History For The Day

The Roman Consul Cicero said those who do not learn History remain forever children. He was offering advice to prospective public servants of the Roman republic. With a far less grand entrance, I will periodically offer entries on our past that I hope you find interesting.

Our founders struggled through the summer of 1787 to create our Constitution. The delegates held meetings in secret presided over by George Washington. Hamilton and Madison played key roles. So did Ben Franklin. Jefferson and Adams were in Europe and did not participate except by (long delayed) letters.

When the new Constitution was published in September, there was an outcry from those who favored a weak national government and strong state governments. They saw the new structure as dangerous to state influence, launching a debate that has simmered ever since. Within ten days of publication, opposing anonymous essays began appearing in the newspaper. Hamilton, Madison and John Jay began writing responses over the pen name "Publius". These essays not only parried the critics, they provided a document to which we still refer for insight on the structure of our government. The collected essays became known as "The Federalist Papers".

The so-called Anti-Federalists and Publius debated in the newspapers for nine months, mostly in an effort to persuade New York State to ratify the Constitution. It didn't help that Gov. George Clinton, writing as Cato in opposition, was sharply opposed. One of the main objections of Clinton, Patrick Henry and others was the lack of a Bill of Rights.

In the end, the Constitution was ratified by 12 of 13 states, some by only a few votes. Several states - Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire - ratified but insisted that a Bill of Rights (which they went to great pains to list) must be added during the first Congress. James Madison drew up the first ten amendments that became our Bill of Rights.

Reading the exchange between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, I was struck by the principled and disciplined arguements presented. Their guides were those in the past who succeeded, those who failed. They knew this was serious business: they were not merely conducting a philosophy seminar, they were making a nation.