Assignment
After the Constitution was signed in Philadelphia in September 1787, a vigorous debate over its ratification began. his debate took place "out of doors" in newspapers, taverns, parlors, and homes of Americans, as well as within each state's ratification convention.
A. What was the main argument of the Federalists? (Identify at least THREE)
B. What was the main argument of the Anti-Federalists? (Identify at least THREE)
C. List three ways this document demonstrates that the government created under the Constitution was more powerful than the central government created under the Articles of Confederation
The federalist: To the People of the State of New York: . . . The prosperity of commerce is now perceived and acknowledged by all enlightened statesmen to be the most useful as well as the most productive source of national wealth, and has accordingly become a primary object of their political cares. . . . One national government would be able, at much less expense, to extend the duties [taxes] on imports, beyond comparison, further than would be practicable to the States separately, or to any partial confederacies [loose alliance of states]. . . .
A nation cannot long exist without revenues. Destitute of this essential support, it must resign its independence, and sink into the degraded condition of a province. This is an extremity to which no government will of choice accede [agree to]. Revenue, therefore, must be had at all events. . . .
To the People of the State of New York:
As CONNECTED with the subject of revenue, we may with propriety consider that of economy. The money saved from one object may be usefully applied to another, and there will be so much the less to be drawn from the pockets of the people. If the States are united under one government, there will be but one national civil list [individuals paid by the government] to support; if they are divided into several confederacies, there will be as many different national civil lists to be provided for. . .. The entire separation of the States into thirteen unconnected sovereignties is a project too extravagant and too replete with danger to have many advocates. . . . If, in addition to the consideration of a plurality of civil lists, we take into view the number of persons who must necessarily be employed to guard the inland communication between the different confederacies against illicit trade, and who in time will infallibly spring up out of the necessities of revenue; and if we also take into view the military establishments which it has been shown would unavoidably result from the jealousies and conflicts of the several nations into which the States would be divided, we shall clearly discover that a separation would be not less injurious to the economy, than to the tranquility, commerce, revenue, and liberty of every part.
A. What was the goal of the authors in writing The Federalist Papers?
B. Why do you think the authors wrote under a pseudonym? How is the choice of the pseudonym "Publius" connected to the authors' goal in writing these essays?
C. According to Hamilton, what is the best source of national wealth?
D. According to Hamilton, what will happen to a country without a source of revenue?
E. List THREE examples Hamilton uses to argue that it would be more economical or less expensive to support one national government over divided state governments.
To the Citizens of the State of New-York. . . .
When the people once part with power, they can seldom or never resume it again but by force. Many instances can be produced in which the people have voluntarily increased the powers of their rulers; but few, if any, in which rulers have willingly abridged their authority. This is a sufficient reason to induce you to be careful, in the first instance, how you deposit the powers of government. . . .
This government is to possess absolute and uncontrollable power, legislative, executive and judicial, with respect to every object to which it extends, for by the last clause of section 8th, article 1st, it is declared "that the Congress shall have power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution, in the government of the United States; or in any department or office thereof." . . .
It is proper here to remark, that the authority to lay and collect taxes is the most important of any power that can be granted; it connects with it almost all other powers, or at least will in process of time draw all other after it; it is the great mean of protection, security, and defense, in a good government, and the great engine of oppression and tyranny in a bad one. This cannot fail of being the case, if we consider the contracted limits which are set by this constitution, to the late governments, on this article of raising money. No state can emit paper money - lay any duties, or imposts, on imports, or exports, but by consent of the Congress; and then the net produce shall be for the benefit of the United States. The only mean therefore left, for any state to support its government and discharge its debts, is by direct taxation; and the United States have also power to lay and collect taxes, in any way they please. Every one who has thought on the subject, must be convinced that but small sums of money can be collected in any country, by direct taxes[; hence,] when the federal government begins to exercise the right of taxation in all its parts, the legislatures of the several states will find it impossible to raise monies to support their governments. Without money they cannot be supported, and they must dwindle away, and, as before observed, their powers absorbed in that of the general government.
A. In what ways were the Anti-Federalist writings similar to The Federalist Papers?
B. How were they different?
C. In the first paragraph, why does the author warn the people about giving power to government?
D. What two adjectives does the author use in the second paragraph to describe the powers given to the government in the Constitution? What does this tell you about his point of view on the ratification of the Constitution?
E. What is the most important power a government can have, according to the last paragraph?
F. Why is this the most important power?
G. Who held this power in the Articles of Confederation?
The powers of Congress under the new constitution, are complect and unlimited over the purse and the sword, and are perfectly independent of, and supreme over, the state governments: whose intervention in these great points is entirely destroyed. By virtue of their power of taxation, Congress may command the whole, or any part of the property of the people. They may impose what imposts upon commerce; they may impose what land-taxes, poll-taxes, excises, duties on all written instruments, and duties on every other article that may judge proper; in short, every species of taxation, whether of an external or internal nature is comprised in section the 8th, of article the 1st, viz. "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts, and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States."
As there is no one article of taxation reserved to the state governments, the Congress may monopolise every source of revenue, and thus indirectly demolish the state governments, for without funds they could not exist, the taxes, duties and excises imposed by Congress may be so high as to render it impracticable to levy further sums on the same articles; but whether this should be the case or not, if the state governments should presume to impose taxes, duties or excises, on the same articles with Congress, the latter may abrogate [annul] and repeal the laws whereby they are imposed, upon the allegation that they interfere with the due collection of their taxes, duties or excises, by virtue of the following clause, part of section 8th, article 1st, via. "To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof."
The congress might gloss over this conduct by construing every purpose for which the state legislatures now lay taxes, to be for the "general welfare," and therefore as of their jurisdiction.
A. Why did the authors make this document?
B. The first paragraph reveals a fear that Congress would abuse its power of taxation using what justification?
C. What fear is discussed in the second paragraph of this excerpt?