Simone Lawson
Brutus was the pen name of an Anti-Federalist who wrote a series of essays to encourage New Yorkers to reject the proposed Constitution. Brutus' essays are considered among the best writings opposing the adoption of the proposed constitution. They paralleled and confronted The Federalist Papers during the ratification fight over the Constitution. Brutus believed that the Constitution gave too much power to the central government and threatened individual rights. He argued that a bill of rights was necessary to protect the people from the government. He also warned that if the people lost power to the government, the only way to regain it would be through violence and wars.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Federal government will have "absolute and uncontrollable power" | The Federal government will possess absolute and uncontrollable power |
| State governments will be powerless | The Constitution and laws of every state would be nullified and declared void |
| Congress will have unlimited power to lay taxes | Congress will have the authority to repeal state laws |
| Large national government is a threat to personal liberties | A large national republic cannot preserve and protect personal liberties |
| No bill of rights | The Constitution requires people to give up too many rights |
| Supreme Court will have too much power | The Supreme Court will be able to dictate rulings beyond the words of the Constitution |
| Congress will have executive and judicial powers | Congress will have both executive and judicial powers |
| A free republic cannot exist in a large territory | A free republic cannot exist in a large territory such as the United States |
| The government will become tyrannical | The government will become tyrannical as its territory grows |
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What You'll Learn
- Brutus believed the Constitution would create a federal government with absolute and uncontrollable power
- Brutus warned that the Necessary and Proper Clause would allow Congress to repeal state laws
- Brutus argued that the Constitution would dissolve state governments, leaving a single republic
- Brutus questioned the validity of the Three-Fifths Compromise, seeing it as an example of corruption
- Brutus believed the Constitution gave too much power to the central government, threatening individual rights
Brutus believed the Constitution would create a federal government with absolute and uncontrollable power
Brutus, the pen name of an Anti-Federalist, wrote a series of essays to encourage New Yorkers to reject the proposed Constitution. The true identity of Brutus is unknown, but many believe that he could be Melancton Smith of Poughkeepsie or John Williams of Salem. Brutus believed that the Constitution would create a federal government with absolute and uncontrollable power, and his essays are considered among the best writings to oppose the adoption of the proposed constitution.
In his essays, Brutus argued that the Constitution would give too much power to the central government, threatening individual rights and liberties. He believed that the Constitution would nullify and declare void the laws of the states if they were inconsistent with the Constitution. According to Brutus, the Necessary and Proper Clause would allow Congress to repeal state laws, such as state fundraising laws, and impose federal laws. He also pointed out that there was no limit to the legislative power to lay taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, and that the federal government's power of direct taxation could eradicate the states' recourse to support their governments and discharge their debts.
Brutus also questioned the validity of the Three-fifths Compromise, seeing it as an example of the corruption of the branch. He disagreed with the method of electing senators and their six-year term, believing that it would make them less in touch with their constituents. He objected to Congress taking on executive and judicial powers and advocated for a rotation in government to avoid men serving in the Senate for life.
Furthermore, Brutus believed that the power to hold a standing army in peacetime was evil and dangerous to public liberty. He warned that the Supreme Court's power to interpret the Constitution according to its 'spirit and reason' threatened the legislative and judicial powers of the states. He also advocated for more checks and balances in the federal judiciary. Overall, Brutus's essays highlighted the potential dangers of a large national government and the importance of protecting individual liberties.
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Brutus warned that the Necessary and Proper Clause would allow Congress to repeal state laws
Brutus, generally attributed to Robert Yates, is considered one of the most important Anti-Federalist writings. In his essays, Brutus attacks the Constitution, arguing that it would create a federal government with "absolute and uncontrollable power". He specifically targets the Necessary and Proper Clause, warning that it would allow Congress to repeal state laws, particularly state fundraising laws.
Brutus argues that the Necessary and Proper Clause gives Congress the authority to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers vested by the Constitution. This includes the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises. Brutus warns that if a state law is seen as preventing the collection of a federal tax, Congress could use the Necessary and Proper Clause to repeal that state law. He believes that this would render the various State governments powerless, with no recourse against the federal government.
According to Brutus, the Necessary and Proper Clause could be used to justify the passing of almost any law and could potentially abolish state legislatures. He suggests that Congress could use this clause to annul a state law to raise money or pay state debts if they believe it conflicts with their power to lay taxes. Brutus highlights the potential dangers of a large national government and the threat it poses to the liberties of individual states and people.
Furthermore, Brutus points out that there are no limitations on the legislative power to lay taxes, duties, imposts, and excises. While the authority is technically limited to providing for the general welfare and common defense, Brutus argues that the legislature has the sole discretion to determine what is necessary. This gives them unlimited power to lay taxes and duties, leaving states with little recourse to support their governments and discharge their debts.
In conclusion, Brutus's warnings about the Necessary and Proper Clause highlight his concerns over the potential abuse of power by a large national government. He believes that this clause gives Congress the ability to repeal state laws, particularly those related to fundraising and taxation, which could ultimately lead to the annihilation of state governments and the creation of a single, consolidated government.
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Brutus argued that the Constitution would dissolve state governments, leaving a single republic
Brutus, a pseudonym for an Anti-Federalist writer, argued against the ratification of the Constitution in a series of essays. The true identity of Brutus is unknown, but many believe that he could be Melancton Smith, John Williams, or Robert Yates. Brutus's writings are considered among the best arguments against the adoption of the Constitution.
