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The leading oracles and advocates of both of the prominent parties in the country, claim to be Jeffersonian democratic republicans. Let us then first inquire what is Jeffersonian democracy, by which the men of both parties profess to be willing to try the present chief magistrate of the nation. When we survey the past history of our race, we find that in all ages the few have ruled the many as with a rod of iron. The toiling millions have been but the slaves of despotism. The virtue, the industry, the energy of the masses have been weighed down to the very dust, and the people have toiled, suffered, and pied in the dungeon’s gloom, in order that the crowned heads, who impiously claimed sovereignty over the millions by divine right, have stalked abroad at noon-day in the full sunshine of prosperity and enjoyment (cheers) But sixty eight years ago, a philosopher, a God arose, who unlocked the barriers which had for years held the minds and bodies of men in bondage and darkness, by proclaiming aloud the great principles of human freedom. His name was Thomas Jefferson (loud cheers.) His was no dreaming, visionary, unless philosophy. It was a practical philosophy, which broke the iron sceptres of Kings, and elevated the mass of mankind to the original dignity of their nature. (Cheers.) He declared in language whose sublime simplicity was worthy of the glorious truth which is announced, that all men were created free and equal, and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, amongst which were life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He declared that only was a just government, which derived its authority from the whole mass of the community, over whom it exercised its sway, and that its blessings and privileges should, like the gentle dew of heaven, descend equally upon all.— And after this great declaration had received the sanction of a community of freemen, who had well earned their title to that proudest of all earthly appellations, the next inquiry was to ascertain the character of the institutions, social, political, religious and literary, which were to be planted on this free—this rich—this luxuriant, Heaven blessed soil, over which the sirocce blast of a seven years war had just passed. Alexander Hamilton and others proposed certain proscriptive, intolerant, and monopolizing measures, but Jefferson opposed this, and declared for equal rights, privileges and laws—denounced all attempts at monopoly, aristocracy, centralization of the government, and unsafe preponderance of monied power. Such then is in brief the broad distinction between Jeffersonian democracy on the one hand, and, if you please, Hamiltonian federalism on the other; (cheers,) and here is presented the simple ordeal by which we in this age, claiming to be Jeffersonian republicans, should try every man who seeks our votes at the ballot box. It subsequently attempted, by a latitudinarian construction of the constitution itself, to effect the same object which had been attempted more undisuisedly by Hamilton; but those efforts met the same constant opposition from Jefferson, who was ever ready, as the great apostle of the genuine democratic creed, to resist all encroachments, however carefully disguised, upon the integrity and well being of the fundamental principles of the constitution. Hence Jefferson always opposed a National Bank—a high protective tariff—and all those stupendous schemes and measures which were inteded to consecrate in the hands of a few the power of government. Now, then, gentlemen, having established this ordeal, by which to test John Tyler’s democracy, I proceed to try him. . . .