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Thomas Jefferson: Pragmatics over Doctrine


During the period 1800-1817, the Jeffersonians to a great extent compromised their political principles and essentially ?out Federalized the Federalists?. While traditional Jeffersonian Republicanism advocated a strict interpretation of the Constitution and an emphasis on an agrarian economic system, the actual policies of Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were markedly different from their theoretical principles. This obvious compromise of Jeffersonian principles is evident in the Federal government?s assumption of broad-based political powers and institution of capitalistic Hamiltonian economic reforms, both of which stemmed from Jefferson and Madison?s adoption of broad constructionist policies.

Despite his many compromises however, Thomas Jefferson?s intent to dissolve the national debt was to a great extent unvarying. Jefferson and his Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin honestly feared a large federal deficit as a threat to Republicanism. To avoid this threat, the President sought to diminish the role of the federal government, and decreased the national budget. These budget cuts substantially diminished the size and resources of the American army and navy. When criticized, Jefferson defended these military cuts as being consistent with Republican policies in that a smaller U.S. Army would be seen as less of a threat to other nations and reduce the risk of provocation, resulting in the ultimate promotion of peace.

Unfortunately, the President?s consistency with Republican principles in matters of political power was not nearly as strong as his resolve to reduce the national debt. Under Jefferson and Madison, the federal government assumed political powers that the Constitution did not allot for. While prior to his presidency, Jefferson, then a strict constructionist had argued that the government should not assume any power unless specifically provided for in the Constitution, the Louisiana Purchase where America purchased a vast tract of land for $15 million, compromised these lofty ideals. In terms of the military, Thomas Jefferson had come to power vowing to reduce military size and power. Contrary to those principles, the Barbary War, where for nearly three years the American military exercised a naval blockade of the North African coast wasted millions of dollars of the people?s money and unconstitutionally violated states rights and strict constructionist principles, in their place asserting an alien un-Republican nationalism.

While the evidence found in Jefferson?s political and military dealings helps us understand how Madison and him ?out Federalized the Federalists?, an examination of Jefferson?s economic policies truly proves that in the words on one historian he was the ?American Sphinx?. Despite the fact that during the 1780s, Thomas Jefferson had furiously protested Alexander Hamilton?s economic policies, in the 1800s Jefferson adopted those same reforms, proving how in order to gain acceptance by the electorate, he compromised his principles. In fact, the Republican legislatures freely chartered local banks in return for loyalty to the Republic party. John Taylor denounced Jefferson?s obvious betrayal of the agrarians and predicted such acts would eventually corrupt all public servants. However, the era of the Jeffersonian compromise was not over; After the War of 1812, the Republicans became avid supporters of The First Bank of the United States, ironically, which can be said to be the reason the schism between the Republicans and the Federalists had taken place in the first place.

With all of this evidence, the accuracy of the statement that the Jeffersonians compromised their principles and ?out-Federalized the Federalists? can no longer be doubted. Indeed, the Jeffersonian Republicans shifted from an ultra-strict constructionist ideology to a much more broad one, and ended up adopting the same capitalistic economic system they had once so vigorously opposed. The most unfortunate aspect of the whole Jeffersonian shift is knowing that Jefferson and Madison were neither the first nor the last of leaders who sacrificed their moral and ethical principles for their constituency.