Cheyenne Williams H. American Literature, Unit 2 Reviving the Federalist Papers !eptem"er 2#, 2$%& 'r.

'cC(rmic) Reviving the Federalist Papers *(day, the C(nstituti(n means n(thing+ We are s( "linded "y m(dern p(litical interests that the (riginal meaning "ehind even its m(st "asic phrases has "een (",uscated s( that its -(rd hus)s are little m(re than p(litical e.pedients ,(r pretended rights -hile the c(untry sin)s ,urther int( de"t and in,lati(n. /t sh(uld "e c(mm(n )n(-ledge am(ng Americans that a danger(us am"iti(n m(re (,ten lur)s "ehind the speci(us mas) (, 0eal ,(r the rights (, the pe(ple than under the ,(r"idden appearance (, 0eal ,(r the ,irmness and e,,iciency (, g(vernment 1Hamilt(n2, "ut this is n(t )n(-n "ecause m(st Americans d( n(t read the Federalist Papers (r perhaps d( n(t even )n(- that they e.ist. With(ut the "ac)"(ne (, such -isd(m ,r(m the Federalist Papers, the n("le "ut am"igu(us C(nstituti(n has underg(ne s( much alterati(n that the (riginal intent (, the American ,(unding (n a variety (, issues, ,r(m ,ederalism t( ,(reign p(licy, is anything "ut certain. *ragically, this has either caused a signi,icant pr(p(rti(n (, Americans t( ma)e ,((lhardy decisi(ns (r t( c(mpletely tune (ut (, the p(litical arena, ultimately leaving their pers(nal duty up t( 3e.perts3 t( interpret the C(nstituti(n ,(r them. H(-ever, hanging (ver the head (, every -ise American is the adm(niti(n that i, a nati(n e.pects t( "e ign(rant and ,ree, in a state (, civili0ati(n, it e.pects -hat never -as and never -ill "e 14u(tati(ns (n 5ducati(n 2. F(rtunately, "y re6uiring "y state la- the inclusi(n (, the c(rresp(nding articles (, the Federalist Papers -henever any part (, the C(nstituti(n is cited in pu"licati(ns (r (rat(ries, the pe(ple -ill ma)e "etter civic decisi(ns as they "ec(me m(re ,amiliar -ith the m(st relia"le hand"(() (n h(each pr(visi(n (, the C(nstituti(n is structured and -hy, are pr(vided a much m(re e,,icient -ay t( s(rt ("7ective -riting ,r(m ide(l(gical (nes, and gain a ,uller appreciati(n (, the spirituality that -as crucial in the F(unders3 m(tivati(n "ut is (,ten ign(red. !pea)ing (, -hat is crucial, -henever y(u (perate any c(mplicated machinery such as a car,

