The Continental Monthly, Vol. 5, No. 2, February, 1864

In this mid‑civil‑war essay, the author turns a critical eye to the towering figure of Thomas Jefferson, exploring how the founder has been alternately lionised and vilified by rival newspapers and political factions. By juxtaposing the scathing attacks of Federalist journalists with the fervent adulation of Democratic writers, the piece sketches the fierce partisan battles that have kept Jefferson’s legacy perpetually in the public spotlight.

Beyond portraiture, the essay probes how Jefferson’s own words have become weapons for contemporary debates over states’ rights, the Constitution, and the future of the Union. It argues that the same doctrines once celebrated now fuel sectional discord, urging readers to consider how the fragments of a shattered nation might be reshaped. The writing offers a vivid snapshot of 1863‑64 political thought, inviting listeners to hear the era’s heated rhetoric and its struggle to define America’s next chapter.