ELECTION OF 1796 ELECTION OF 1796 POLITICAL PARTIES U.S GOV'T EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS AND POLITICS INTRODUCTION AFTER GEORGE WASHINGTON ANNOUNCED HE WOULD NOT SEEK A THIRD TERM POLITICAL PARTIES BEGAN TO PLAY A ROLE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS JOHN ADAMS WHO HAD BEEN WASHINGTON'S VICE PRESIDENT WAS THE FAVORITE FOR THE FEDERALIST PARTY HE HAD SUPPORTED FEDERALIST IDEAS AS A VICE PRESIDENT AND WANTED TO EXPAND THE POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE THE DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN PARTY CANDIDATE WAS THOMAS JEFFERSON WHO PREFERRED MAINTAINING TIES TO FRANCE HE BELIEVED THAT THE FEDERALISTS RELIED TOO MUCH ON THE BRITISH MODEL OF GOVERNMENT AND FOUGHT TO PROTECT INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES OVER A CENTRALIZED GROWTH IN POWER NOT ALL FEDERALIST THOUGHT THAT ADAMS WAS THE BEST CHOICE HOWEVER AND SOME SUPPORTED THOMAS PICKNEY THE FOLLOWING EXCERPTS ARE COMMENTS MADE DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1796 OUR EXCELLENT PRESIDENT AS YOU HAVE SEEN HAS DECLINED A RE ELECTION T IS ALL IMPORTANT TO OUR COUNTRY THAT HIS SUCCESSOR SHALL BE A SAFE MAN BUT IT IS FAR LESS IMPORTANT WHO OF MANY MEN THAT MAY BE NAMED SHALL BE THE PERSON THAN IT SHALL NOT BE JEFFERSON WE HAVE EVERY THING TO FEAR IF THIS MAN COMES IN AND FROM WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE AN ACCURATE VIEW OF OUR POLITICAL MAP I CONCLUDE DETERMINE THAT HE HAS TOO GOOD A CHANCE OF SUCCESS AND THAT GOOD CALCULATION PRUDENCE CAREFULNESS AND EXERTION ACTION WERE NEVER MORE NECESSARY TO THE FEDERAL CAUSE THAT AT THIS CRITICAL JUNCTURE POINT OF DECISION WELL WEIGHED THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT THE EXCLUSION OF MR JEFFERSON IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MR ADAMS AND MR PINKNEY ALEXANDER HAMILTON FROM A LETTER NOVEMBER 8 1796 A DIVISION NOT VERY UNEQUAL HAD ALREADY TAKEN PLACE IN THE HONEST PART OF THAT BODY CONGRESS BETWEEN THE PARTIES STYLED REPUBLICAN AND FEDERAL THE LATTER BEING MONARCHISTS IN PRINCIPLE ADHERED CLUNG TO HAMILTON OF COURSE AS THEIR LEADER IN THAT PRINCIPLE BUT HAMILTON WAS NOT ONLY A MONARCHIST BUT FOR A MONARCHY BOTTOMED ON CORRUPTION THOMAS JEFFERSON FROM THE HAMILTONIAN SYSTEM THE PUBLIC THE PAPERS HAVE BEEN MUCH OCCUPIED LATELY IN PLACING US IN A POINT OF CONTENTION CONTEST TO EACH OTHER I TRUST WITH CONFIDENCE THAT LESS OF IT HAS BEEN FELT BY OURSELVES PERSONALLY I HAVE NO AMBITION TO GOVERN MEN IT IS A PAINFUL AND THANKLESS OFFICE SINCE THE DAY TOO ON WHICH YOU SIGNED THE TREATY OF PARIS OUR HORIZON WAS NEVER SO OVERCAST I DEVOUTLY WISH YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SHUN FOR US THIS WAR BY WHICH OUR AGRICULTURE COMMERCE CREDIT WILL BE DESTROYED THOMAS JEFFERSON FROM A LETTER TO JOHN ADAMS AFTER THE ELECTION DECEMBER 28 1796
