Part 30 (1/2)

8. Mr. Adams, though elected as a Democrat-Republican, soon found that party arrayed against his administration. Henry Clay, and all of those who had been Federalists, supported the President. In North Carolina many prominent men arrayed themselves with the new party. These Whigs, as they were called, advocated a continuance of the United States Bank, a tariff for protection on importations, and a distribution to the several States of the money realized by the sale of public lands.

9. General Jackson and the Democrats favored a tariff for revenue. They contended that the National Bank was not only unauthorized by the Const.i.tution, but also dangerous to the liberties of the people. They were likewise unfriendly to the plan of making the States pensioners of the general government, as proposed in the policy of distribution.

10. Soon great rancor developed between the two parties, both of which had lately been included in the Republican ranks. Henry Clay and John Randolph inaugurated animosities by a duel; and soon, in North Carolina, as elsewhere, social amenities were but little regarded between the Whigs and Democrats.

11. This was very absurd. All were citizens of a free country, and were ent.i.tled to hold and express opinions as to what was the best policy for the government to pursue. G.o.d has so const.i.tuted men that, of necessity, they must differ in opinion on all subjects. How weak and wicked, then, is the man who hates his brother because of the failure to agree on matters that are, after all, involved in doubt.

12. It was not always so, however, for when the Const.i.tution was framed in Philadelphia, in 1787, all the States but Ma.s.sachusetts recognized the legality of slave property. Very soon afterwards, however, the ”Society for African Emanc.i.p.ation”

was formed, with Dr. Benjamin Franklin as its president. This body pet.i.tioned Congress to abolish slavery in the States and Territories, but was answered that the Const.i.tution left this matter to the States, and that the Federal authorities had no powers.

13. The Northern States finding slave labor unprofitable, had all abolished this inst.i.tution in their midst, and their slaves had been sent to the South and sold. Southern men, also, had been divided as to the policy of continuing a state of society so opposed to the general liberties of mankind; but this liberal spirit in the South was checked by the violent and unreasonable criticisms and denunciations of the Northern reformers.

QUESTIONS.

1. What growth was noticed in the Union during the years just considered?

2. What is said of immigration to North Carolina?

3. In what condition were the political parties of the country?

4. What is said of President Madison's administration?

5. What distinguished Frenchman visited North Carolina in the year 1825? How was he everywhere received by the people?

How did Congress treat him?

6. What is said of the extraordinary rise in the price of cotton? How did it affect many people?

7. What was the effect of the election of John Quincy Adams? What two political parties then existed?

8. What troubles did Mr. Adams find? What party was led by Henry Clay?

What were some of the Whig principles?

9. What did General Jackson and his party advocate?

10. What results were produced by the violent a.s.sertions of these opinions?

11. What is said of political animosities?

12. How was the question of slavery viewed? What State refused to recognize the legality of slave property? What society was organized?

CHAPTER XLVI.

THE CONDITION OF THE STATE.

A. D. 1827 TO 1836.

1. While the Republic of the United States was so divided and agitated as to matters of policy touching the interests of all the Union, there were, at the same time, many issues of local importance confined to North Carolina.

2. The old habit of annually changing the place for holding the sessions of the Legislature had first brought about a feeling of sectionalism between the eastern and western counties. Western men had first learned to combine in securing Hillsboro rather than New Bern for this purpose. It was natural and right for them to seek to lessen as much as possible the distance that separated the State capital from their homes.