Comparison between Jefferson and Hamilton

Simple suspicion and a clash of political ideology led to the first division within a united party. This party was originally united under one common cause- the freedom of a new and growing nation. However, as the nation began to spread its wings, conflicts arose and the two parties separated from one. This split was inevitable because of the contradicting ideologies each founding “brother” fought to uphold. Each had a different idea, each had a different vision, and each sought to make his vision a reality. Although the seeds of discontent were sown early on, they began to sprout during the process of the ratification of the constitution. The seeds began to grow as issue after issue came and fertilized the growing plant of division. Eventually, the plant had grown so large a split formed between the two groups originally divided between opinions about the creation of a government.

The issue that had always divided the nation was the creation of a large, omnipotent executive government opposed to a government, where local governments would reign supreme. Jeffersonians, later known as the Democratic Republicans, favored an agrarian society, where the yeoman farmer would have his voice heard, and a central government would not be in existence. Hamiltonians or Federalists, believed in a strong, central government to control the masses and avoid a feared “mobocracy.” The leaders of these two opposing factions were none other than the infamous Alexander Hamilton and the notorious Thomas Jefferson- two men with conflicting personalities and ideologies attacking each other through their factions.

Jefferson began to take a stand against Hamilton when Hamilton proposed his fiscal program. He wanted to refinance state debt to strengthen the union and thereby increase centralization. He also wanted to create a more economic government and wanted to model it after England’s thriving economy. Jefferson protested this proposal and deemed it unconstitutional. This proposal would undoubtedly create a more centralized power and crush Jefferson’s vision of an agrarian society with a small government. The division of the factions over the creation of a new government served as a great catalyst in causing a greater gap between the two. Although this was a strong sign of the gaping aperture between the two factions, the French Revolution polarized the two factions and caused the aperture to grow so large that the factions became two separate entities.

The French Revolution was the first foreign policy issue the United States had to face. Federalists leaned toward a neutral attitude toward the French, and later on support of the British, whereas the Democratic Republicans leaned toward a more passionate attitude in support of the French. Vicious debates ensued and the gap between the two grew so large that the inevitable formation of two political parties occurred. The French Revolution served to show the two parties that their differences had simply become too great. Eventually, three important events stemmed from the French Revolution- three events that sealed the fate of our nation. These events served as either ‘wins’ or ‘losses’ for either the Federalists or the Democratic Republicans- the first event being Jay’s Treaty.

Jay’s Treaty, in 1794-1795, consisted of the American surrender of posts, acceptance of paper blockades and commissions in the future to resolve border disputes. This treaty was a huge concession to England but it managed to maintain peace between America and England and it also led to eventual protection by the English Navy. The Federalists controlled the senate and the ratification of Jay’s Treaty served as a clear ‘win’ for the Federalists. The Democratic Republicans fought back and tried to block the treaty by withholding appropriations, but the attempt was futile and the treaty was ratified nonetheless. The XYZ Affair was another ‘win’ for the Federalists and served to anger the Democratic Republicans even more.

During Adams’ presidency, he sent three negotiators, Charles Pinckney, Elbridge Gerry and John Marshall, to resolve the crisis between the United States and France. The envoys reported that agents of the French foreign ministry had demanded a bribe before any diplomatic negotiations could occur. Adams leaked information to the public and substituted the letters X, Y and Z for the names of the French agents. This affair was a Democratic Republican disaster because it sparked a powerful anti-French sentiment throughout the country. The Democratic Republicans were seen as supporters of the French and as their popularity declined the Federalists’ power rose. As a result of their popularity the Federalists gained twenty seats in the next election. However, the popularity of the Federalists came crashing down around them as they passed a series of four laws that were deemed unconstitutional.

The Alien Act and the Alien Enemies Act authorized the president to order the imprisonment or deportation of suspected aliens during wartime. The Sedition Act provided heavy fines and imprisonment for anyone convicted of writing, publishing or speaking anything of a false nature against the government or any of its officers. The Federalists intended for the laws to be weapons to defeat the Democratic Republicans. However, their plan backfired. The Democratic Republicans launched a campaign that attacked the laws, claiming they were infringements of every man’s rights.

Madison and Jefferson then authored the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, which were, documents stating that the Constitution was nothing more than a pact between the sovereign states and it was aimed to persuade the states to use their powers and nullify the unconstitutional laws. Eventually, the Alien and Sedition Acts were overthrown but the passing of these Acts was a huge stain on the Federalists’ record. They were seen as monarchists infringing on the rights of man. The Alien and Sedition Acts became a “win” for the Democratic Republicans because their slew of attacks persuaded men to join and persuaded the people to vote for Jefferson in the 1800 election.

The path the political parties took was a long and winding road. Along this road each trial and tribulation served to widen the gap between the two parties until two factions became two separate political parties. By the election of 1800 it was clear that there were two political parties in the United States- the Democratic Republicans and the Federalists. What started out as a difference in opinion over a fiscal vision, quickly stemmed into larger differences that breached the fragile thread that tied the factions together. As the French polarized the parties, each event after that became a “push and pull”. By the election of 1800, each party knew that attempting to overrun the other and attempting to become the only embodiment of national will was futile, because each party was strong in their followers and determination. They acknowledged each other and in a sense balanced each other out. By having two parties in constant competition with one another, it prevents an oligarchy from forming and prevents a small mass of people from overturning the government. In a sense, our founding “brothers” left us with another legacy- a check between two competitive political parties.

Works Cited:

Jay’s Treaty 1794-95. October 11, 2004. Www.u-s-history.com

Nara. The Alien Act. October 11, 2004. Www.classbrain.com

Nara. The Alien Enimey Act. Www.classbrain.com

The Alien and Sedition Acts. October 11,2004 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_and_Sedition_Acts