Look around you, inhabitants of America! and see of what characters the anti-federal junto are composed.—Are any of them men of that class, who, in the late war, made bare their arms and girded on the helmet in your defence?—few, very few indeed, of the antifederalists, are men of this character. But who are they that are supporters of that grand republican fabrick, the Federal Constitution?—Are they not the men who were among the first to assert the rights of freemen, and put a check to the invasions of tyranny? Are they not, many of them, men who have fought and bled under the banners of liberty?—Most certainly this is the case.—Will you then, countrymen and fellow-citizens, give heed to these infamous, anti-federal slanderers, who, in censuring the proposed plan of federal government, have dared, basely dared to treat even the characters of a Washington and a Franklin with reproach?—Surely you will not. Your good sense and discernment will lead you to treat with abhorrence and contempt every artifice which is put in practice to sap the confidence you have in men who are the boast of their country, and an honour to human nature. You certainly cannot harbour an idea so derogatory to reason and the nature of things, as that men, who, for eight years, have fought and struggled, to obtain and secure to you freedom and independence, should now be engaged in a design to subvert your liberties and reduce you to a state of servitude. Reason revolts at the thought, ... and none but the infamous incendiary, or the unprincipled monster, would insinuate a thing so vile. CASSIUS. Cassius, VIII. The Massachusetts Gazette, (Number 391) FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1787. For the Massachusetts Gazette. TO THE INHABITANTS OF THIS STATE: In some former publications, I have confined myself chiefly to pointing out the views of the opposers to the plan of federal government; the reason why I did not enter particularly into the merits of the new constitution is, that I conceived if it was candidly read, and properly attended to, that alone would be sufficient to recommend it to the acceptance of every rational and thinking mind that was interested in the happiness of the United States of America. Some babblers of the opposition junto have, however, complained that nothing has been said, except in general terms, in favour of the federal constitution; in consequence of this, incompetent as I am to the undertaking, I have been induced to lay the following remarks before the publick. Sect. first, of the new constitution, says, “All legislative powers Herein Granted shall be vested in a congress of the United States.” I beg the reader to pay particular attention to the words herein granted, as perhaps there may be occasion for me to recur to them more than once in the course of my observations.