The good American democrat had, of course, another political duty besides that of securing the election of himself and his friends.  His political system was designed, not merely to deprive him of grievances, but to offer him superlative opportunities.  In taking the utmost advantage of those opportunities, he was not only fulfilling his duty to himself, but he was helping to realize the substantial purpose of democracy.  Just as it was the function of the national organization to keep itself undefiled and not to interfere, so it was his personal function to make hay while the sun was shining.  The triumph of Jefferson and the defeat of Hamilton enabled the natural individualism of the American people free play.  The democratic political system was considered tantamount in practice to a species of vigorous, licensed, and purified selfishness.  The responsibilities of the government were negative; those of the individual were positive.  And it is no wonder that in the course of time his positive responsibilities began to look larger and larger.  This licensed selfishness became more domineering in proportion as it became more successful.  If a political question arose, which in any way interfered with his opportunities, the good American began to believe that his democratic political machine was out of gear.  Did Abolitionism create a condition of political unrest, and interfere with good business, then Abolitionists were wicked men, who were tampering with the ark of the Constitution; and in much the same way the modern reformer, who proposes policies looking toward a restriction in the activity of corporations and stands in the way of the immediate transaction of the largest possible volume of business, is denounced as un-American.  These were merely crude ways of expressing the spirit of traditional American democracy,—­which was that of a rampant individualism, checked only by a system of legally constituted rights.  The test of American national success was the comfort and prosperity of the individual; and the means to that end,—­a system of unrestricted individual aggrandizement and collective irresponsibility.

The alliance between Federalism and democracy on which this traditional system was based, was excellent in many of its effects; but unfortunately it implied on the part of both the allies a sacrifice of political sincerity and conviction.  And this sacrifice was more demoralizing to the Republicans than to the Federalists, because they were the victorious party.  A central government, constructed on the basis of their democratic creed, would have been a government whose powers were smaller, more rigid, and more inefficiently distributed than those granted under our Federal Constitution—­as may be seen from the various state constitutions subsequently written under Jeffersonian influence.  When they obtained power either they should have been faithful to their convictions and tried to modify the Federal machinery in accordance therewith, or they should