Federal Farmer III - How The Creation of the Constitution Demonstrates Its Flaws
In the Federal Farmer III an anonymous Anti-Federalist author discusses at length the reasons why the Constitution’s framework proves that a Federal Government can’t work on such a large scale.
Federal Farmer III
October 10, 1787
The Federal Farmer III is an extremely lengthy Anti-Federalist Paper which goes into great detail on why the Constitution should not be ratified, despite the changes desperately needed to the Articles of Confederation.
Generally, the author uses the Constitution itself to prove why such a large government cannot succeed.
Representation
The Federal Farmer first tackles representation in the new Government.
He notes that, should the Constitution be ratified, the House of Representatives would only need 33 people to form a quorum and questions how such a small number could claim to understand the, “opinions of three or four millions of people.”
However, the Farmer brushes that aside because Congress was able to decide on how and where elections were to take place, essentially stacking the cards in their own favor.
Even that he feels is unimportant because people from small towns would all give a few votes to local representatives they trust while candidates from big cities could obtain hundreds, thousands or even millions of votes.
Senate
The Farmer then begins attacking the body of the Senate.
He breezes through the typical Anti-Federalist argument that it has a hand in the Executive and Judicial Branches, a clear break from the Separation of Powers his contemporaries held so dear.
Instead, he points out that the Senate had equal representation from each State because the ‘small States’ at the Constitutional Convention forced a compromise.
The farmer points out that smaller States have neither the wealth nor population to warrant equal representation and the compromise itself proves that a republic on such a large scale cannot operate fairly.
Taxes and Armies
The Federal Farmer goes on to report that, “The power of making any law will be in the president, eight senators, and seventeen representatives.”
While these numbers only apply to the inaugural Government, the greater point is that only a very small number of people will be in charge of laying taxes on the whole of the United States. Additionally, it is that same number that will enforce policy with a Standing Army.
This the Farmer (and Anti-Federalists in general) believes to be very dangerous and goes into detail on the various problems with the structure.
One notable issue he brings up is that the Federal Government can call out State Militias but there is no means for a local Sheriff to call out a Posse.
Justice
The Farmer concludes this piece with a discussion of the Constitution’s Judicial System.
In this, he outlines the common criticisms of justice in the new Government.
He notes that people could be tried multiple times for the same crime at great distances from their home (remember, there was no Bill of Rights yet).
He also suggests that citizens of one State might sue another State entirely, sending them into bankruptcy.
The Farmer further points out that there is only one Supreme Court, yet in several States and Nations there are multiple courts tasked with handling different types of trials.
Having one Court assume all of these decisions, in his estimation, was arbitrary and dangerous.
If you would like to read the original text of Federal Farmer II, click here to read it for FREE.
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