In the first part of this 2 part series, I will be writing about how the election for Virginia’s 5th district was set up. All info for this diary comes from Founding Rivals written by Chris DeRose. Info comes mostly from chapters 13 & 14.
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The race between Madison and Monroe came to focus on a debate centered around two ideas: direct taxation by the federal government upon the people and passage of the Bill of Rights. In passage the Bill of Rights, the debate centered around around the Constitution itself and Madison’s support of it and religious liberty.
Unlike many races back in the early days of the American colonies and now States, the retail style of campaigning that we know today was a rarity. However, due to previous electoral losses for both Madison and Monroe plus the demographics of the district, both would engage in retail campaigning often times together. They would travel, lodge and dine together throughout much of the campaign. Something that would be unheard of today. Court Days were a typical place to hold debates as they were the day set aside each month for all manners of legal proceedings. In addition, due to the sheer numbers of people who would attend Court Days, they were more like county fairs. The debates Madison and Monroe would hold would go one for hours allowing numerous people to ask questions and hear the candidates argue their points in a town hall-style.
Newspapers and pamphlets were also important tools of campaigning. One pamphlet in support of Madison, “A True Federalist,” attempted to push back on the negative campaign tactics of Monroe supporters who wrote “Madison was a fried of direct taxation and a believer that ‘not a letter of the Constitution could not be spared’.” The DeRose writes that these arguments against Madison are misleading in the first and “flatly false” in the second. While Madison did believe the Constitution granted the federal government to levy direct taxes upon the people, he believed the ability to raise fund for defense would deter other nations from engaging in war against the United States but would be necessary so a war break out. The argument that Madison believed the Constitution to be perfect makes no sense as Madison was a proponent of the Bill of Rights. Madison always felt such amendments should not have been a requirement for ratification. They should be dealt with after ratification had been assured. “An Appeal for the Election of James Monroe,” was one such article written in support of his election to Congress. In it the author appeals to voters by highlighting Monroe’s character, integrity and experience who served in the House of Delegates, a member of Congress and the House of State. The author also argued that Monroe was the defender of liberty America needed. Both sides argued strenuously that their preferred candidate was the only one to be trusted to amend the Constitution.
Due to the fact that the election of Presidential electors would be held on January 7, both sides eagerly anticipated the results to see how it might portend the Congressional race even though the Electoral College districts were not in total congruence of the congressional district. In the six counties that were apart of both districts, the Federalist candidate, General Edward Stevens, beat the Anti-Federalist candidate, William Cabell, 682-447. While the full PVI of VA-5 is not known, these six of the full ten counties that made up VA-5 showed the race was likely going to be close.
As the campaign commenced, each reaching out to the different constituencies that would ultimately swing the election none more motivated that what DeRose terms “religious dissenters” notably Baptists. One of the most prominent Baptist ministers of the day was George Eve. During a service in Culpepper County, Eve presided over a debate of the two candidates. During the debate, Joel Early, an Anti-Federalist, argued the point that Madison had been heard during the ratification convention saying the Constitution was perfect as written. Unfortunately for Early, Eve had in hand a letter written personally to Eve by Madison defending himself against all points on this subject by the Anti’s. Madison wrote that he had been against amendments prior to ratification, but now that the Constitution was ratified, he was open to amendments provided they are “pursued with a proper moderation and in a proper mode . . .may serve the double purpose of satisfying the minds of well meaning opponents, and providing additional guards in favor of liberty.” Madison included in his letter an argument for “the rights of conscience in the fullest latitude, the freedom of the press, trials by jury, security against general warrants, etc.” The letter swung the Baptists solidly into Madison’s corner.
As to the debate over direct taxation of the people, Monroe believed this was both unnecessary and unjust. Monroe felt since the nation was at peace and no war was on the horizon, direct taxation was unnecessary. He felt the government could raise enough revenue from imposts on imports as well as the sale of lands in the West or at the very least secure loans with them as collateral. As a last resort, Monroe stated the federal government could requisition the states. (It should be noted this one of the major flaws of the Articles of Confederation that led to the drafting of the Constitution.) Monroe viewed these sources of revenue would be enough to fund “all legitimate activities of the new government.” Monroe also believed direct taxation was unjust and dangerous to Americans’ liberty. His main argument centered around how such a tax would be levied. Would land be taxed hurting farmers over commerce and artists or would people be taxed equally giving large landowners (e.g. the wealthy) an unfair advantage? While this argument continues today, it was more pronounced in the 18th century where different parts of the country had enormously different economies. The North was mainly comprised of large cities where commerce dominated the economy as opposed to the agrarian South. Monroe also argued that by granting the “foreign” federal government the ability to tax, Virginians would lose the very thing they won in the Revolution.
Madison’s argument over taxes was that the impost alone would cause Virginians to be taxed higher than other states because Virginia’s lack of manufacturing caused to consume more imports than other states. As the government grows and more revenue is needed, Virginians would bear more and more of the tax burden relative to other states. However, Madison’s main point was that direct taxation by the federal government would more bind the new nation together.
Like today, Election Day was a mad scramble for supporters of each candidate to get their voters to the polls. Volunteers would go to homes of known supporters or persuadable and assist them in getting to the polls. Unlike today, there was no right to secret ballot which displeased Madison. DeRose describes a funny circumstance in which an elderly voter was brought a great distance supposedly to cast a vote for Madison. Unbeknown to the Madison supporter who had brought him, the man had once been helped by Monroe’s grandfather as young, poor immigrant.
After all the voted had been counted, Madison emerged victorious by a vote of 1,308 to 972. A margin of victory of 14 points (57-43). Madison had bucked the odds by limiting his losses in Spotsylvania to 74 votes whereas Monroe hard put a dent in Orange losing to Madison by 207 votes. The first big election of this new experiment had been completed.
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TOP COMMENTS FOR APRIL 17, 2017
From silverfoxcruiser:
Heavy Mettle : " "This is the people's house, their government" sounds like a reason to show us the taxes, not hide them".
Succinct, blunt, non-offensive (no curses), factual statement
From hazey:
I know some people don't like the diaries of people asking for help (or in this particular case, not asking for help). To me, they show the best of this community. So that's why I loved this comment
http://www.dailykos.com/... by
BMScott. Honestly, it brought tears to my eyes. He probably doesn't want the attention, I know that's not why people give, but I just can't let this go by.
From your tired after the Easter rush diarist:
Witgren provides possible
statements made by the orange menace at the annual Easter Egg Roll.
Late breaking submission from ZenTrainer:
Fantastic
comment by
RT in David Jarmon's diary.
One additional submission from MaureenMower:
I think this
one from
bfitzinAR should be there too. [
ed note: Maureen replied to my congrats in the thread to recommend this comment.]
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