Chapter XLIV: Part I: The Twilight of Federalism

I. The Passing of the Tie-Wig School

I. Old Boston: Conservatism of temper--a reaction from
the revolutionary enthusiasm of ’76. Emphasized by
refusal to entertain French romantic theories. The
renaissance delayed a generation. The home of the
stake-in-society principle; opposition to democracy 275

II. Fisher Ames and the Tie-Wig School: The spokesman
of Boston Federalism. A conservative, given to pessimism.
His political philosophy an adaptation of
English Whiggery to the Calvinistic conception of
stewardship; based on an absolute morality. Prosperity
and the Saints--the end of government to protect
property; hence it must be strong and coercive. Fear
of faction. A repository of aristocratic prejudice 279

III. Robert Treat Paine, Jr.--Wit: The last of the
eighteenth-century Wits. His verse. A Tory--attitude
towards the French Revolution. His prose. Contempt
for Jacobin doctrine 288

II. Winds of Political Doctrine

I. Changing economics after 1812--rise of industrialism.
A new spirit of nationalism. Danger of agrarianism,
particularism. Rise of the Whig party--middle-class
capitalistic. Menace of the new southern school of
states rights. Need of a new nationalistic theory of
the Constitution 296

II. Work begun by Joseph Story: A Massachusetts Republican.
Characteristics of New England Republicanism.
His shift to Whiggery. His _Commentaries
on the Constitution_: derived from the common law and
_The Federalist_. His view of the compact--interpretation
of “We the people” 299

III. Daniel Webster--Realist and Constitutionalist: Contrasted
with Emerson--English in temperament.
Two periods of intellectual development: an eighteenth-century
realist before 1825; a legalist afterwards.
A disciple of Harrington. Two early speeches:
_The Basis of the Senate, The First Settlement of New
England_--an elaboration of the economic basis of
politics. His economic theory--_laissez faire_. Shift
to protectionism due to changing economics of his constituents.
His reply to Hayne. His constitutional
theory in _The Constitution not a Compact_--his debt to
Story. His position on slavery--_The Seventh of
March Speech_. Effect on his reputation. Comment
of liberals. The Dartmouth College case. His failure 304