There is not a man of intelligence in America or Europe, who has not heard of the Democratic party in America, that great political organization which has been in existence almost, if not quite, one hundred years.  Many who claim allegiance to this great party know little of its tenets, and still fewer know its history.  There are orators on the stump, in the halls of Congress, writers for the press, all advocating “the glorious principles of Democracy,” who have never thoroughly acquainted themselves with its history.  The Democratic party of to-day was originally known as the Republican party.  The warm discussions on the national constitution engendered party spirit in the new republic, which speedily assumed definite forms and titles, first as Federalist and anti-Federalist, which names were changed to Federalist and Republican, or Democrat.

The Federalist party, headed by Alexander Hamilton, favored much concentration of power in a national government, but perhaps not more than we have to-day, and, in fact, not more than is really essential to the upbuilding of a stable republic like ours.  There can be no question but that Washington held to the same views; but Washington was the only great man America ever produced who rose so far above political parties as to absorb them all.  He has never been classed as belonging to either party.  The Republican or Democratic party favored State sovereignty and the diffusion of power among the people.

The American people had had such bitter experiences with monarchs that they dreaded anything which savored of monarchy, and it was argued that a centralized government was but a step in that direction.  On the other hand, Federalists pointed out the danger of State sovereignty, which would surely in the end disrupt the general government.  Subsequent history has proven that the Federalists were right.  We have said that Washington was a Federalist at heart.  His enemies, meanly jealous of his popularity, often declared that he was a monarchist.

Meanwhile, a revolution, violent in its nature and far-reaching in its consequences, had broken out in France.

It was the immediate consequences of the teachings of the American revolution.  The people of France had long endured almost irresponsible despotism, and were yearning for freedom when the French officers and soldiers, who had served in America during the latter years of our struggles for independence, returned to their country full of republican ideas and aspirations.  They questioned the right of the few to oppress the many, and the public heart was soon stirred by new ideas, and in a movement that followed, Lafayette was conspicuous for a while.  The king, like many tyrants, was weak and vacillating, and soon a body called the states-general assumed the reins of government, while the king was in fact a prisoner.  The terrible Bastile, whose history represented royal despotism, was assailed by the citizens of Paris and pulled down.