Being a shrewd student of history, Mr. Clinton doubtlessly got the idea from Federalist Hamilton’s initially successful effort to tar anti-Federalists Jefferson and Madison’s effort to squelch a big federal government from overwhelming American liberty.
Backcountry resistance to Hamilton’s new excise tax on distilling and selling liquor was over-characterized as a violent rebellion (the famous Whisky “Rebellion”). Hamilton and his people warned darkly that thousands of rebels were going to march on Philadelphia. America’s first large standing army was raised while Jefferson was being slandered by Hamilton for encouraging “rebellion.”
As Jefferson wryly observed at the time: “An insurrection was announced and proclaimed and armed against, and marched against, but could never be found.” Does that sound familiar? Were unrecorded rude words really uttered at the Tea Party event on Capitol Hill last month? No matter. Those who made the claims hoped even the unproved charge would help the government against the Tea Party movement. Don’t bet on it.
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