The French were naturally interested in the practice of American politics. In many ways, they found it strange, especially the nature of the parties and their functioning, to which must be added the behavior of politicians. Images of unbridled corruption, shameless demagoguery, and feet on tables almost inevitably came to mind; it was a far cry from the majesty of the Founding Fathers.

FROM THE DONKEY TO THE ELEPHANT

In view of the manifold elections in the United States, from the county level to the presidency, the French considered the existence of parties fully justified; it was just that these parties bore no resemblance to what was understood by this term in Europe. Their small number was intriguing: Democrats and Republicans had held center stage for years without being troubled by serious competition, and the role they played was also surprising, for they were both omnipresent and lackluster. To be sure, the prestige of the party of Lincoln was great, but how much was left of it for French observers who tended to be unaware of American political references? Had the Democrats recovered from their wrenching quarrels in the wake of the Civil War? These were the questions asked at the beginning of our period, before the 1890s overturned old patterns with the advent of new themes and new political balances.

1870–1896, the Democrats, Perhaps

In the 1870s and '80s, the American political parties were not conspicuous for the loftiness of their confrontations, as the French were quick to notice.