Politics in early America became a rough and tumble world as most states by the late 1820s and early 1830s had extended the vote to most male citizens, regardless of landholding. With these reforms, came a type of popular politics that often stressed personalities over issues. While Americans celebrated their unique political culture, foreign observers (as well as many American elite) found such a process abhorrent. Among those critics was Frances Trollope, a novelist who spent time in America between 1827 and 1831 touring the country. This was a rough, egalitarian society, she portrayed in her novels, and as this passage (excerpted from Domestic Manners of the Americans) shows, one that still had a lot of maturing to do before it could reach the standards of her bourgeois sensibilities. In this passage, she questions the sincerity of political convictions held by Americans such as her hosts.
Questions to Consider
...When a candidate for any office starts, his party endow him with every virtue, and with all the talents. They are all ready to peck out the eyes of those who oppose him, and in the warm and mettlesome southwestern states, do literally often perform this operation; but as soon as he succeeds, his virtues and his talents vanish, and, excepting those holding office under his appointment, every man Jonathan of them sets off again full gallop to elect his successor. When I first arrived in America Mr. John Quincy Adams was president, and it was impossible to doubt, even from the statement of his enemies, that he was every way calculated to do honor to the office. All I ever heard against him was , that "he was too much of a gentleman"; but a new candidate must be set up, and Mr. Adams was out-voted for no other reason, that I could learn, but because it was "best to change". "Jackson for ever!" was, therefore, screamed from the mouths, both drunk and sober, till he was elected; but no sooner in his place, than the same ceaseless operation went on again, with "Clay for ever" for its war-whoop.
I was one morning paying a visit, when a party of gentlemen arrived at the same house, on horseback, The one whose air proclaimed him the chief of his party, left us not long in doubt as to his business, for he said, almost in entering,
"Mr. P -, I come to ask for your vote."
"Who are you for, sir?" was the reply.
"Clay for ever!" the rejoinder; and the vote was promised.
This gentleman was candidate for a place in the state representation, whose members have a vote in the presidential election.
I was introduced to him as an Englishwoman: he addressed me with: "Well, madam, you see we do these things openly and above-board here; you mince such matters more, I expect."
After his departure his history and standing were discussed. "Mr. M. is highly respectable, and of very good standing; there can be no doubt of his election if e is a through-going Clay-man," said my host.
I asked what his station was.
The lady of the house told me that his father had been a merchant, and when this future legislator was a young man, he had been sent to some port in the Mediterranean as his supercargo. The youth, being a free-born high-spirited youth, appropriated the proceeds to his own uses, traded with great success upon the fund thus obtained, and returned, after an absence of twelve years, a gentleman of fortune and excellent standing. I expressed some little disapprobation of this proceeding, but was assured that Mr. M. was considered by every one as a very "honorable man".
Were I to relate one-tenth part of the dishonest transactions recounted to me by Americans, of their fellow-citizens and friends, I am confident that no English reader would give me credit for veracity; it would, therefore, be very unwise to repeat them, but I cannot refrain from expressing the opinion that nearly four years of attentive observation impressed on me, namely, that the moral sense is on every point blunter than with us. Make an American believe that his next door neighbor is a very worthless fellow, and I dare say (if he were quite sure he could make nothing by him) he would drop the acquaintance; but as to what constitutes a worthless fellow, people differ on the on the opposite sides of the Atlantic, almost by the whole decalogue. There is, as it appeared to me, an obtusity on all points of honorable feeling....