Summary
The framers considered political parties to be self-serving factions that
cultivated dissent and were ultimately detrimental to good government. Though
the framers had not written provisions into the Constitution dealing with
political parties, by the end of George Washington's second term, the issues
of national government had divided the nation into two distinct and hostile
factions: the Federalists and the Republicans.
The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, advocated strong central
government. Concentrated in the northeast, they preferred a system under which
the population would choose their government officials based on merit and
reputation rather than politics, and in which elected officials would rule
without the direct influence of the people. Thomas Jefferson, James
Madison, and others who found Federalist thought offensive, developed a
markedly different view of good government under the Washington administration.
With their stronghold in the South, Republicans claimed that liberty could only
be protected if political power were rested firmly in the hands of the people
and those government officials closest and most responsive to the people
Republicans attempted to arouse the political awareness of the common people,
who generally viewed national politics with an attitude of apathy, in order to
present a challenge to the Federalists, who wielded the majority of power in the
national government. They did so through a media campaign, centered on the
publication of America's first opposition newspaper, The National
Gazette. Additionally, Republicans organized a number of societies and
clubs throughout the nation, which spread criticism of Washington's political
decisions. The birth of the Republican Party may be traced to 1793, when Thomas
Jefferson resigned from Washington's cabinet in opposition to Federalist policy
decisions, especially those undertaken by Alexander Hamilton. As Republican
influence in the government grew, Washington allied himself clearly with the
Federalists in 1794, at which point the nation fully recognized the existence of
two distinct parties. That same year the Republicans won a slight majority in
the House of Representatives, signaling the arrival of the party as a legitimate
political movement.
The parties grew increasingly hostile toward one another during the final years
of Washington's presidency. A battle raged in the press, each side attacking
the other's political values, and spreading rumors. The Federalists alleged
that Republicans wanted to destroy the government and hand the nation over to
France, and that the Republican clubs and societies were revolutionary
organizations created to carry out this mission. Meanwhile, Republicans charged
Federalists with attempting to create a government of aristocracy at the common
taxpayer's expense, and even started rumors that the Federalists planned to
establish an American dynasty by marrying John
Adams' daughter to Britain's
King George III.
In the midst of building hostilities, Washington decided to resign from office
after his second term. On September 19, 1796, the American Daily
Advertiser published Washington's Farewell Address to the nation. The
basic premise of the address was a condemnation of political parties.
Washington warned that the development of parties would destroy the government,
and worried that special interest groups and foreign nations would easily
dominate the factions. On this note, he implored future generations to avoid
embroilment in the affairs of other nations, and concentrate on the development
of "efficient government" at home, free from foreign influence. Washington left
office in March 1797, leaving the nation still very much divided.
As of the early 1790s, most Americans remained convinced that political parties
were a detriment to good government. The framers had neither desired nor
planned for the rise of political divisions. In fact, in Federalist No.
10 of the Federalist Papers, James Madison, one of the leaders of
the Republican party, had argued that one of the strong points of the
Constitution was that it would prevent the formation of political factions.
It was commonly assumed that should factions rise to a position of political
power, they would act to achieve selfish goals at the expense of the public
good. However, this concept of political parties began to crumble as opposition
arose to Hamilton's initiatives as Secretary of Treasury. Many political
leaders began to view an opposition party as necessary to check the power of the
ideological majority in the national government, and as a means to provide a
more fully encompassing examination of the issues presented to the national
government. Thus, gradually, political parties took their place as an integral
part of American government.
