Republican party.
The Anti-federalists formed the basis of the Republican party after Jefferson entered the cabinet of President Washington. During the discussion on the national Constitution before it was adopted the difference of opinion became more and more decidedly marked, until, at the time when the ratification was consummated, the views of [401] the supporters and opposers of the Constitution, called Federalists and Antifederalists, gradually crystallized into strongly opposing creeds. Jefferson came from France to take his seat in the cabinet, filled with the radical sentiments of the best of the French revolutionists, who had begun the work which afterwards assumed the aspect of revolution and the Reign of Terror. He came home glowing with the animus of French democracy, and was shocked by the apparent indifference of Washington, Hamilton, Adams, and others to the claims of the struggling French people to the sympathy of the Americans. He sympathized with the ultra-republicans of France, and was an enthusiastic admirer of a nation of enthusiasts. His suspicious nature caused him to suspect those who differed with him in his political views as enemies of republicanism; and he had scarcely taken his seat in Washington's cabinet before he declared his belief that some of his colleagues held monarchical views, and that there was a party in the United States secretly and openly in favor of the overthrow of the republic. He did not hesitate to designate Hamilton as a leader among them, and Washington was soon alarmed and mortified to find that he had personal and political enemies in his cabinet. These two men soon became the acknowledged leaders of opposing parties in the nation—Federalists and Anti-federalists—Hamilton of the first, Jefferson of the second. As more dignified, the latter party took the title of Republicans, or Democrats. They called their opponents the “British party.” The latter retorted by calling the Republicans the “French party.” In the Presidential contest in 1800 the Republicans defeated the Federalists, and, after a struggle for about twenty years for political supremacy, the Federal party disappeared. Fenno's gazette was considered Hamilton's organ, and an opposition journal, called the National gazette, was started, with Philip Freneau, a poet and translating-clerk in the office of Mr. Jefferson, at its head. The Republican members of Congress were mostly from the Southern States, and the Federalists from the Northern and Eastern.The place of the birth of the modern Republican party, like that of Homer, is claimed by several communities. It is a matter of date to be settled. Michigan claims that it was at a State convention assembled at Jackson, July 6, 1854, a call for which was signed by more than 10,000 persons. The “platform” of the convention was drawn up by Jacob M. Howard (afterwards United States Senator), in which the extension of slavery was opposed and its abolition in the District of Columbia agitated. The name of “Republican” was adopted by the convention as that of the opposition party. Conventions that took a similar course were held in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Vermont on July 13, and in Massachusetts on July 19, 1854.
For some time previous to the canvass for President in 1856 there were very apparent signs of the formation of a new party. The anti-slavery element in all political parties began more than a year before to crystallize into a party opposed to the further extension of slavery into the Territories of the Union. It rapidly gathered force and bulk as the election approached. It assumed giant proportions in the fall of 1856, and was called the Republican party. That party nominated John C. Fremont, of California, for President. He was defeated by James Buchanan; but the party still increased in power, and in 1860 elected its candidate— Abraham Lincoln.
The party held control of the national executive for twenty-four consecutive years, under the administrations of Presidents Lincoln, Johnson, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur. It had previous to 1885 lost control now of the Senate, now of the House of Representatives. After an interval of four years the Republicans in 1889 returned to power with full control of all departments; from the executive they were displaced in 1893, having previously lost control of Congress. The Republicans in recent years have generally, but not universally, supported a high protective tariff and federal supervision of elections. On other questions, like finance and civil-service reform, they have been less united. The election of 1893 appeared to indicate a reaction in their favor. In 1896 the Republican party won a great popular victory, the issue being financial, when the party stood for the gold standard of currency, the [402] Democrats and Populists uniting for free silver. Besides electing a President, the House and Senate became Republican. In 1900 the Republican and Democratic candidates for the Presidency were renominated, and the Republican (McKinley) was re-elected. In 1901 the Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress. See Bryan, William Jennings; McKinley, William.
