" Unconsciously and even unwillingly, political parties
had been revived.
As the election of 1828 approached, national affairs gave every
indication of the end of an epoch. Those formative events, which seem
to culminate regardless of the wish or will of man, indicated a great
change. The determination to overthrow the Adams-Clay combination
turned the election into a political revolution not unlike that of
1800. Economic conditions assumed a new aspect because of the advent
of "King Cotton," and the sudden ascendency of the "lower South." The
election for two consecutive terms of Calhoun to the Vice-Presidency
showed that Southern leadership had passed from Virginia to South
Carolina. Successful experiments with steam transportation on land
predicted a revolution in the history of internal communication and,
consequently, of internal improvements. The clear diplomatic horizon,
the universal peace except in turbulent South America, and the
successful negotiations in recent treaties foretold an era of insularity
and full fruition of individuality. Political parties had been revived,
but on such divergent lines that they might soon be expected to develop
national policies.
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