The Federalist Papers Today

Seeking relief from talk of revolution, or the secession of various states to solve the present problems of the United States, I was looking over essays written fifty years ago on the the Federalist Papers by Holmes Alexander, and I saw once again that the thoughts and writings of the Founders of the Constitution still have much value in helping us solve our modern problems.

The book “The Federalist,” taken from the writings mainly of Hamilton and Madison, was a masterpiece during the time of the American Enlightenment. These men deeply studied Aristotle and Machiavelli and they were not inferior to Gibbon, Hume or Montesquieu. Most of the problems today in our nation come from straying from the precepts and philosophy of government laid down by these men.

Hamilton wanted a federal government no larger than could be supported by taxes on imports, states had the power to impose taxes, such as real estate taxes. Hamilton believed that abolishing tariffs on imports had the same weight as abolishing military defense, which would let the rest of the world have its way with us. Free trade was thought of as internal, between the states. The powers of the federal government were best when they were few, limited and defined, the powers of the states were many and purposefully vague. This philosophy had more to do with morality than economics.

Democracy was for the people in their local gatherings, the only place it worked well, but for the larger nation the Founders wanted it run by representatives, preferable the wisest of the men in the community---this is what they meant by the republican form of government. The two party system, unlike the one-party system of Marxism and fascism, kept checks and balances on tyranny. The Constitution protected both the poor and the rich, and protected law and order. The main job of government was to keep the lanes of opportunity open by land and sea. All men had equal rights to succeed, but to succeed in unequal degrees. Nationalism was affirmed over internationalism, while still trading with the world.

The United States as the Founders knew it and wanted it has all but disappeared. We now pursue unlicensed individual gratification, which has not brought us happiness. Our future seems to be clashes and civil war between different cultures and races, or constitutionally sanctioned independence, separation and protection of the states. The Constitution certainly gives the states independence and freedom, especially with the Tenth Amendment, which means that radical solutions such as revolution or secession are not necessary---secession would eliminate the basic protection of the independence of the states provided by light federalism, leading to more clashes.

Conservatism has taught us that perfection is not possible, but the government preferred by the Founders is probably as close as we can get for a healthy and evolving people.