[231] Luetscher, in his Early Political Machinery in the United States, p. 33, asserts that not more than twenty-four separate organizations of this character were formed within the two years which followed their first appearance. These were fairly well distributed throughout the Union. One was in Maine, one in Massachusetts (Boston), three in Vermont, two in New York, one in New Jersey, five in Pennsylvania, one in Delaware, one in Maryland, two in Virginia, one in North Carolina, four in South Carolina, and two in Kentucky.
[232] McMaster, A History of the People of the United States, vol. ii, pp. 175 et seq.
[233] Hazen, Contemporary American Opinion of the French Revolution, pp. 189 et seq.
[234] Robinson, Jeffersonian Democracy in New England, p. 10, for significant comments upon the effect of the establishment of the Democratic Societies on general political interest. The vote was appreciably increased and elections were more hotly contested on account of the emergence of the Clubs. Cf. also New England Magazine, January, 1890, p. 488.
[235] Morse, The Federalist Party in Massachusetts, p. 75; Wolcott Papers, vol. vii, 5, letter of Jedediah Morse to Oliver Wolcott. The Independent Chronicle of Jan. 16, 1794, contains the Rules and Regulations and the Declaration of this Society.
[236] Massachusetts Mercury, Nov. 29, 1793. Cf. Works of Fisher Ames, vol. ii, pp. 146 et seq.
[237] Jedediah Morse did not fail to observe the appearance of the Boston organization nor to divine its character and general scope of action. In a letter to Oliver Wolcott, Secretary of the Treasury, and Morse’s intimate friend, a letter written close to the date of the organization of the Constitutional Club, Morse wrote optimistically but seriously of the situation:
“Charlestown, Dec. 16th, 1793
… The body of the people repose great confidence in the Wisdom of the President—of Congress, & of the heads of Departments. May they have Wisdom to direct them! The President’s speech meets with much approbation—It is worthy of himself—We have some grumbletonians among us—who, when the French are victorious, speak loud & saucy—but when they meet with a check—sing small.—They form a sort of political Thermometer, by whh we can pretty accurately determine, what is, in their opinion, the state of French politics.—The French cause has no enemies here,—their conduct has many.—There are some who undistinguishly [sic] & unboundedly approve both—& most bitterly denounce, as Aristocrats, all who do not think as they do.—This party, whh is not numerous—nor as respectable as it is numerous—are about forming a Democratic Club—whh I think they call “the Massts. Constitutional Society”—I don’t know their design, but suppose they consider themselves as guardians of the Rights of Man—& overseers of the President, Congress, & you gentlemen in the several principal departments of State—to see that you don’t infringe upon the Constitution.—They don’t like, nor see through your borrowing so much money of Holland—They are very suspicious about all money matters….
Your friend,