Cheyenne Williams H. American Literature, Unit 2 Reviving the Federalist Papers !eptem"er 2#, 2$%& 'r. 'cC(rmic) -hat d( y(u re,erence t( 6uic)ly learn the purp(se (, a certain part needing replacement (r repair8 *he instructi(n manual ,(r a di,,erent car m(del -ritten "y an an(nym(us "l(gger8 9(+ Any reas(na"le pers(n see)s (ut the m(st relia"le (pini(n (n the su"7ect "y re,erring t( the hand"(() pu"lished "y the same manu,acturer that designed the pr(duct in the ,irst place. !uch is the purp(se that the Federalist Papers serve ,(r the C(nstituti(n despite the m(dern enigma surr(unding the d(cuments. *he Federalist Papers are a series (, eight:,ive essays penned "et-een ;ct("er %<=< and 'ay %<== > right a,ter the s-eltering C(nstituti(nal C(nventi(n > "y ?(hn ?ay, Ale.ander Hamilt(n, and ?ames 'adis(n. *hese papers el(6uently made the case t( the c(untry as t( -hy the ,iercely independent Americans sh(uld unite their states under the C(nstituti(n rather than apply t(rn patches t( the Articles (, C(n,ederati(n 1A"(ut the Federalist Papers 2. 'adis(n, the Father (, the C(nstituti(n, and Hamilt(n, Washingt(n3s cl(sest aid during the Rev(luti(n and sh(rtly a,ter the nati(n3s ,irst treasury secretary, -ere "(th respected delegates (, the C(nstituti(nal C(nventi(n. !u"se6uently, -h( -(uld )n(- "etter a"(ut the C(nstituti(n than these Americans, -h( n(t (nly signed "ut als( had t( practically run mental gauntlets > t-ice i, y(u als( c(unt the h(urs that they spent speed -riting the Federalist Papers > as they made their cases ,(r the m(st c(ntr(versial yet necessary pr(visi(ns8 Furtherm(re, -ith the hindsight (, hist(ry, -h(se e.pertise (n the pr(per ,uncti(ns and necessary principles (, g(vernment pr(ved t( "e m(re e,,ectual during (ne (, the m(st uncertain times in American hist(ry than that -hich -as held "y these men8 @ecause (, their vie-s and p(licies, the y(ung c(untry > ,aced -ith danger(us ,(es a"r(ad and vehement divisi(ns -ithin > made it thr(ugh its ,irst sha)y years and e.tra(rdinarily int( the m(dern ageA t( the ,(rtune (, the United !tates, Americans can still tap int( such -isd(m "y revie-ing the Federalist Papers (n a ,re6uent "asis as c(uld "e mandated -ith any reading (, the C(nstituti(n. As s(me cringe at scanning the -(rd 3mandated3, even the ,airest critics may claim that such a

Cheyenne Williams H. American Literature, Unit 2 Reviving the Federalist Papers !eptem"er 2#, 2$%& 'r. 'cC(rmic) la- -(uld n(t (nly trample (n ,reed(m (, speech, "ut als( de,eat its intended purp(se "y ma)ing any allusi(n t( the C(nstituti(n a "urdens(me tas), thus causing 7(urnalists -ith limited -(rd c(unts ,(r their ta"l(ids and teachers trying n(t t( "(re their students t( dr(p (ut re,erences t( the C(nstituti(n all t(gether. H(-ever, (n ,urther re,lecti(n, n(t (nly are the individual states all(-ed under the C(nstituti(n t( pass any legislati(n that they deem necessary as l(ng as that they are n(t esta"lishing m(narchies, "ut it can "e plainly seen that s(me (, these premises are actually s(lved "y the very nature (, this la-. First (, all, n(thing secures ,reed(m (, speech and (ther rights "etter than a citi0enry -ell a-are (, the (riginal reas(ning "ehind their repu"lic3s m(st "asic ,(undati(ns, s( the "ene,it that this la- -(uld serve t( remind Americans (n e.actly h(- their li"erties are pr(tected ,ar (ut-eigh the initial investment (, s(me (, it re6uired "y such a mandate. !ec(ndly, "y disc(uraging any(ne ,r(m re,erencing the C(nstituti(n -ith(ut its ,ull intended c(nte.t, Americans can easily discern -h( may "e ,a"ricating their arguments (n ,alse premises "ased (n -hether they ch((se t( include the C(nstituti(n and its acc(mpanying essay (r n(t in their pu"licati(ns and speeches. Any(ne that has an argument aligned -ith the thin)ing (, the Framers -(uld have n( pr("lem citing Federalist te.t al(ng -ith the C(nstituti(n3s clauses t( c(n,irm their h(nesty, n(- -(uld they8 Lastly, "ut perhaps m(st imp(rtant (, all, this la- pr(p(sal -(uld all(- Americans t( see ,irst: hand -hat s(rt (, spirit animated the pe(ple (, the time and the C(nstituti(n > and this spirit is chie,ly B(d. /n Federalist 9(. 2 al(ne, ?ay cites Pr(vidence three times. *his may c(me as a sh(c) t( many Americans due t( the ,act that the F(unders3 une6uiv(cal ,aith is c(nstantly (verl(()ed in ,av(r (, eliminating religi(us "ias in the classr((m. 9evertheless, is it n(t misleading i, n(t disingenu(us t( leave (ut the piv(tal cultural ,act(rs that did shape the str(ngest pr(tect(r (, li"erty the -(rld had ever seen8 While preserving hist(rical accuracy, this la- -(uld als( 6uell any argument (ver pr(,essing t(

