Question about the Federalist Papers

[Waldo]

I was talking to a friend last night. He is very upset about the current hysteria in this country. Like so many of us, he fears an increasingly oppressive government. He was rereading The Federalist Papers. He has his old college text book. He says the language is archaic and very hard to read. I have never read it, but have decided I should. I was looking on Amazon. They have several editions, including one in more modern English. However I am scared that the modern one might be edited to slant your opinion to the editors view point. Has anyone here read The Federalist Papers and have a recommendation on which version I should get? Thanks, Waldo.

 

[Chipmunk6]

The one I have is pretty good... includes a copy of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and a cory of the Articles of Confederation. Mentor Books ISBN 0-451-62881 . As long as you're reading that, you might as well pick up a copy of the Anti-Federalist Papers also by Mentor Books ISBN 0-451-62625-0. Include a fire in the fireplace, a jug of whiskey and a flintlock pistol to set the atmosphere.
Chipmunk6

 

[Comrad]

That's a tough read but the papers dealing with the Second Amendment I found are:

Alexander Hamilton wrote in the Federalist Paper 28 that when a government betrays the people by amassing too much power and becoming tyrannical, the people have no choice but to exercise their original right of self-defense — to fight the government.

He also wrote in number 29 that an armed citizenry was the best and only real defense against a standing army becoming large and oppressive.

James Madison wrote in number 46 that the ultimate authority resides in the people, and that if the federal government got too powerful and overstepped its authority the people would resist and resort to arms.

 

[CordWood]

Get them and read them. Every citizen needs to know more of what the founders left us and what they envisioned for us. To many approach citizenship and their spiritual lives the same way. They have a constitution and a Bible and are satisfied with that. They never read or study them to know what they have, belive, or how to explain it to someone else.
Read about the founders and how they argued for the laws we have and the dangers that are ever present in this continuing experiment freedom.
Butch

 

[revho]

The one I have is pretty good... includes a copy of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and a cory of the Articles of Confederation. Mentor Books ISBN 0-451-62881 . As long as you're reading that, you might as well pick up a copy of the Anti-Federalist Papers also by Mentor Books ISBN 0-451-62625-0. Include a fire in the fireplace, a jug of whiskey and a flintlock pistol to set the atmosphere.
Chipmunk6

Thank you for the reference to is particular printing. Just ordered it and cant wait to read it.

 

[deadin]

The Federalist Papers are currently available for the Kindle on Amazon (Free!)
The Anti-Federalist Papers are also available for the Kindle @ $0.99.

Just ordered them both. I should have them in less than 10 minutes.

 

[rwsmith]

Thanks for the reminder

This IS a good time to hash over the Federalist Papers. Fortunately I have a special printing (by the company I worked for. It sure beat a tie clip) from about 30 years ago which doesn't seem to have any hidden agenda. I'll bet it's got a LOT of dust on it.

 

[Mike7.62]

Ya'll might want to take a gander at the Anti Federalist papers to see why we have a Bill of Rights. They refused to sign a document that did not codify the natural or God given rights of every man, and the Federalists, who didn't think that such things needed to be codified, agreed to do so knowing that they wouldn't get cooperation in signing or ratification if they didn't.

 

[USAF385]

I find they're short enough that if you take the time to sit and read one at a time with no distractions it's easy to get through.

 

[Nightowl]

It was important, I thought, to understand the fears of Madison and Jefferson and others who wrote the Federalist Papers. Most of their fears of a large, intrusive government have come true!

Difficult to read, yes. But I think they should be read as written.

It also demonstrates the evolution of the English language in the last 200 + years.

 

[tyusclan]

Here's a link to the entire collections of the Federalist papers online:

The Federalist Papers - THOMAS (Library of Congress)

And the Anti-Federalist:

http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?subcategory=73

 

[ASA335]

Thank you for those links.

 

[oldRoger]

I strongly recommend adding a good book about the ratification of the constitution as well.

“The Ratification” by Pauline Maier, Simon & Schuster
Subtitle: The people debate the constitution, 1787-1788.

She uses many original sources to illustrate that the common citizens of the states were very knowledgeable and very involved in the ratification process.
The matter of the bill of rights was not a simple one. You will remember that the first ten amendments were not ratified until 1792.

We could all only hope that today’s citizens knew as much about their constitution as our forbearers did.

 

[125JHP]

While your at it, keep an eye out for a book called 'The Patriots Handbook' by George Grant

 

[Mike7.62]

It was important, I thought, to understand the fears of Madison and Jefferson and others who wrote the Federalist Papers. Most of their fears of a large, intrusive government have come true!

Difficult to read, yes. But I think they should be read as written.

It also demonstrates the evolution of the English language in the last 200 + years.

I'm pretty sure that Jefferson was an Anti Federalist, along with Henry, Mason, Clinton, and others. Jefferson was Minister to France during the drafting/ratification process, and I don't believe he contributed to either the Federalist or Anti Federalist written positions. The Federalists were primarily the aristocratically minded Founders, particularly Hamilton, Madison, and Washington. As I said, you may thank the Anti Federalists for the Bill of Rights, as they were thought unnecessary by the Federalists.