Alexander Hamilton - The Federalist Papers

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Federalist Papers, byAlexander Hamilton and John Jay and James Madison

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Title: The Federalist Papers

Author: Alexander Hamilton
John Jay
James Madison

Posting Date: December 12, 2011 [EBook #18]Release Date: August, 1991Last Updated: July 10, 2004

Language: English

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This is the Project Gutenberg 1.5 release of
The Federalist Papers

FEDERALIST. No. 1

General Introduction

For the Independent Journal.

To the People of the State of New York:

AFTER an unequivocal experience of the inefficacy of thesubsisting federal government, you are called upon to deliberate ona new Constitution for the United States of America. The subjectspeaks its own importance; comprehending in its consequencesnothing less than the existence of the UNION, the safety and welfareof the parts of which it is composed, the fate of an empire in manyrespects the most interesting in the world. It has been frequentlyremarked that it seems to have been reserved to the people of thiscountry, by their conduct and example, to decide the importantquestion, whether societies of men are really capable or not ofestablishing good government from reflection and choice, or whetherthey are forever destined to depend for their politicalconstitutions on accident and force. If there be any truth in theremark, the crisis at which we are arrived may with propriety beregarded as the era in which that decision is to be made; and awrong election of the part we shall act may, in this view, deserveto be considered as the general misfortune of mankind.

This idea will add the inducements of philanthropy to those ofpatriotism, to heighten the solicitude which all considerate andgood men must feel for the event. Happy will it be if our choiceshould be directed by a judicious estimate of our true interests,unperplexed and unbiased by considerations not connected with thepublic good. But this is a thing more ardently to be wished thanseriously to be expected. The plan offered to our deliberationsaffects too many particular interests, innovates upon too many localinstitutions, not to involve in its discussion a variety of objectsforeign to its merits, and of views, passions and prejudices littlefavorable to the discovery of truth.

Among the most formidable of the obstacles which the newConstitution will have to encounter may readily be distinguished theobvious interest of a certain class of men in every State to resistall changes which may hazard a diminution of the power, emolument,and consequence of the offices they hold under the Stateestablishments; and the perverted ambition of another class of men,who will either hope to aggrandize themselves by the confusions oftheir country, or will flatter themselves with fairer prospects ofelevation from the subdivision of the empire into several partialconfederacies than from its union under one government.

It is not, however, my design to dwell upon observations of thisnature. I am well aware that it would be disingenuous to resolveindiscriminately the opposition of any set of men (merely becausetheir situations might subject them to suspicion) into interested orambitious views. Candor will oblige us to admit that even such menmay be actuated by upright intentions; and it cannot be doubtedthat much of the opposition which has made its appearance, or mayhereafter make its appearance, will spring from sources, blamelessat least, if not respectablethe honest errors of minds led astrayby preconceived jealousies and fears. So numerous indeed and sopowerful are the causes which serve to give a false bias to thejudgment, that we, upon many occasions, see wise and good men on thewrong as well as on the right side of questions of the firstmagnitude to society. This circumstance, if duly attended to, wouldfurnish a lesson of moderation to those who are ever so muchpersuaded of their being in the right in any controversy. And afurther reason for caution, in this respect, might be drawn from thereflection that we are not always sure that those who advocate thetruth are influenced by purer principles than their antagonists.Ambition, avarice, personal animosity, party opposition, and manyother motives not more laudable than these, are apt to operate aswell upon those who support as those who oppose the right side of aquestion. Were there not even these inducements to moderation,nothing could be more ill-judged than that intolerant spirit whichhas, at all times, characterized political parties. For inpolitics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at makingproselytes by fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely becured by persecution.

And yet, however just these sentiments will be allowed to be, wehave already sufficient indications that it will happen in this asin all former cases of great national discussion. A torrent ofangry and malignant passions will be let loose. To judge from theconduct of the opposite parties, we shall be led to conclude thatthey will mutually hope to evince the justness of their opinions,and to increase the number of their converts by the loudness oftheir declamations and the bitterness of their invectives. Anenlightened zeal for the energy and efficiency of government will bestigmatized as the offspring of a temper fond of despotic power andhostile to the principles of liberty. An over-scrupulous jealousyof danger to the rights of the people, which is more commonly thefault of the head than of the heart, will be represented as merepretense and artifice, the stale bait for popularity at the expenseof the public good. It will be forgotten, on the one hand, thatjealousy is the usual concomitant of love, and that the nobleenthusiasm of liberty is apt to be infected with a spirit of narrowand illiberal distrust. On the other hand, it will be equallyforgotten that the vigor of government is essential to the securityof liberty; that, in the contemplation of a sound and well-informedjudgment, their interest can never be separated; and that adangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zealfor the rights of the people than under the forbidden appearance ofzeal for the firmness and efficiency of government. History willteach us that the former has been found a much more certain road tothe introduction of despotism than the latter, and that of those menwho have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest numberhave begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people;commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants.

In the course of the preceding observations, I have had an eye,my fellow-citizens, to putting you upon your guard against allattempts, from whatever quarter, to influence your decision in amatter of the utmost moment to your welfare, by any impressionsother than those which may result from the evidence of truth. Youwill, no doubt, at the same time, have collected from the generalscope of them, that they proceed from a source not unfriendly to thenew Constitution. Yes, my countrymen, I own to you that, afterhaving given it an attentive consideration, I am clearly of opinionit is your interest to adopt it. I am convinced that this is thesafest course for your liberty, your dignity, and your happiness. Iaffect not reserves which I do not feel. I will not amuse you withan appearance of deliberation when I have decided. I franklyacknowledge to you my convictions, and I will freely lay before youthe reasons on which they are founded. The consciousness of goodintentions disdains ambiguity. I shall not, however, multiplyprofessions on this head. My motives must remain in the depositoryof my own breast. My arguments will be open to all, and may bejudged of by all. They shall at least be offered in a spirit whichwill not disgrace the cause of truth.