Posted by
Sean E on Monday, November 02, 2009 12:00:00 AM
James Madison. Alexander Hamilton. John Jay...Do these names even resonate anymore?
They were the profound thinkers and prolific authors of The Federalist Papers. These 85 articles, written by the three men above under the pseudonym Publius, gave us the basis and the strongest arguments in support of the ratification of the US Constitution- their Constitution, and ours. Might I mention: Madison served as member of the US House, Secretary of State, and was the fourth US President; Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury and one of George Washington's chief advisors; Jay was governor of New York and the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. They are some of the most influential individuals in the history of this country.
It is important to remember that before these men reached these positions, they were simply Americans with ideas and the courage to pursue them. These men were dedicated public servants focused on raising the level of public debate in the country. The same is needed today.
The Federalist Papers came at a time when we were divided states loosely governed under the Articles of Confederation. Ratification (acceptance) of the Constitution to create a national government and a unified nation with a basic rule of law was no guarantee. It divided the public and created a need to present a better case to win public support. It was the "Healthcare Debate" of 1787.
Out of the 85 articles, #10 is perhaps the most famous, and is my favorite. In Federalist 10, author James Madison wrote that "enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm" in government and over the public interest. This has perhaps never been more true than now. We need to ensure we have more "enlightened statesmen" that listen to the public and have the character, leadership, and decision-making ability to steer this country in the direction it needs to go.
We too often forget about the Constitution itself and its meaning. It is difficult to remember who crafted its language and carefully dissected the arguments (both for and against) for its drafting and ratification. We forget, or never learn, how close we were to not having a Constitutional Convention, much less a working Constitution that has shaped the United States of America. The difficulty in creating a new nation, especially one founded on the delicate balance between freedom and individual responsibility, and one deeply anchored in a rule of law and maintained by the people themselves, slips our mind too easily.
This blog will use political history and philosophy to dissect current events and issues. While the details of the problems we now face are new, the innate nature of them is not. We should not be afraid to look to the past to help guide our future. America needs more Enlightened Statesmen, and needs to recognize what some of our most figures stood for, what they opposed, and- perhaps more importantly- why they believed the things they believed.
Serious debates that expand and examine the issues are needed. At the close of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked directly "Well doctor, what do we have, a republic or a monarchy?" Franklin responded, "a republic, if you can keep it." It took men like Madison, Hamilton, and Jay to act on their ideas and work to raise the level of public debate on issues, They achieved the greatest experiment in the history of government.The responsibility we should feel today was the same felt in 1787.