Has anyone read this in the past few years? In class today, though focused on the separation of church and state, we did a bit of background on the Founding Fathers, Mr. Jefferson, Madison, etc.
For those of you who haven’t read the Papers in years, #10 is Madison’s warning on factions, or groups of people, who have interests contrary to the rights of others or the goodness of the nation. (Wikipedia) Honestly, this is really good stuff. I wish they’d make politicians read this stuff. Some parts are a bit dated and clearly off point, such as these:
In the first place, it is to be remarked that, however small the republic may be, the Representatives must be raised to a certain number, in order to guard against the cabals of a few; and that, however large it may be, they must be limited to a certain number, in order to guard against the confusion of a multitude.
By enlarging too much the number of electors, you render the representatives too little acquainted with all their local circumstances and lesser interests; as by reducing it too much, you render him unduly attached to these, and too little fit to comprehend and pursue great and national objects.
Madison just couldn’t have anticipated the expansion of the nation or the communication advances that we have seen in the past two hundred plus years.
Another fun quote that time has eclipsed:
The influence of factious leaders may kindle a flame within their particular States, but will be unable to spread a general conflagration through the other States. A religious sect may degenerate into a political faction in a part of the Confederacy; but the variety of sects dispersed over the entire face of it must secure the national councils against any danger from that source.
I wonder if Madison could even understand what Twitter is? I wonder who is today’s Madison equivalent? Where is s/he? When will we see real leaders again? If you had to revise #10 to solve the issues of faction facing our nation, what would it say?
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Very good information, thank you very much by the article and the quality of your Web site. A greeting from Chile.