federalist papers 1
Federalist Papers 1 gives me the sense that the American project was dishonest from the beginning. The authors of the Federalist Papers published under the pseudonym Publius, hiding their identity, preventing readers from assessing their motives. And yet, Alexander Hamilton, the author of this first paper, plays rhetorical games about the importance of motives. He claims the opponents of ratification are corrupt but then admits that some supporters are corrupt as well. So, never mind, don’t look over here (at motives), just focus on the arguments. And, by the way, I won’t tell you what my motives are. We all know that motives do matter and he brings it up in the first place to sow doubt about the motives of his opponents. Such rhetorical dishonesty is not a promising start for the Papers.
We must also consider that this set of arguments in the Federalist Papers were only intended to be considered by propertied white men of a certain level of wealth. No people of color. No women. This is a project of men who never even considered including most of their fellow human beings.
And the American project was from the beginning a project of empire:
The subject speaks its own importance; comprehending in its consequences nothing less than the existence of the UNION, the safety and welfare of the parts of which it is composed, the fate of an empire in many respects the most interesting in the world.
If subsequent history is any indication, preserving accumulated power and occupying a position of power on the world stage has always been a through line of this endeavor.
Alexander Hamilton prepares the reader for the fact that the opposite side will object to the constitution on the grounds that it is undemocratic. His counter-argument is that a powerful government, better than the Articles of Confederation, is necessary to protect liberty. But more to the point, the constitution will preserve your (wealth, land owning, white men) political power:
THE UTILITY OF THE UNION TO YOUR POLITICAL PROSPERITY THE INSUFFICIENCY OF THE PRESENT CONFEDERATION TO PRESERVE THAT UNION THE NECESSITY OF A GOVERNMENT AT LEAST EQUALLY ENERGETIC WITH THE ONE PROPOSED,…
The constitution, he argues, will preserve its own power, your (wealthy) freedom to do as you please, and protect your property. To be explicit, Hamilton is promising that slave holders will be permitted to keep their slaves.
THE ADDITIONAL SECURITY WHICH ITS ADOPTION WILL AFFORD TO THE PRESERVATION OF THAT SPECIES OF GOVERNMENT, TO LIBERTY, AND TO PROPERTY.
In sum, from the beginning, the democratic impulse was considered an argument against the constitution and antithetical to its intention of protecting the property rights of the already powerful.
The system works. Just not for you. Build a better one.