Were the Anti-Federalists Wrong?
Wayne D. Carlson
In the great debates that occurred in each of the 13 Independent Republics, to consider the momentous question of rejection or ratification of the newly proposed Constitution in 1787, there were no small number of great and learned men that vehemently opposed, and warned against, the adoption of that document. History remembers them as the "Antifederalists". In Virginia alone, no less than "the trumpet of the Revolution", Patrick Henry stood opposed. George Mason, who is credited with writing the Virginia Bill of Rights which became the model for the Constitution's, joined him in opposition. It was Richard Henry Lee that first presented to Congress, in June of 1776, the resolution that the thirteen "United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States." He too, joined Henry and Mason in principled objection to ratification of the Constitution, as written. As editor Isaac Kramnick states in the introduction to The Federalist Papers, "In state after state, often only a handful of votes separated the pro-Constitution forces and the defeated opponents of the Constitution. In light of the growing centralization and tyranny of the Federal government today, perhaps it is high time we considered some of the arguments of those like Henry who said, "I smell a rat".
Professor Marshall L. DeRosa, in his 1991 "The Confederate Constitution of 1861:An Inquiry into American Constitutionalism", notes that the primary objection of those opposing this new Constitution, lay in its ambiguity concerning the "locus", or place, in which ultimate sovereignty resided. Sovereignty, of course, denotes supreme political authority, which the Antifederalists were anxious to preserve to their States..... read more here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The individual States must press their 10th Admendment rights, or our Republic will perish. Thank God for the brave Arizona and Governor Jan Brewer for resisting the oppressive Federal monster. Hurrah for Arizona! Now, our own Federal capital has joined forces with 13 other foriegn nations to to fight one of our own soveriegn States. This is disgraceful. If anything should make a patriot pick up a rifle and march to sound of gunfire is this outrage lead by the Progressive Marxist Obama administration.
Its time, tea party time if you will, to chop down this huge Federal bureaucracy that has forgotten that it works for us, not the other way around. By all thats in you, resist, resist, RESIST>
Wayne D. Carlson
In the great debates that occurred in each of the 13 Independent Republics, to consider the momentous question of rejection or ratification of the newly proposed Constitution in 1787, there were no small number of great and learned men that vehemently opposed, and warned against, the adoption of that document. History remembers them as the "Antifederalists". In Virginia alone, no less than "the trumpet of the Revolution", Patrick Henry stood opposed. George Mason, who is credited with writing the Virginia Bill of Rights which became the model for the Constitution's, joined him in opposition. It was Richard Henry Lee that first presented to Congress, in June of 1776, the resolution that the thirteen "United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States." He too, joined Henry and Mason in principled objection to ratification of the Constitution, as written. As editor Isaac Kramnick states in the introduction to The Federalist Papers, "In state after state, often only a handful of votes separated the pro-Constitution forces and the defeated opponents of the Constitution. In light of the growing centralization and tyranny of the Federal government today, perhaps it is high time we considered some of the arguments of those like Henry who said, "I smell a rat".
Professor Marshall L. DeRosa, in his 1991 "The Confederate Constitution of 1861:An Inquiry into American Constitutionalism", notes that the primary objection of those opposing this new Constitution, lay in its ambiguity concerning the "locus", or place, in which ultimate sovereignty resided. Sovereignty, of course, denotes supreme political authority, which the Antifederalists were anxious to preserve to their States..... read more here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The individual States must press their 10th Admendment rights, or our Republic will perish. Thank God for the brave Arizona and Governor Jan Brewer for resisting the oppressive Federal monster. Hurrah for Arizona! Now, our own Federal capital has joined forces with 13 other foriegn nations to to fight one of our own soveriegn States. This is disgraceful. If anything should make a patriot pick up a rifle and march to sound of gunfire is this outrage lead by the Progressive Marxist Obama administration.
Its time, tea party time if you will, to chop down this huge Federal bureaucracy that has forgotten that it works for us, not the other way around. By all thats in you, resist, resist, RESIST>
Posts
