DUTCHESS COUNTY, 11 IARCH 1788

ther Dubois or Paine are upon either which I find gives dissatisfaction
to their friends-I expect they will divide in this business, which will
be favorable to our party-They have put Aikins a Quaker upon their
Assembly ticket,3 who they say is much opposed to the New Constitu-
tion-Remember the Letters for the Quakers here, as I am told they
are mostly in opposition
We have unfavorable accounts from New Hamshire, but not so direct
as to deserve much attention; However it has revived the drooping
spirits of the Opposition. ...
If you could come up early enough to take [some?] pains in the
Elections I think you might serve the Foederal cause in Columbia &
this County....
1. RC, Livingston Papers, NHi. The letter was "Hon[ored] by Mr. De Hart."
2. See "Antifederalist Meeting in Oswego," 26 February (above).
3. Jonathan Akin was elected on the Antifederalist ticket to both the Assembly and
Convention.
4. See "New York and the Adjournment of the New Hampshire Convention," 22 Feb-
ruary (RCS:N.Y, 798-800).
A Real Federalist
Poughkeepsie Country Journal, 11 March 1788
Mr. Power, The Electors of the County of Dutchess in your last paper,
have been addressed by many Anti Federalists,' as a certain writer has
stiled himself; this writer appears to have supposed himself so closely
entrenched within his duplicity, as that his true character might not be
discovered, or even suspected; for this purpose he has even been
obliged for once to be honest, and to take to himself his proper sig-
nature; though my friends those persons among you who are great
sticklers for the adoption of the newly proposed Constitution, affect to
call themselves Federalists, (this gross abuse of which term, as well as
ideas, cannot perhaps find a parallel in any case) yet the whole tenor
of their conduct tends directly to the annihilation of the federal league
now in full force in the United States.-This writer's intention is easily
discovered, even at first glance; it is manifestly designed to divide you
in your suffrages at the ensuing election for members of Convention,
he however, could not help showing his Cloven-Foot-when he fantas-
tically observes that we ought to set at naught all consequences, or
account them as but dust in the balance, in comparison with our free-
dom, and that rather than submit ourselves and our posterity to the
galling yoke of tyranny-we had better at one stroke subvert the very
foundation of the union; this sentiment my friends is by no means
applicable to you, and I trust your future conduct will evince to this

1445