Veteran AF: The Federalist Papers: Book 16 of 2022

Sunday, May 15, 2022

The Federalist Papers: Book 16 of 2022

During the past year and a few months I have been reading The Federalist Papers, 85 essays by Alexander Hamilton (51 essays), James Madison (29) and John Jay (5). They were published in the state of New York under the pseudonym Publius in 1787-88 to convince New Yorkers and the rest of the United States to adopt the Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation.

The work was successful. The Constitution was adopted. George Washington became

the first American President. Convincing people an executive branch was necessary was at the center of the argument of the Federalist.

“Those politicians and statesmen who have been the most celebrated for the soundness of their principles and for the justice of their views, have declared in favor of a single Executive and a numerous legislature. They have … considered energy as the most necessary qualification of the former, and … the latter as best adapted to deliberation and wisdom….” (Hamilton, #70)

Restraining the power of the executive was built into the Constitution:

“[A]ccumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary in the same hands … may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” (Madison, #47)

“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” (Madison, #10)

The rationale for the Constitution and central government is in Federalist 51:

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” (Madison, #51)

“[W]hatever fine declarations may be inserted in any constitution respecting it, must altogether depend on public opinion, and on the general spirit of the people and of the government.” (Hamilton, # 84)

“The house of representatives .. can make no law which will not have its full operation on themselves and their friends, as well as the great mass of society. This has always been deemed one of the strongest bonds by which human policy can connect the rulers and the people together … but without which every government degenerates into tyranny.” (Madison, #57)

Government by the people is part of the argument:

”The fabric of American empire ought to rest on the solid bases of THE CONSENT OF THE PEOPLE. The streams of national power ought to flow from that pure, original fountain of all legitimate authority.” (Hamilton, #22; his emphasis)

“The danger from legislative usurpations, which, by assembling all power in the same hands, must lead to the same tyranny as is threatened by executive usurpations.” (Madison, #48)

”We have heard of the impious doctrine in the old world, that the people were made for kings, not kings for the people. Is the same doctrine to be revived in the new, in another shape…? (Madison, #45)

”An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among the several bodies of magistracy so that no one could transcend their legal limits without being effectually checked and restrained by the others.” (Madison, #58)

And the reason our Constitution is relatively brief:

“It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.” (Madison, #62)

“The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those that are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.” (Madison, #45)

And the need for a national army is part of the argument:

“The Constitution preserves the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation where the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.” (Madison, #46)

“A nation, despicable by its weakness, forfeits even the privilege of being neutral.” (Hamilton, #11) (Does the world view our present foreign policy as robust?)

“[The] danger will be evidently greater where the whole legislative trust is lodged in the hands of one body of men…” (Madison, #63)

During the time I was reading this book, I also read a biography of Thomas Jefferson, the book 1776 about that fateful year in American history, Prisoners of Geography about the incredible blessings of the America's place on the globe, and Civilization which describes America's path to becoming a superpower from its founding. Links to these books are below.

Learning about Hamilton and Madison as I read The Federalist changed my view of the essays in the book. Hamilton had strong royalist tendencies. During most of Washington's Presidency, Hamilton was involved in intrigues against Jefferson. Hamilton wanted a strong connection between America and the English and also wanted the American nation to have a monarchial elite. Jefferson fought against Hamilton.

The matter was decided in fact when Washington refused to run for a third term and refused all the trappings of monarchy. Since Washington's Presidency was followed by John Adams, Jefferson and Madison, there was no way monarchy could take hold. And then Hamilton was killed by Aaron Burr, ending the royalist faction.

It is also strange to think that at its founding, America was a place where dense and logical argument would affect public opinion.

First fifteen books of 2022:

First Principles by Thomas Ricks

Political Tribes by Amy Chua

Book of Mercy by Leonard Cohen