Summary

The proposed plan of government should be considered based on the amount of power it has and the way the power is structured. Does the new plan of government have too much power?

Critics claim that the new form of government has too much power, yet they overlook the fact that any government that attempts to protect the common good must have some abuses.

The proposed plan of government has the power of security against foreign danger. Not only is this the most important goal of a civil society, but essential to the American union. No one will disagree with granting this power.

The question of raising troops, fleets and maintaining both in peace and war has been discussed elsewhere. The only way to prohibit troops in times of peace would be to stop all hostile nations from making those same preparations. However, history demonstrates that standing armies can be destructive to the liberties of the people. Wise nations will provide the security while guarding against the dangers. The proposed plan of government accomplishes this because it unites the people in a land far from other European nations. A disunited America would not provide such security.

The best possible protection against standing armies is to limit the amount of money granted to them, and the U.S. Constitution does this. The Constitution has provided the most effectual guards against the dangers of standing armies in the form of a review of funds every two years. A strong united America is the only way to protect against a disunited number of states, each supported by standing armies.

The source of the United States' naval strength lies in the union as well. New York should be especially anxious to receive protection of her ports by a navy. Under the current plan of government there is no protection to commerce or attack by plunderers.

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Popular pages: The Federalist Papers (1787-1789)

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