Or how Democrats became Federalists and Republicans became Federalists
The old Republican party is already ruined, past redemption. New men and new maxims are the order of the day. ~John Randolph 1806
When all government, domestic and foreign, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the center of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another, and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated. ~Thomas Jefferson 1821
We need the Quids
A splinter faction from Thomas Jefferson’s party called the Tertium Quids, which means “third thing” in Latin, were led by the brilliant but highly eccentric John Randolph of Roanoke, Va. Members of this faction often called themselves the “Old Republicans,” to differentiate themselves from the mainstream Republicans, who they believe had abandoned the principles of the founding.
They were the cross-party faction of Federalists and Democratic-Republicans in the period of 1804-1812 before the collapse of the First Party System in 1824. At the time the Federalists promoted the financial system of the Treasury, which emphasized federal assumption of state debts, a tariff to pay off those debts, a national bank to facilitate financing, and encouragement of banking and manufacturing. Whereas the Democratic-Republicans opposed a strong executive power, were hostile to a standing army and navy, demanded a limited reading of the Constitutional powers of the federal government, and strongly opposed the Treasury financial program.
We're all Federalists now Baby!
John Randolph was the leader of the "Old Republicans" insisting on a strict adherence to the Constitution and summarized their principles as a "love of peace, hatred of offensive war, jealousy of the state governments toward the general government; a dread of standing armies; a loathing of public debts, taxes, and excises; tenderness for the liberty of the citizen; jealousy, Argus-eyed jealousy of the patronage of the President."
Me? I stand with John Randolph.
