How Did The Federalists Struggle To Gain Power?

When Washington took the office of President in 1789 the prevailing mindset of the founders was that political harmony would guarantee freedom and should be maintained, but despite the initial wishes the following decade produced such heated debate on the best course for the new government that it became known as the “age of passions.” These debates reached the people as the struggle to gain power came at the cost of the first protection of the Bill of Rights, the freedom of speech. The Federalist and Democratic Republicans emerged in response to the Hamilton plan and continued throughout the decade, becoming more pronounced, as Federalist impeded the first protection in the bill of rights, the freedom of speech, in their struggle to repress
These self-created societies emerged as opposition to Washington’s government, which they accused of planting the seeds of aristocracy, Washington in return said that government, not self-created societies were the true voice of the people (VOF, pg. 144). After they rebellion they were forced to justify their right to exist, which the Address of the Democratic-Republican Society of Pennsylvania (1794) is an example one such argument, and begins with pointing out that their right to exist is protected in the constitution. “Freedom of thought, and a free communication of opinions by our speech or through the medium of the press, are the safeguards of our Liberties…this liberty is an imprescriptible right, independent of any Constitution or social compact… this principle is eternal and recognized by our constitution” (VOF, pg. 145). The freedom to assemble and debate was a right that was ensured by the government and the attempts to silence them undermined basic liberties. It was not the societies that were acting unconstitutionally but the government trying to silence them that was the unconstitutional