In his essays, Brutus warned that the Constitution would lead to the dissolution of state governments, leaving a single republic. He believed that the Constitution would consolidate power in a federal government, rendering the various state governments powerless. Brutus pointed to the Necessary and Proper Clause, which allowed Congress to repeal state laws, such as state fundraising laws, if they were deemed inconsistent with the Constitution or necessary for the general welfare of the United States.
Furthermore, Brutus argued that the Constitution's grant of unlimited legislative power to lay taxes, duties, and imposts would leave the states with no recourse to support their governments and discharge their debts. He also questioned the validity of the Three-fifths Compromise, seeing it as an example of the corruption of the branch. Brutus advocated for a rotation in government to avoid men serving in the Senate for life and objected to the blurring of powers between the branches.
According to Brutus, the Constitution would also lead to the centralization of power in the judicial branch, with the Supreme Court having the ability to interpret the Constitution beyond its written words. He warned that this could lead to the manipulation of government, as had happened in England. Brutus believed that a free republic could not exist in a large territory like the United States and that a true free republic comes from the people, not representatives. He urged the people of New York not to ratify the Constitution, as it would lead to a loss of power and liberties.
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Brutus questioned the validity of the Three-Fifths Compromise, seeing it as an example of corruption
Brutus, the pen name of an Anti-Federalist, wrote a series of 16 essays under the name Brutus to encourage New Yorkers to reject the proposed Constitution. The essays were widely reprinted and commented on throughout the American states. The true identity of Brutus is unknown, but Robert Yates was long believed to be the author, with recent scholarship suggesting Melancton Smith or John Williams.
In his essays, Brutus questioned the validity of the Three-Fifths Compromise, which was an agreement reached during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention. The compromise counted three-fifths of each state's slave population toward that state's total population for the purpose of apportioning the House of Representatives, giving Southern states more power in the House relative to the North.
Brutus saw this as an example of corruption, asking, "If [slaves] have no share in government, why is the number of members in the assembly to be increased on their account?". He argued that the Constitution would nullify and declare void the laws and constitutions of every state if they were inconsistent with it. The Necessary and Proper Clause, according to Brutus, gave Congress the authority to repeal state laws, including state fundraising laws.
Brutus also disagreed with the method of electing senators and the six-year term they were given, believing that spending that much time away from constituents would make senators less in touch with their interests. He advocated for a rotating government to avoid the problem of senators serving for life. Additionally, he objected to Congress's involvement in appointing officers and impeachment, as it gave them both executive and judicial powers.
Overall, Brutus's writings highlight his concerns about the potential dangers of a large national government and the protection of states' rights and liberties. He believed that the Constitution would lead to the dissolution of the states and the concentration of power in the federal government.
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Brutus believed the Constitution gave too much power to the central government, threatening individual rights
Brutus, the pen name of an Anti-Federalist, wrote a series of essays to encourage New Yorkers to reject the proposed Constitution. The true identity of Brutus is unknown, but many believe that he could be Robert Yates, Melancton Smith of Poughkeepsie, or John Williams of Salem. Brutus believed that the Constitution gave too much power to the central government, threatening individual rights. He argued that the Constitution would nullify the laws of the states and that Congress would have the authority to repeal state laws under the Necessary and Proper Clause. He also believed that the legislature had unlimited authority to lay taxes and duties, and that the federal government's power of direct taxation could eradicate the states' recourse to support their governments and discharge their debts.
Brutus warned that the people would lose power to the government and that the only way to gain it back would be through violence and war. He believed that the Constitution required the people to give up too many rights, counteracting the very end of government. He also questioned the validity of the Three-Fifths Compromise, seeing it as an example of the corruption of the branch. Brutus disagreed with the method of electing senators and their six-year term, believing that spending that much time away from constituents would make them less in touch with their interests. He advocated for a rotation in government to avoid men serving in the Senate for life.
Brutus also objected to Congress taking part in appointing officers and impeachment, as it gave them both executive and judicial powers. He believed that the power to hold a standing army in peacetime was evil and dangerous to public liberty. He argued that Congress' power to collect revenue and borrow money on the credit of the United States was dangerous to the states. Brutus used the examples of the Greek and Roman republics that became tyrannical as their territory grew. He stated that a true free republic comes from the people, not representatives of the people.
Brutus also believed that the Constitution gave powers to the judicial branch, allowing it to increase legislative authority and extend the jurisdiction of the courts while reducing and destroying the legislative and judicial powers of the states. He felt threatened by the Supreme Court's power to interpret the Constitution beyond its written words. He warned that the state judiciaries would become redundant if the Supreme Court could override their decisions. He advocated for more checks and balances in the federal judiciary and additional grounds for the removal of judges.
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Frequently asked questions
Brutus believed that the Constitution would give too much power to the central government, creating a federal government that will “possess absolute and uncontrollable power”.
Brutus cites the Necessary and Proper Clause, which would give Congress the authority to repeal state laws, and the power to collect revenue and borrow money, as evidence that the states would be rendered powerless.
Brutus argues that a free republic cannot exist in a large territory like the United States, using the examples of the Greek and Roman republics that became tyrannical as they grew.
Brutus questions the validity of the Three-Fifths Compromise, asking why the number of members in the assembly should be increased due to slaves when they "have no share in government".
Brutus, like other Anti-Federalists, argues that a bill of rights is necessary to protect the people from the government, stating that "when the people once part with power, they can seldom or never resume it again but by force".
