and the Vice-Presidency of the Union, and endeavoured
through their personal influence to get them accepted by
the Electors. The Caucus wrapped all its proceedings
in profound secrecy. It provoked, nevertheless, the
protestations of the opposition, which denounced the
"Jacobinical conclave" and "the arrogance of a
number of Congress to assemble as an electioneering
caucus to control the citizens in their constitutional
rights." But this did not prevent the Republicans them-
selves, the anti-Federalist members of Congress, from
holding a caucus, also secret, for the nomination of can-
didates to the two highest executive offices of the Union.

At the next presidential election, in 1804, the Congres-
sional Caucus reappeared, but on this occasion it no
longer observed secrecy. The Republican members of
Congress met publicly and settled the candidatures
with all the formalities of deliberative assemblies, as if
they were acting in pursuance of their mandate. The
Federalists, who were almost annihilated as a party
after Jefferson's victory, in 1801, gave up holding
caucuses altogether. Henceforth there met only a
Republican Congressional Caucus, which appeared
on the scene every four years at the approach of the
presidential election.

The extra-constitutional, not to say the anti-consti-
tutional, rôle, which this body had assumed, ¹ was more
than once challenged with much heat, both in Congress
and in the country. But its decisions were invariably
accepted and its candidates elected.

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