Chapter CONTENTS POLITICAL THEORIES IN THE UNITED STATES THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL AND THE 37 XIV. OBSERVATIONS UPON THIRD PARTIES XV.-SLAVERY AS A FACTOR IN POLITICS 529 551 The History of Political Theory and Party Organization in the United States CHAPTER I. ORIGIN OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES Essentials of Party Organization.-Party organization in the government of a country exists in proportion to the recognition of freedom of thought and action among the people of that country. Where this freedom is denied, political activity has nothing upon which to rest. The uninterrupted communication of ideas so essential to the formation of effective political machinery in the hands of the people, presupposes this freedom. No student of political science should be surprised at the absence of party organization, as the American understands it, in countries like Russia or Turkey. In fact its growth in Modern Europe is a thing of quite recent times. Formerly the governments were so jealous of their prerogatives that any number of persons assembled to consider the operations of their rulers, fell under the ban of conspirators, and were exceedingly fortunate if they escaped punishment. Holland and England are exceptions to this order. Party organization predicates participation in government by the people. Otherwise it would be no more and no less than cliques. Its conception rests upon difference of opinion freely expressed. No matter how great this difference is, it is of no importance without freedom of expression. Only where emancipation of opinion is enjoyed, do parties flourish. The sifting of Europe to secure the planting of America, came about through the struggle for this emancipation. It resulted in the selection of a rare people for the beginning of a great civilization. The restrictions by governmental decrees of the freedom of the intellect, the clipping of the wings of the mind. by a short-sighted policy, based upon the theory that the most direct route to greatness was by the suppression of political and religious heresy, were the chief occasions for the alarming exodus of some of the best brain and heart of the old world to the virgin soil of the new. It must be admitted that these sufferers in time forgot the lessons of the past and in a measure employed the methods of their ancient enemies to suppress the rights, the free exercise of which was the motive for their invasion of the wilderness of America. Barring these cases the most distinctive ingredient in this civilization from the beginning of the Constitutional period, is the guarantee of freedom of thought and action. To guard against any spasm of oppression the people secured for all time this recognition by inserting in the organic instrument of law, the very first of the amendments to the Federal Constitution, which declares that Congress shall have no power to make any law abridging the freedom of the press or of speech, or respecting the establishment of any religion, or preventing the people to peacefully assemble to petition the Government for the redress of grievances. In this sense the American political party is unique. This Constitutional protection furnished the most fertile soil for party growth. In this soil at one time or other almost every theory that has occupied the mind of a citizen has been planted, and has sprouted, some to grow and others to wither |