In his 4th speech during the Virginia Ratifying Convention, Patrick Henry made the case that the constitution was being sold as a response to dangers that didn’t truly exist - but instead created an even greater one, consolidation.
The post Imaginary vs Real Dangers: Patrick Henry’s Anti-Federalist Speech No. 4 first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
Responding to Federalist claims that rejecting ratification would lead to danger, chaos and potential ruin, Patrick Henry took the other side, “it is the fortune of a free people not to be intimidated by imaginary dangers” and urged the addition of a bill of rights first.
The post Don’t Give in to Fear: Patrick Henry’s Anti-Federalist Speech No. 3 first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
In his 9th essay, Brutus continues his warning that standing armies are always “dangerous to the liberties of a people.” Here, he responds to criticisms of this position by Noah Webster and Alexander Hamilton.
The post Refuting Hamilton and Webster on Standing Armies: Antifederalist Brutus No. 9 first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
In his 8th essay, Brutus looks at the combined powers to borrow money, to lay and collect taxes, and to raise and support armies as a trifecta that would lead to the destruction of liberty.
The post Armies, Debts and Taxes: Antifederalist Brutus No. 8 first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
Brutus takes Alexander Hamilton to task over his support of power “without limitation” to raise and fund armies in Federalist No. 23. He disputes the need, and argues it would reject the principles of the Revolution to form a militarized nation in the image of the European monarchies.
The post Unlimited Taxes and Militarism: Antifederalist Brutus No. 7 first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.
Continuing his theme of warning against consolidation, or centralization of power, Brutus looks at the taxing power and general welfare, warning that politicians would use ambiguities to expand central power and eventually “swallow up the state governments.” He also takes Alexander Hamilton (in Federalist 23) to task.
The post Destroying the States: Antifederalist Brutus No. 6 first appeared on Tenth Amendment Center.