Alexander Hamilton’s First Federalist Paper
Alexander Hamilton’s first Federalist Paper endorses ratification of the proposed constitution. His unifying point is that the use of reason—in the form of the people’s "reflection and choice"—will lead to the truth, whereas their use of passion will lead to ruin. Hamilton attempts to persuade his readers to make the correct decision by reminding them of the sheer importance of the matter. He suggests that "good men" will want to make the correct choice in light of their "true interests" (33), while the adversaries of the Constitution will be ruled by passions, deceit, and even weak minds. He frankly warns his readers against "any impressions other than those which may result from the
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He chooses his words with meticulous care in this plea in order to instill the reader with a sense of higher purpose and almost martyrdom. The voter must make his choice within himself using reason, but in application, the consequences will reach infinitely farther than himself.
Hamilton even begins to preach, comparing politics to religion in his fourth paragraph. He makes this connection with the phrase "heresies in either [politics or religion]can rarely be cured by persecution" (34). He refers to political converts as "proselytes" (34) and uses religiously underscored words like "enlightened zeal" (35) to characterize the desire for efficient government. The ratification question is so monumental—as monumental as religion—that "the cause of truth" is at stake, not to mention the people’s "happiness … dignity … [and] liberty" (36). The same refection which interprets the bible in religious questions, is also to interpret the facts as Hamilton presents them in the political question. Hamilton puts his reader in the position of a political zealot, who actively crusades for the truth. This crusade adds more weight to Hamilton’s argument in that the sense of higher purpose he wishes his congregation to feel is contrasted with the selfish nature of his opponents’ "dangerous ambition" (35).
These opponents are stubborn, greedy, deceitful and feeble-minded due to their adherence to passions instead of reason. Where he
“Preach, my dear Sir, a crusade against ignorance; establish & improve the law for educating the common people. Let our countrymen know that the people alone can protect us against these evils, and that the tax which will be paid for this purpose is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests & nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance.”
Ambition, human nature shows that men inherently put their own self above others. He does not look at this as a flaw, but as something to be accepted since it cannot be changed. Humans are not angels, and that is the reason we need a government.
writes, “...though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: ‘Love your enemies, bless them that persecute you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.’ Was not Amos an extremist for justice: ‘Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.’ Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: ‘I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.’ Was not Martin Luther an extremist: ‘Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God.’ And John Bunyan: ‘I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.’ And Abraham Lincoln: ‘This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.’ And Thomas Jefferson: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…’ So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists will we be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? ...Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.” (Section 14, Page.
Chernow’s gives Hamilton his long overdue praises and sets the record straight, demonstrating that the economic and political successes of today’s America are a direct result of Hamilton’s countless sacrifices to defend ideas that were often disagreed upon. Chernow writes, “To repudiate his legacy, is, in many ways, to repudiate the modern
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