Brutus No. 2-3 Summary
The debates surrounding the ratification of the U.S. Constitution sparked anti-Federalist remarks concerning the document’s weaknesses. One of the most popular sets of essays responding to the Constitution’s weaknesses was written by an anonymous writer under the name of Brutus, thought to be Robert Yates. In “III: To the Citizens of the State of New York,” Brutus considers the small number of political representatives and the over-representation of unfree men to be the worst features of the Constitution’s proposed system. Brutus No. 2 -. 3 was published on November 15, 1787, during the debates on the Constitution’s ratification. This was only one month before Delaware ratified the Constitution, and nine months before New York. Therefore, there
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Brutus calls attention to the small body of people said to become representatives of the nation as he states “sixty-five men cannot be found in the United States, who. are acquainted with the wants and interests of this vast country.” He goes on to emphasize that this representative body would not be representative of the nation’s class diversity. The election of officials who represent constituents’ views is permissible, but the representation of diverse views cannot be guaranteed if the number of officials is too low. Bribery and corruption are more likely to influence a small group of people in comparison to a large legislature. Fewer votes are needed to pass laws affecting an entire country. Another flaw with this system, according to Brutus, is the representation of individual slaves as three-fifths of a person. This is an issue because slaves held an immense portion of southern states, with some having equal numbers of slaves to free men. Representation of slaves in government is not the issue Brutus has, but rather how they are being represented numerically and not
Brutus calls attention to the small body of people said to become representatives of the nation as he states “sixty-five men cannot be found in the United States, who. are acquainted with the wants and interests of this vast country.” He goes on to emphasize that this representative body would not be representative of the nation’s class diversity. The election of officials who represent constituents’ views is permissible, but the representation of diverse views cannot be guaranteed if the number of officials is too low. Bribery and corruption are more likely to influence a small group of people in comparison to a large legislature. Fewer votes are needed to pass laws affecting an entire country. Another flaw with this system, according to Brutus, is the representation of individual slaves as three-fifths of a person. This is an issue because slaves held an immense portion of southern states, with some having equal numbers of slaves to free men. Representation of slaves in government is not the issue Brutus has, but rather how they are being represented numerically and not