Federalist and Antifederalist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Federalist and Antifederalist - Essay Example The rationale that underpins his argument is that the present Federal Government has proved to be â€Å"inefficient† and hence it is time for the people to decide upon a new Constitution. Hamilton also argues though the arguments for a new Constitution are obvious and to repeat them would be â€Å"superfluous†, nonetheless he exhorts the people of New York to guard against malicious rumors against the same. The following quote from the Federalist Paper underlines this aspect of Hamilton’s appeal to the people: â€Å"But the fact is, that we already hear it whispered in the private circles of those who oppose the new Constitution, that the thirteen States are of too great extent for any general system, and that we must of necessity resort to separate confederacies of distinct portions of the whole† (Hamilton, 1787). This is the same argument which was also built upon by the Anti-Federalists who pointed out on more than one occasion about the new Federal system being unwieldy and hence there is no need for a Federation per se. The point here is both sides of the debate were arguing about the necessity or otherwise of the proposed Federation and they were motivated by a strong desire not to accept the new Federation (Anti-Federalists) and an equally strong desire to have the new Federation as a route to all around prosperity (Federalists). While the anti-Federalists warned about the concentration of power in the hands of a few, the Federalists proposed the formation of a new system that would be powerful enough to achieve their objectives of true Republican government. The motivation of the Federalists is quite clear. They wanted a strong Federation that would balance the needs of the strong as well as the weak and protect the latter from excesses by the majority. However, the Anti-Federalists were quite adamant that such concentration of power would lead