nees for representatives, and substituted the two Federalists whom the opposition had brought out at Harrisburg. This ruse was to match that of the Anti-Federalists, who, to add to the popularity of their ticket, had retired two more Anti-Federalists and replaced them with Federalists, thus dividing their congressional ticket equally between the two parties. So far as is known, the convention at Harrisburg and at Lancaster are the first State conventions in the United States held for the purpose of making nominations.[1]
In Pennsylvania Federal party lines coincided with those of State parties. The men who advocated the existing State Constitution were called Constitutionalists, and were generally Anti-Federalists; their opponents were called Republicans and were generally Federalists.[2] Each party accused the other of "peculations and pocketing of the public moneys." Extravagant language was common in the public prints, the first campaign in Pennsylvania in this respect proving to be little behind recent ones in that State.
The election of congressmen, which elicited most interest, was late in November, and that for electors, early in January. All the Federalist nominees for electors and their ticket for congressmen, which included the two Federalists from the Harrisburg ticket, were elected. Pennsylvania's first congressional delegation was a strong one. It included George Clymer, one of the Signers; Peter Muhlenberg, an Episcopalian clergyman, who had risen to the rank of Major General in the Revolutionary army; his brother, Frederick
