The Federalist Papers — 003

Note: This is an ongoing series that follows my review of the Constitution that can be found in other articles in this publication.

Today we’re reviewing the third article, which continues John Jay’s discussion of the dangers of foreign influence and the need for a federal government.

To the People of the State of New York:
IT IS not a new observation that the people of any country (if, like the Americans, intelligent and well-informed) seldom adopt and steadily persevere for many years in an erroneous opinion respecting their interests. That consideration naturally tends to create great respect for the high opinion which the people of America have so long and uniformly entertained of the importance of their continuing firmly united under one federal government, vested with sufficient powers for all general and national purposes.

Americans are intelligent and well-informed. I would love to agree with that statement, and probably would have a year ago. Sigh.

John says that people rarely continue to support something that goes against their own interests, and by this logic, the fact that so many Americans have been in favor of a single federal government for so long is an argument in favor of it.

Again, a year ago I would have agreed that people rarely continue to support something that harms them.

The more attentively I consider and investigate the reasons which appear to have given birth to this opinion, the more I become convinced…