The Yazoo City Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 183?-1840, 1839-08-02

" 1utly I6lle0 0ny on the score OF intetlI
/ gence and independence, and win therefor,
: regard aIl the sayings and doings Of the loco
) focO candidates for the Legislature as ner,
.'s0ind and fury
FEDEIlALIsaIi--.y WHAT Is ri
What is Federalism and who are the Fed.
!, eralisssa Let US enquire. The proper mean,
ing Of the term Federal, signifies 3 kind o.
government composed Of different States,
! having each an internal government, and
al bound together BY common union OF
flleague, with certain rules and restrictions
, mutually agreed upon. and Of eomnon APP
plication. Ours therefore is Feueral Cow
ternmeni and all who are in favor Of . con-
tinuance Of the union Of the States are, pro-
lperly speaking, Federalists. The term also,
strictly harmonizes with that of Republican
or Democrat Federal Republican, there
fore, or Federal Democrat, means man
in favor of government under the abso-
lutte control Of the people governed, and the
different States united in general or fed
eral government.
i In this sense also, the term may distinguish
men or parties, who, although, both in favor
of the general government. Those men arr
more federal in their views, who favor the
exercise of power in the general govern,
ment which others Iess federal, claim foi
the free will Of the people. While we are
all, properly speaking, federalists, therefore
because in favor of the Union Except Mr.
Calhoun and his small party) some are pc
culiarly so, because in favor Of the exercise
of power by the Executive, or other branches
of the general government, which by others
is denied, but claimed for the people, in their
primary capacity.
But the modern strife Of politics claims
the right of introducing a new vocabulary
of political terms, and by which, names are
applied to things without any reference
whatsoever to fitness or application. It's
most palpable inconsistent to apply the Term
federal in any anti-republican, or anti-demo-
cratic sense, to any party or to any men,
except those. who claimefor the Executive,
or the general government, the exercise of
powers, and the control of measures, which
by other men or an other party, is claimed
for the people, in their original and primary
capacity, unrestrained or controlled by any
official influence. If to extend s'federal''
power, means to extend the power Of the
federal division. or portion, of our govern
| ment, then it can only be claimed by those
who would give more authority to the Exc
cutiVe. than others are willing to accord %
that branch Of power. Now, do any such
differences as these exist in the political faith
of any ofour parties, or any of our citizens!
if there are, then it is quite easy to deter
mine who are federalists, in an anti-demo-
cratic sense; unless the term federal be turn
ed perfectly wrong end foremost, and mean
directly the opposite of what has ever been
understood by it since the days of the an
cient federal republics, and transpose the
original Latin term.
Who then are the federalists?-rather the
anti-republican federalists? The very first
and most prominent objection urged by the
wing party in the United States, against
the Van Buren, party, is that they claim for
The PRESIDENT the exercise of power unau-
thorised by the Federal Constitution-dan-
gerousto republication, and which of right
belongs to THE PEOPLE OF THE STATES. The
Whig Parry alledge, whether right or wrong,
that the Executive of the Union claims the
fright of exercising and does exercise, vast
amount of authority, which by cur constitu-
ton and laws, he does not possess, but
which belongs to the people, And it is
notorious that the present Van Buren, party
sustain Gen. Jackson and his successor, in
the claim and exercise of these contested
powers. This, we say, is the frstand prin-
ciple point of contention between the wings
and the dominant party. W-ho then, are. the
FederdEistsg If common sense, the common
usage and understanding of men are set
totally aside, then we will not pretend to
answer; but in any other case we say, most
clearly, that the Van Buren, is the federal
party. The appelIation cannctAby any pos
sible construction be applied to the wing
/ party, because their very object and aim is
to diuinish federal influence ITO retrench
and circumscribe the power of the Execu-
tive. which he and his party claim and ex-
ercise.- To give the States and the people Of
the States more power, and the federal gov
eminent 1ess.-To give. for instance, to THz
PEOPLE, through their representatives, the
i immense power Of controlling the National
Treasures. prevent the President from
using in the manner be does, and as the
! marty Gays he ought to do, the ueto power,
but to leave this final decision in al matters
sf expediency It least, with the people
/. 70 prevent federal or government influence
in elections. TO prevent federal or govern
ment extrayagance il the public expendi-
lures. prevent the Executive from in
i fuencing the action Of congress, By holding
ont Offices d It's member. To nrerant raw.