The IOW Project

Back in my one of my former lives, I taught political science at the university level. In the truest sense of egalitarianism, even full professors, a rank I actually attained, were required to teach one or two freshmen introductory classes. In my classes, I noticed that when I assigned a number of readings from the Federalist Papers, the essential bedrock collection of arguments in support of the Constitution’s ratification, few of my students learned much from the experience. They whined of the dated language, the difficult and confusion sentence structure, and the obtuse reasoning. Feeling compelled to provide them with a glimpse at the minds of Madison, Hamilton, and Jay, and assured that no student of mine should walk about the Earth unaware of the Federalist, I did the unspeakable. I “translated” a few of the Federalists Papers into modern-usage English. It seemed to help. Some in the Academy might suggest that I dummied down the Federalist. I admit it freely. Sue me. I saw it as an issue of accessibility and opted for an easy fix. OK, enough of the background. Bringing this up to today, I am still translating the Papers. I have dubbed it the “In Other Words” Project, IOW for short. My first inclination was to publish the final product but now I am doing it as a hobby. I am under no “publish or perish” dictum any longer so if I finish all eighty-five papers, fine. If I don’t, no sweat. But, think about it. I am living in a travel trailer in the backwoods of Alabama. I am lucky to get a radio signal. My sole stimulation is a conversation with The Old Goat or Tinker and that usually centers on how the tomatoes in the garden are doing or what kind of gas mileage I am getting on my Ford truck. It is not like I have such a pressing social calendar that I don’t have a little time for something purely cerebral.
Here is where you come in. I am attaching a translation of Federalist 1, written by Alex Hamilton in 1787. If you want to see the difference in the original then my doctored version, google Federalist 1 and read through it. Then, access the attached offering. I am keenly interested in your reaction. If you go through all this effort (and a thousand blessings on you and your children if you do), please send me an email giving me some feedback on the readability, the faithfulness of the translation, and your general reaction to the product. You are under no obligation and no salesman will call on you in your home.

Federalist 1 Translated
Written by Alexander Hamilton
Published in the Independent Journal on Saturday, 27 October 1787
Entitled: General Introduction

To the people of the State of New York:

The government under the Articles of Confederation is awful. It is now time to decide if we want a new constitution for the country. This is a serious issue. The decision we make could make or break the country, could insure or endanger the various state governments, and determine if the American experiment works. Americans can choose the type of government that best suits their needs or else they can have one forced on them. Now is the time for us to make that choice. If we fail in this, it will not be a loss for Americans alone but for people everywhere.

This appeal asks you to consider the nation and calls upon your patriotism. It would be ideal if we could consider the issues of the new constitution solely in terms of the principles of good government. But who are we kidding? The new constitution impacts so much of our society that it is practically impossible to discuss it without inviting examination of all sorts of issues, many of which add nothing to the core consideration of the document.

A big hurdle for the new Constitution to clear is the entrenched politicians and officeholders in every state who resist any effort to dislodge them; likewise, there are many men who hope to profit by the continued lack of a strong national government. I am not, however, directing my attention against these entrenched politicians and self-promoters. It would be unfair of me to label all politicians and opportunists as opposed to the new Constitution. Truth is that even politicians and self-interested types can support worthy causes; and many of those who oppose the Constitution will do so because they are led by jealousies and fears. Making a judgment is a complex thing. Every individual has biases. We have seen honest and smart leaders on both sides of important issues. That is the reason that each of us should exercise careful deliberation when asked to deliver a judgment. We have to be careful that leaders who advance a cause are motivated by integrity and honesty. Personal ambition, greed, petty feuds, and political party maneuvering can be found among those who support the right side of an issue as well as in those who oppose it. Be particularly careful with political parties. They have an intolerant spirit about them. In politics, as in religion, it is impossible to gain adherents by intolerance and destruction. Nor can you curb defection by torture.

We know that the fight over the new Constitution will be messy. Those opposed to the new Constitution will try to increase their numbers by the volume of their rhetoric and the bitterness of their criticisms. Those of us who support a strong national government will be held up to ridicule as tools of kings and opposed to individual liberty. Opponents of the new Constitution will claim their motivation is to protect the rights of the people. In doing so, they are pandering for support rather than advancing that which is in the public interest. Never forget that those who scream the loudest about liberty are also just as likely to be the first to deny it. A strong government is necessary to secure liberty. Those in opposition cannot separate their own personal interests from what the nation requires in order to admit this simple fact. The rhetoric about the rights of the people is a show that masks their true ambition that would be impaired by an effective government. History teaches us that liberty is secured by government, and also that the road to despotism is often blazed by individuals who began their careers as servants of the people. They started as demagogues and ended up as tyrants.

My purpose in this article is to warn you that attempts will be made to influence your decision regarding the new Constitution by using false information. Obviously you know from this article that I support the new Constitution. I have given the document a thorough examination and believe it is in your best interest to adopt it. I am convinced that the new Constitution is the best guarantee of your liberty, your dignity, and your happiness. I have no reservations about the document and the government it creates. I will not pretend to be objective about the Constitution since I have made up my mind to support it. In these articles I will lay out the reasons that lead me to recommend the new Constitution to you. By this effort, you will have a clear picture of what the new Constitution contains. I do not pretend to know it all. And my reasons for attempting this project grow from deeply held beliefs. I will lay out my arguments and then you decide. Regardless, I will write the truth.

The plan is to write a series of papers that detail the contents of the new Constitution. The papers will cover the following topics: The importance of the union to your political life; the inability of the present Articles of Confederation government to preserve the union; the need for a strong government; how the proposed new Constitution sets up a republican government; how the proposed document is similar to your state constitution; and, how the new Constitution will preserve liberty and protect property.

In the papers I will try to respond to objections that have been raised to the new Constitution. You might ask why it is necessary to justify the union since everybody embraces it? But, there are those opposed to the Constitution that would rather the union be broken into a number of smaller countries. Whispering about breaking up the union will grow louder until there are enough believers in it to make it acceptable to say it out loud. Reduced to its basic element, the argument over the Constitution could be a choice of it or the end of our union. I will, therefore, begin these papers with an examination of why the union makes sense and the dangers we would invite if we disbanded it.

So, let’s begin.