ABSTRACT
The Jeffersonian Democracy was succeeded by the Jacksonian Democracy, which came to the surface as a protest against a revival of aggressive Federalism. The Whigs, whose early aggressiveness had instigated the new formulation and organization of Democracy, were never able to offer any effective opposition to it. The local Democracy slowly awoke to the fact that the powers of the Federal government were being used in a manner inimical, or at least indifferent, to its interests. The territorial Democracy in this its second phase was in certain respects much more thoroughly nationalized than its predecessor. The foundation was laid for that intensely personal government by parties, with which the American Democracy sought to humanize and control government by Law. The great organ of democracy was the partisan association of good Democrats, which was wrought chiefly for purposes of negatively controlling the official government rather than for the purpose of using it, after possession had been obtained, for any positive purpose.
