7376. REPUBLICANS, Federalists vs.—
Two parties * * * exist within
the United States. They embrace respectively
the following descriptions of persons.
The anti-republicans consist of: 1. The old
refugees and tories. 2. British merchants residing
among us, and composing the main body
of our merchants. 3. American merchants
trading on British capital, another great
portion. 4. Speculators and holders in the
banks and public funds. 5. Officers of the
Federal Government with some exceptions.
6. Office-hunters, willing to give up principles
for places,—a numerous and noisy tribe.
7. Nervous persons, whose languid fibres have
more analogy with a passive than active state
of things. The republican part of our Union
comprehends: 1. The entire body of landholders
throughout the United States. 2.
The body of laborers, not being landholders,
whether in husbanding or the arts. The latter
is to the aggregate of the former party probably
as 500 to 1; but their wealth is not as
disproportionate, though it is also greatly
superior, and is in truth the foundation of
that of their antagonists. Trifling as are the
numbers of the anti-republican party, there
are circumstances which give them an appearance
of strength and numbers. They all
live in cities, together, and can act in a body
and readily at all times; they give chief employment
to the newspapers, and, therefore,
have most of them under their command.
The agricultural interest is dispersed over a
great extent of country, have little means of
intercommunication with each other, and feeling
their own strength and will, are conscious
that a single exertion of these will, at any time,
crush the machinations against their government.—
To C. D. Ebeling.
Ford ed., vii, 47.
(1795)
