The Federalists believed …show more content…
A common passion or interest will be felt by a majority, and there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party. Hence it is, that democracies have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths."
The idea of a pure democracy was disapproved, as interests of a minority group could dominate other interests, and only support those certain groups rather than the majority. They also wished to avoid aristocracy, which could lead similar events under tyranny. The Federalists approved of the Constitution without believing in further adjustment or editing. They attempted to justify immediate ratification, though the Anti-Federalists voiced their criticism, including adding a bill of rights. Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist No. 84:
“It is evident, therefore, that according to their primitive signification, [bills of rights] have no application to constitutions professedly founded upon the power of the people, and executed by their immediate representatives and servants. Here, in strictness, the people surrender nothing, and as they retain everything, they have no need of particular …show more content…
They also believed that pure democracy and aristocracy would be harmful to the country, as evident in this quote from “New Constitution Creates a National Government, Will not Abate Foreign Influence, Dangers of Civil War and Despotism”, “If the body of the people will not govern themselves, and govern themselves well too, the consequence is unavoidable—a FEW will, and must govern them.” The quote believes in elected representatives for the people of the nation. However, the Anti-Federalists argued that the Constitution would not only take power away from the states, but more importantly had already stated a minor amount of rights to be protected. Some rights that were not listed, the Anti-Federalists believed, should be documented within a bill of rights to assure their preservation, as described in this quote from “Foreign Wars, Civil Wars, and Indian Wars—Three Bugbears“, “As long as we can preserve our unalienable rights, we are in