Alexander Hamilton And The Constitution Essay
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What role Alexander Hamilton played in the Consitutional Convention?
Constitutional Reformer
The economy of the young nation in the years following the Revolution was in bad shape.
The United States had accrued millions of dollars in war debt; competitive tariffs between
states hampered economic growth while sowing political discord; American shipping
struggled to recover from the war; and the Continental Congress was unable to impose
taxes in order to drive the country forward out of its financial doldrums.
Against this background, the legislature of Virginia in 1786 called for a meeting of
the states in Annapolis, Maryland, to deliberate adjustments to the nation's commercial
regulations -- a relatively modest ambition. Hamilton, Receiver of Continental Revenue for
New York, attended the September Convention as his state's representative, only to find
that four states had not even bothered to send delegates. The only states represented were
Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and New York, and it became apparent that
any measures these five did adopt might not carry sufficient authority for implementation.
The whole project appeared headed for failure, and in fact, the only notable
success to come out of the episode was Hamilton's call for a constitutional convention of
all the states to meet in Philadelphia the next year. "While phrased blandly -- delegates
would have the power to make such changes as were "necessary to render the constitution
of the Federal Government adequate to the exigencies of the Union" -- the resolution
emphasized that everything relating to the government of the United States would be on
the table. Advocates of strong central government, as they themselves perceived, would
have the chance to overhaul the Articles of Confederation at one fell swoop, rather than
tinkering at the edges." ( Cooke, 53)
It was at this point that the Shays Rebellion in Massachusetts lent a vital urgency
to the call for a Constitutional Convention and strengthened the public belief that the
country needed a much stronger federal government than the one it had. The rioting
farmers and debtors, led by Daniel Shays, who closed courts of justice, demanded the
nullification of the Massachussets Senate, and insisted violently on financial reform
represented for many political leaders the dangers posed by unchecked public action, by
"the mob." The framers of the Constitution agreed that a republican society depended on
the democratic participation of the citizens, but they believed that such participation
needed to occur within recognized lawful limits.
The rebellion also highlighted the impotence of the Continental Congress, which
faced such a serious cash shortage that it couldn't raise the troops necessary to put down
the rebellion (which was eventually suppressed by a contingent of 4,000 Massachusetts
militiamen). Citing the weakness of the central government, Hamilton raised the familiar
but compelling spectre of a disintegrating republic: "Who can determine what might have
been the issue of the late convulsions, if the malcontents had been headed by a Caesar or a
Cromwell? Who can predict what effect a despotism, established in Massachusetts would
have upon the liberties of New Hampshire or Rhode Island, of Connecticut or New
York?" ( Cooke, 57)
Federalist
As a New York delegate to the Constitutional Convention, Hamilton initially had
to compete with Roberts Yates and John Lansing, Jr., they were two fellow
representatives from his state who had been appointed by Governor George Clinton, a
staunch opponent of centralized federal power, in order to outweigh Hamilton's vote.
"Hamilton's role in the framing and ratification of the Constitution was a curious
one. He did not prove to be a particularly distinguished or influential delegate at the
Convention -- many members thought his proposals went too far in strengthening the
central government. Indeed, the ideas Hamilton presented on June 18, 1787, after
approximately a month of peripheral involvement, included some shockers: state
governors would be appointed by the President; the President and Senators would hold
office for life; and the Congress would retain exclusive authority to make all the laws of
the country." ( Goebl, 62)
The five-hour speech had little effect. Many delegates were already nervous about
a plan put forth by Virginia which, while less radical than Hamilton's vision, seemed to
retain too little power for the states. Since convention proceedings were kept secret from
the public, however, an atmosphere of free and open debate prevailed, and Hamilton felt
obligated to at least raise his proposals in their undiluted form.
"His philosophy rested, in true colonialist fashion, on the notion of "the public
good" and the superiority of a government which derived its power from the consent of
the governed: the essence of republicanism. Where Hamilton differed from his
contemporaries was, first, in believing that only a "talented few" -- understood to mean
men drawn from the wealthy and aristocratic strata of society -- had the wisdom and
dispassionate foresight to implement the measures necessary for the public good." (
Cooke, 64). The great majority of people, in Hamilton's eyes, operated primarily out of
self-interest and could not be trusted to think or act judiciously in matters of state power.
Hence, a proposal such as seating the President for life, so that he would not be subject to
the whims of a fickle electorate.
The second major distinguishing feature of Hamilton's political philosophy was its
emphasis on energetic government. He believed that the government should be proactive
in economic and military affairs, have the power the supersede lower governments (as at
the state level), and be able to exercise authority directly on the people. Only an energetic
government would be able to provide the stability and order necessary to secure the
blessings of liberty for the people, especially over such a large geographical area as the
United States.
The proposed Constitution that the convention produced in September -- and the
one most Americans are familiar with -- did reflect much of the spirit of Hamilton's
philosophy, particularly in clearly subordinating the states to the federal government. But
it represented a much more moderate compromise of a number of competing interests.
Still, Hamilton firmly supported the Constitution, even while admitting in his last speech to
the convention that "no man's ideas were more remote from the plan than [mine] were
known to be." He supported the plan because he believed it to be the country's last, best
hope for an effective union. He was not alone in believing that the potential consequences
of rejecting the Constitution entailed nothing less than civil war.
But ratification would prove to be an...
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