North
Carolina’s anti-Federalists believed the proposed powers of the federal
judiciary were far too extensive, and many thought there should be no
federal judges at all – and dreaded their interference with the State
judges. All cases of individual or State concern were believed to be
better left to the State judiciary.
Bernhard Thuersam, Chairman
North Carolina War Between the States Sesquicentennial Commission
"The Official Website of the North Carolina WBTS Sesquicentennial"
Washington DC Will Be A Fortified City:
“At
the sessions of the courts, at county militia musters, in the taverns,
wherever men gathered, the main topics of conversation [in 1787] were
the Constitution and its framers. In the heat of argument no man’s
character was above attack and no past political or military service
could overcome party animosity. Thomas Person, a general of the
Revolution and patriot of undoubted sincerity, denounced Washington as
“a damned rascal and traitor to his country for putting his hand to such
an infamous paper as the new Constitution.”
Willie
Jones, leader of the [North Carolina] anti-federalists, found it
necessary to deny in the public press that he had “called the Members of
the Grand Convention, generally, and General Washington and Col. Davie,
in particular, scoundrels” ….William Lenoir of Wilkes county said later
in the debates in the convention that his constituents had instructed
him to oppose the adoption of the Constitution. William Lancaster of
Franklin [county] said that his own feelings and his duty to his
constituents induced him to oppose the adoption of the Constitution,
since he believed every delegate was bound by his instructions.
Lemuel
Burkitt, a Baptist preacher strongly opposed to ratification, was a
[convention] candidate in Hertford county. In explaining the selection
of an area ten square miles [to be] the seat of the [federal]
government, Burkitt said: “This my friends, will be walled in or
fortified. Here an army of fifty thousand, or perhaps, a hundred
thousand men, will be finally embodied, and will sally forth, and
enslave the [American] people, who will be gradually disarmed.”
[Hugh]
Williamson…did not consider paper currency as honest tender because of
its rapid depreciation. However convenient depreciated paper appeared to
those who used it to discharge their debts, he contended that the
credit and finances of the State had been injured by it. No part of the
North Carolina debt of North Carolina had been discharged by the
operations of paper money, “the whole advantage of depreciation being a
mere juggle,” by which one citizen was injured for the convenience of
another.”
So
great were the evils of paper money that the dignity of government was
wounded by declaring it legal tender, industry languished, the orphan
was defrauded, and the most atrocious frauds were practiced under the
sanction of the law.”
(The Federal Constitution in North Carolina, Louise Irby Trenholme, Columbia University Press, pp. 107-110; 117)
I never read the Anti-Federalist writings until I was 75 years old. Richard Henry Lee of Virginia struck me more than any.
ReplyDeleteHe is considered by many to have been our first president by reason of being President of Congress in 1783.
On June 7, 1776, he made his famous proposal to congress:
"that these United Colonies are,
and of right ought to be,
free and independent States."
Reading the article you posted makes me dually proud of being born in North Carolina and adopted as a Virginian.
So many great people had such good sense, yet we have come to our present state. Impeach 'em all or secede.
Impeach 'em all or secede.
Delete!
Told'ya so! The US Constitution ain't worth the paper it is written on.
ReplyDeleteNow don't misunderstand me. The US Constitution is a noble undertaking and I know *most* of the framers meant well. However the US Constitution has one weakness that caused it to be worthless.
When Ben Franklin was asked by a lady; What type of government do we have? Franklin replied, a Republic, if you can keep it. This goes in hand with many quotes and writings stating that it takes a *just* and righteous people to conduct good government. The flaw in the US Constitution is the fact, as Franklin pointed out, if you can keep it. He knew that certain people would always be opposed to it and would use it for their ill gotten gain.
The flaw and mistake was that the writers and signers of the US Constitution made the presumption that good would trump evil and the country would prosper under the new US Constitution. They ignored the pleas of the anti-federalists that the document was too radical and too open to abuse by those who wished to profit from it. Alexander Hamilton being a main culprit.
The Articles of Confederation was a much better document for a Republic and Rule of Law.
Michael-- Deo Vindicabamur