Last Best Hope of Earth
A Blog Exploring American History and Politics
Constitution Sunday: Luther Martin, “The Genuine Information,” II
Luther Martin, “The Genuine Information,” II Maryland Gazette (Baltimore), January 1, 1788 Every form of government known to human history has been presented—on occasion—with the possibility of revolution or, perhaps euphemistically, a drastic reform of that government’s structure. While the causes may vary for a revolution or reform, the discontent that precedes it is universal: […]
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Constitution Sunday: A Cumberland County Mutual Improvement Society Addresses the Pennsylvania Minority
A Cumberland County Mutual Improvement Society Addresses the Pennsylvania Minority Carlisle Gazette, (Pennsylvania), January 2, 1788 One of the most frequent dooming political predictions that Americans—of any political persuasion—tend to make is that the end of the Republic, and therefore the end of liberty, has come. This prediction even goes back to the debate of […]
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Constitution Sunday: “Publius,” The Federalist XXII
“Publius,” The Federalist XXII [Alexander Hamilton] New-York Packet, December 14, 1787 A well-functioning democracy must be capable of recognizing and dealing with the friction that occurs between the minority and the majority on any given issue. As Alexander Hamilton wrote, in the Federalist XXII, the difference between a vote requiring a simple majority versus a […]
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Constitution Sunday: “Americanus” V
“Americanus” V [John Stevens, Jr.] Daily Advertiser (New York, December 12, 1787 The structure of the American government, with its division into three branches and its layered arrangement from top (federal) to middle (state) to bottom (local), made it an exception in 1787 from what had been previously known. Even with the Constitution’s framework appearing […]
MoreConstitution Sunday: “Publius,” The Federalist XVI
“Publius,” The Federalist XVI [Alexander Hamilton] New-York Packet, December 4, 1787 When any union or confederacy of states or provinces decide to form a nation, it does so with its citizens knowing that members may “alarm the apprehensions, inflame the passions, and conciliate the good will even” in those states that were not “chargeable with […]
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