Selections from the Federalist

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1914 Excerpt: ... VI JUSTIFICATION OF THE POWERS CONFERRED BY THE NEW CONSTITUTION UPON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (a) MILITARY POWERS General View Of The Powers Proposed To Be Vested In The Union The Constitution proposed by the Convention may be considered under two general points of view. The first relates to the sum or quantity of power which it vests in the government, including the restraints imposed on the states. The second, to the particular structure of the government, and the distribution of this power among its several branches. Under the first view of the subject, two important questions arise: i. Whether any part of the powers transferred to the general government be unnecessary or improper? 2. Whether the entire mass of them be dangerous to the portion of jurisdiction left in the several states? Is the aggregate power of the general government greater than ought to have been vested in it? This is the first question. It cannot have escaped those who have attended with candor to the arguments employed against the extensive powers of the government, that the authors of them have very little considered how far these powers were necessary means of attaining a necessary end. They have chosen rather to dwell on the inconveniences which must be unavoidably blended with all political advantages, and on the possible abuses which must be incident to every power or trust, of which a beneficial use can be made. This method of handling the subject cannot impose on the good sense of the people of America. It may display the subtlety of the writer, it may open a boundless field for rhetoric and declamation, it may inflame the passions of the unthinking, and may confirm the prejudices of the misthinking; but cool and candid people will at once reflect that the purest of human ble...