitutional government of

the United States that the convention system of nominating Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates and declaring party principles was regularly instituted. Under the Confederation-the loose union, or rather association, of the original States which preceded the adoption of the Constitution in 1788,there existed no basis for anything resembling formal party organization and discipline so far as the country at large was concerned. After the Federal government came into being two national parties sprang up-the Federalist, comprising those who favored the maximum concentration of power in the central government and generally conservative and aristocratic ideas advocated by such statesmen as Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and John Jay; and the Democratic-Republican, or, as it presently came to be known, Republican, consisting of the supporters of "State rights" and positive democratic principles and measures according to the doctrines of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Clinton. These two original national parties throughout their existence maintained themselves before the public by the force of their dominating men, without ever resort

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

ing to the instrumentality of a platform declarative of fundamental tenets.

The Federalist party, at first in the ascendancy, soon became decadent, and at the time of the close of the second war with Great Britain (1815) was almost completely extinct as a national political factor. The Republican party, succeeding to the control of the government in 1801, from that time carried every national election as long as it retained its original name and unity; and after the disappearance of the Federalist organization it continued without opposition, in the respect of having any formally established competitor, until its disruption during President John Quincy Adams's administration (1825-29). A new creation and division of parties then occurred, one of the resulting organizations assuming the name of Democratic party, and its opponent taking the style of National Republican party, later changed to Whig party. From the Presidential campaign of 1832 dates the formulation of specific party precepts and issues through the medium of popular conventions.

The succeeding pages will embody a complete presentation of the national platform deliverances of the

1This name was assumed by the Jeffersonians as the one that they considered most conveniently descriptive of their theory and program of government. Their ideas being positively opposed to aristocratic tendencies of government, they named themselves Republicans. Even in those times, however, they were frequently called Democrats, and the two names became generally interchangeable. Some writers prefer to substitute the name Democratic for this early organization, in recognition of its historical identity with the Democratic party as officially so styled in Jackson's day and as still claiming the same lineal descent.

principal parties from the 1832 campaign to the present time.

During the period antecedent to 1832 the positions of parties, although not expressed in platforms, were nevertheless well defined in the respects of fundamental ideas of government and public policy, characteristic leadership, and cohesion or the lack of it under such management as was improvised in their behalf. A review of this period is indispensable to the historical fullness of our records of party action.

The first three Presidential elections not only were unattended by political declarations, but were devoid even of any ceremony of party stipulation to members of the Electoral College as to the candidates to be voted for. The general agreement of the political leaders was considered a sufficient basis of choice. At these first three elections (as also at the fourth) the President and Vice-President were chosen by the Electoral College under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, which directed each Elector to vote for two persons, the one receiving the highest number of votes to be President and the one receiving the next number to be VicePresident. The first two elections (17891 and 1792) resulted in the choice of George Washington as President without competition. It is from the second-choice votes that the political preferences of the people on those occasions are to be deduced.

1The first Presidential Electors were chosen by the States on the first Wednesday in January, 1789, and the Electors cast their votes on the first Wednesday in February. New York, Rhode Island, and North Carolina did not vote.

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

1789

In 1789, 69 second-choice Electoral votes were cast, of which John Adams, Federalist, received 34, the remainder being divided among ten other persons. At that time there was no division on political party lines. The responsible founders of the government called themselves "Federalists," because they represented the dominant forces in the Constitutional convention. Those not affiliated with them were generally known as "Anti-Federalists"; the Democratic-Republican party of opposition to the Federalists did not begin its career until 1791. The scattering votes for Vice-President in 1789 were expressive of local preferences in the States. But the consolidation upon Adams of a sufficient number to give him a long lead over any competitor indicated a decided sentiment in favor of organizing the government in conformity to Federalist ideas. This sentiment was also manifest from the political composition of the first Congress: Senate-Administration, 17; Opposition, 9; House-Administration, 38; Opposition, 26.

1792

In 1792, both the Federalist and Republican parties having become established, a general agreement of the leaders of each on the question of the Vice-Presidency was arrived at, to which the Electors conformed with but few exceptions. John Adams received the entire Federalist vote, 77, and was elected. The rising power of the Republicans was shown by their vote of 50 for George Clinton, with, in addition, 4 for Thomas Jeffer

son and 1 for Aaron Burr. This election proved, however, the only instance of popular acceptance of the amiable plan of "general agreement" in the matter of party selections. A convincing demonstration of its futility was afforded in the contest of 1796.

1796

During that year President Washington informed the country of his decision not to accept a third term; but the announcement came late (it was made in his Farewell Address, dated September 17), and, as the system of national nominations, even by caucus, had not yet been devised, the Electors acted without any more binding obligations than those that they felt were owing to the prevailing sentiment in their several States and to the particular dominating leaders whom they severally favored. It was well understood that the Federalists in general desired the election of John Adams as President and Thomas Pinckney as VicePresident; and that the majority of the Republicans favored Thomas Jefferson for the Presidency and Aaron Burr for the Vice-Presidency. Under the constitutional plan for double votes by the Electors, however, the balloting took a wide range, with the result that Adams stood first, with 71 votes, and Jefferson second, with 68, and were elected, respectively, President and Vice-President. It is interesting to note the remaining votes, all of which counted as choices for President in the first instance and then for Vice-President. They were:-Thomas Pinckney, of South Carolina, 59; Aaron Burr, of New York, 30; Samuel Adams,

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