Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1847-09-17
ARE THE OLD EEDrr
AIISTS1

Our neighbor of the Democrat ;c
ranty asserts that all the old feder,l;.,.
who are now Locofocos have repudiated
Federalism. This sweeping assertion !
very poor proof indeed. Will he pleas0
TO say when and on what occasion. Mos-
sers McLane, Wall, Hubbard. Bucb
anan, Morton, and the other members os
the old Federal legion, made omen 90,
fession of their sins, recanted Federalism
and with contrite hearts begged admis-
mission into the Democratic temple
Does not our neighbor know that all
the old Federalists in this country went
into ecstacies over the doctrines advanced
by Gen. Jackson, in his celebrated procl,.
nation 1t was The first authoritative an
nunciat.on of their doctrines that had beo,
made in very high quarters for manv ,
long year, and they rejoiced over the
event, as they had an undoubted right to
do, filling the whole land with their noisy
congratulations. They thought the co-
den age of Federalism was about AGAIN
visiting the country. Following on the
heels of Mr.. McLane's celebrated defence
of old Federalism and old Eederalists
made in Congress, their old hopes rose
from their ashes and they began to in.
dulge in official aspirations as ardently as
ever. MANY of the most stubborn among
them were subdued and gave in their al
legiance to Jacksonism, and have since
found much profit therefrom. The old
Romans assertions of executive power
tckled them hugely. His notions on this
subject were precisely such as they had
advocated thirty or forty years before.
The Wings who denounced Jackson's as
sumpt ion of executive power as usurpa-
tons, found but little sympathy in the
minds of the old Federalists that old IIick
DRY had propitiated.
The truth is, the Locofocos have strong
reasons for feeling grateful towards the
old Federalists. In the contest between
Adams and Jackson, they opposed the
former because he, in 1908. disappointed
them by proclaimng his unqualified adj
hesion TO that Democracy of the perioI
The influence they exercised in favor of
jackson was prodigious, and it ill-bccomcs
those who arc SO greatly indebted 10 the
efforts of the Federalists to sneor at old
Federalism. Mr.. Folks assumptions are
precisely such as were claimed by the
most ultra of the early Fcderaists as be-
longing TO the Executive. The Wings
have as steadily opposed these assump-
tons as the Locofocos have sustained
them, and if identity of acts and dortrin,s
is to be considered as The test. the Loco
focos are much better entitled tn clam
connection with the old Fe,eralis,s than
the Wings are.
In the history of the present politica
parties there can be found much more
Identification between Federalism and I.o-
cotocoism than between Federalism and
WhIgism. The Locofocos are much
more Democratic in their prcccpts than in
their practice. The Wings have contcn-
ded for several measures, that, if adopted,
would have been followed by immense
popular advantages. These measures
have been constantly opposed by the Lo-
cotocos. Members of the old Federal par
ty are to be found among both of the pre-
sent political parties; but we contend that
the doctrines insisted on by the LocoGo-
cos have been more like those incucated
by the early Fedcralsts than those insist
ed on by the Wings have been.-Loms.
Uilie Jour