n8 SPECIALPROVIDENCE
Democracyworksbest,theysay,whenthepeopleelectthoughtful,expe-
riencedlegislatorsandmagistrateswhomakepolicyandwritelawsbet-
terthantheuninstructedpubliccoulddoonitsown. Propertyis a
minorityinterest.Thedemagogueswhoflatterpublicopinion,andthe
unscrupulouspoliticianswhowillsayordoanythingtogainoffice,may
pleasethepeople,buttheywillunderminethesecurityofpropertyand
thereforeultimatelythestabilityofthegovernmentandthehappinessof
society.ForJeffersoniansbigbusinessisa necessaryeviltobetolerated
forthesakeofdemocracy;forHamiltoniansdemocracyinsomeofits
formscanbea necessarybutdangerousevil.
Thedisagreementovertheproperstrengthandrole ofthefederal
governmentissimilar.Hamiltonians(andWilsonians)seea strongcen-
tralgovernmentastheindispensableguarantorofnationalfreedom.Jef-
fersonianshavegenerallyseena strongcentralgovernmentas,atbest,a
necessaryeviland,atworst,as themostdangerousenemyoffreedom.
HamiltoniansbelievethatiftheJeffersonianswouldstoptryingtoinr'er-
fere,theUnitedStateswouldbebettergovernedthanotherstates,but
stillverymucha stateamongstates.Jeffersoniansbelieve,passionately,
thattheUnitedStatesshouldbesomethingbetteranddifferent.Hamil-
toniansbelieve thata well-ordered, well-administered stateprovides
goodgovernmenttothepeople.Jeffersonians believethatthepeople
shouldgovernthemselvesassimplyanddirectlyaspossible.
Perhapsmostprofoundly,HamiltoniansbelievethattheRevolution
was a goodthing, butthatit isover. LikeWilsonians,Jeffersonians
believethattheAmericanRevolutioncontinues.Onebelievesthatthe
UnitedStatesisa countrythathashada revolution;theotherbelieves
thatAmericaisa revolutionarycountry.Jeffersoniansgenerallybelieve
thattheUnitedStateshasa longwaytogobeforeitachievestheRevo-
lutionarygoalsof1776.Itisonethingtosaythatallmenarecreated
equal;itis anothertobuilda societythatfullyembodiesthisgreattruth.
Inmorethantwocenturiesofstruggleandreflection,Jeffersonianshave
expandedtheirunderstandingoftheirideasandexp.andedtheirapplita-
tion.Jeffersoncould writetheDeclarationofIndependenceandown
slaves;theideasthatheunleashedhavegonebeyondhim.Aslongas
womensufferdiscrimination,aslongasracialandethnicminoritiesare
excludedfromfullparticipationinthepoliticalandeconomiclifeofthe
nation,aslongaslesbiansandgayssufferdiscriminationbasedonsexual
preference,today'sJeffersonianstellus,thegreatpromisesoftheRevolu-
tionremainunfulfilled.
EvenasJeffersonianslabortoextendandfulfilltheirvastandsweep-