Cheyenne Williams H. American Literature, Unit 2 Reviving the Federalist Papers !eptem"er 2#, 2$%& 'r. 'cC(rmic) any (ne ,aith "y its nature (, simply citing America3s primary res(urces as they -ere in their entirety. With this la-, m(re Americans can e.amine ,(r themselves the vari(us principles that m(tivated the F(unders and c(me t( their (-n c(nclusi(ns as t( -hether they are still necessary ,(r maintaining the li,e"l((d (, their nati(n t(day. 5ven the m(st cele"rated and l(gical phil(s(phers, such as Cicer( 15"enstein %&&2, derived their ideas (, natural rights ,r(m the supp(siti(n that man)ind -as created and there,(re is e6ually dependent (n a creat(r > precisely -hy ?e,,ers(n penned the Ceclarati(n3s pr(phetical phrase as men have "een end(-ed by their Creator -ith certain inaliena"le rights rather than simply end(-ed -ith certain unaliena"le rights >, s( n( genuine m(dern thin)er sh(uld "elieve that it is s(meh(- un,air t( all(- Americans t( analy0e ,(r themselves religi(n3s impact (n their (-n hist(ry. Clearly, re6uiring the reading (, the Federalist Papers as state la- ,(r any menti(n (, the C(nstituti(n in a pu"licati(n -(uld pr(vide the pr(per c(nte.t necessary ,(r the pe(ple t( ma)e -ise p(licy decisi(ns. *his la- -(uld ingrain int( American minds pr(ven principles ,r(m the m(st relia"le guide (n h(- t( run an e,,ective "ut c(ntr(lled ,ederal g(vernment. *his la- als( -(uld pr(vide an easy -ay t( si,t thr(ugh the ide(l(gical spin -hich threaten the pr(tecti(n (, American li"erties. Furtherm(re, the perpetual reading (, these papers -(uld place m(re emphasis (n the values and true hist(rical c(nse6uences that led t( the American ,(unding -ith(ut the "ias (, m(dern c(ntr(versies. 5nsuring that all Americans are made a-are (, the Federalist Papers -(uld give them a m(re time: tested and straight,(r-ard ,(undati(n t( guide their civic decisi(ns than any (ther dissertati(n (n the su"7ect, s( c(ntact y(ur representatives and (rder them t( preserve y(u and y(ur neigh"(r3s inaliena"le rights "y mandating Federalist Paper readings n(-+

Cheyenne Williams H. American Literature, Unit 2 Reviving the Federalist Papers !eptem"er 2#, 2$%& 'r. 'cC(rmic) W(r)s Cited A"(ut the Federalist Papers. *he Li"rary (, C(ngress, n. d. We". 2& !eptem"er 2$%&. DhttpEFFth(mas.l(c.g(vFh(meFhistd(.Fa"tG,edpapers.htmlH. 5"enstein, William. Great Political Thinkers. 9e- I(r)E H(lt, Rinehart and Winst(n, %JK&. Hamilt(n, Ale.ander. Beneral /ntr(ducti(n. The Federalist Papers. *he Li"rary (, C(ngress, n. d. 22 !eptem"er 2$%&. DhttpEFFth(mas.l(c.g(vFh(meFhistd(.F,edG$%.htmlH. 4u(tati(ns (n 5ducati(n. *he ?e,,ers(n '(nticell(, n. d. We". 22 !eptem"er 2$%&. DhttpEFF---.m(nticell(.(rgFsiteF7e,,ers(nF6u(tati(ns:educati(nH.