Before coming into effect, the US constitution required ratification by nine states. It was a long and complex fight before the US ratification. The states were interested in retaining their power and therefore they strongly resisted the ratification of a new strong central government. Those favouring the ratification came to be known as Federalists while those opposing it came to be known as anti-federalists. There existed vast and complex differences between the federalist and the anti- federalists. The federalist views could be better be termed as nationalist. They had remained instrumental in the shaping of the new US constitution. A series of essays that were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay explained and defended the constitution as well as defended its provisions. The federalists even defended what was the weakest point in the constitution, a lack of bill of rights. Their essays suggested that the protections were sufficient and that the Congress could always propose amendments. On the other hand were the Anti-federalists like Patrick Henry who suggested that such a constitution could lead to a dangerously powerful national government. In the first paragraph of Federalist Number 10 James Madison wrote, “AMONG the numerous advantages promised by a well-constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction. The friend of popular governments never finds himself so much alarmed for their character and fate, as when he contemplates their propensity to this dangerous vice. … (Madison, 1787)”. James Madison had been trying to defend the weaknesses of the constitution and clarify its strengths which were not strengths in the sight of the anti-federalists. Eventually, the federalists were able to persuade several of the anti-federalists too through their essays and papers. Among all the anti-federalist papers, Brutus 15 is a very important one. It is an antifederalist paper that hits on the weakness of the US constitution and the growing power of the government. In the opening paragraph the author explains, “I said in my last number, that the supreme court under this constitution would be exalted above all other power in the government, and subject to no control. The business of this paper will be to illustrate this, and to shew the danger that will result from it” (Constitutionsociety, 1788). This is what the author does throughout the paper, explaining the ills of the US constitution and the new government to be formed under it. While the antifederalists continued to oppose the new constitution in their essays, the problem was that they could never unite across the states and therefore could not supposedly deal a strong blow to their target, the new constitution. Their first major success was that they could force the new Congress under the new constitution to establish a bill of rights that could ensure the liberties which according to the antifederalist the new constitution violated. The antifederalists vehemently opposed the constitution as well as continued to speak against it through the antifederalist papers. However, since they were not united, they could not substantially exert their power.
References: Madison, J. (1787). Federalist No. 10. In Hanover. Retrieved December 28, 2015, from http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/111federalist.html Brutus 15 (1788). In Constitution Society. Retrieved December 28, 2015, from http://www.constitution.org/afp/brutus15.htm Notes and insightful articles.
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Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights
While Heathcliff becomes a monster after having lost Catherine and punishes everyone he holds accountable for his loss, his life still seems the gloomiest of all in the novel. He and Catherine have grown up together and love each other but Catherine decides to marry Linton instead of a gypsy who has got nothing but his identity crisis to share with her. He cannot afford to lose Catherine and leaves for some time. When he returns, he is rich but the loss of Catherine has turned him into a monstrosity. He acquires both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange and marries Linton’s sister. However, Lockwood’s arrival brings back memories of Catherine when Lockwood reads her diary. He sees Heathcliff crying for her to be back on the window. While Heathcliff seems to be inflicting harsh punishment on everyone, it also appears he has punished himself the most and inside he is a romantic hero who has just been subjected to more pain than he deserved. Catherine in Wuthering heights
Catherine is the heroine of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. As a kid she has been a naughty and defiant creature who never follows what she is told. Her father remained worried and irritated at her behaviour. However, he could never do anything to prevent her out of his love for her and Heathcliff. She had Heathcliff grew up together and both were ill treated by Hindley after Mr Earnshaw’s death. However, once she has grown up things change a lot in her life. She decides to marry Edgar Linton and that brings the biggest change in her life. She wants social status and Heathcliff could not afford it. Linton can afford the social status but cannot afford the same love as Heathcliff. This keeps he divided between the two. Heathcliff longs for her and even after her death, wants her back. Her life is full of contradictions and irony and never a thing happens in it as per expectations. While Wuthering Heights is quite gloomy and its settings and events macabre, the novel still has engaging characters. Despite her difficult and unpredictable attitude, Catherine is an adorable character even after her death. |
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