The Spirit of American Government: A Study Of The Constitution: Its Origin, Influence And; Relation To DemocracySmith, J. Allen (James Allen)
History
The Spirit of American Government: A Study Of The Constitution: Its Origin, Influence And; Relation To Democracy
Smith, J. Allen (James Allen)
Constitutional history -- United States; United States -- Politics and government
The publication of the debates on the Constitution at that time would
have shown that the apprehensions of the people were not entirely
without justification. The advocates of the new form of government did
not propose to defeat their own plans by declaring their real
purpose--by explaining the Constitution to the people as they themselves
understood it. For it was not to be supposed that the people would
permit the adoption of a form of government the avowed object of which
was to limit their power. Therefore the conservatives who framed the
Constitution and urged its ratification posed as the friends of
democracy. Professing to act in the name of, and as the representatives
of the people, they urged them to accept the Constitution as a means of
restraining their agents and representatives and thereby making their
own will supreme. It was not the aim of these articles, written, as they
were, to influence public opinion, to explain the real purpose of the
Constitution, but rather to disguise its true character.
In this species of political sophistry Hamilton was a master. It is, to
say the least, strange that the misstatement of historical facts, false
analogies and juggling of popular catch-words which constitute his
defence of the Federal judiciary should have been so often referred to
as an example of faultless logic and a complete vindication of the
system. Hamilton's interpretation of the Constitution as contained in
these articles was merely for popular consumption, and not a frank and
unequivocal expression of what he himself really believed. He was an
uncompromising opponent of democracy and considered the English
government of that day, with its hereditary monarchy and aristocracy,
the best form of government ever devised.[61]
He favored therefore as near an approach to the English system as the
circumstances of the case would permit. According to the plan which he
submitted to the Convention the executive branch of the government was
to be placed beyond the reach of public opinion by a method of
appointment designed to guard against the choice of a popular favorite
and by life tenure. Not only did he wish to make the President
independent of the people, but he proposed to give him an absolute veto
on all acts of Congress. Moreover, the President was to appoint the
governors of the various states, and these, like the royal governors
before the Revolution, were to have an absolute veto on the acts of the
state legislatures.[62] This would have made the President a monarch in
all but name, and though independent of the people, have given him
power to thwart legislation which no majority in Congress, however
great, could override.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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