SELECTIONS FROM FEDERALIST EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY WILLIAM BENNETT MUNRO PROFESSOR OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT CAMBRIDGE HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1914 PREFACE Too little use has been made of The Federalist as a means of affording instruction both in the foundations of American government and in the principles of English composition. In clearness both of thought and expression these letters of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay are not surpassed in the whole range of American political literature. In order that some of them may be more conveniently used in the training of young men for clear-headed citizenship, this volume of selections has been arranged. For several years the editor has been using The Federalist in his class-room. Students have made their approach to the study of federal government through its pages. On the whole the results have been very satisfactory, although some of the letters have proved much better than others as starting-points for class-room discussion. In determining what should go into the present volume and what should not, this experience has been the sole guide. It happens, however, that all the selections have come from among the first fifty of the original letters. The text of The Federalist from which these selections have been taken is that of the first collected edition, published by McLean (New York, 1788). It differs only in some minor matters of form from the texts of the original letters printed in the newspapers of that year and the year before, and is said to have received the benefit of Madison's revision in preparation for the press. The importance of ii 291495 using the original text is obvious in the case of articles written for such a special and immediate purpose; yet most editors have followed either the revised text of 1802, or the amended "original text" which Dawson prepared for his edition of 1863. The only foot-notes included in the present Selections are those which appeared in the edition of 1788, and which were put there by the authors themselves. W.B.M. (b) The Lack of Power to Compel Obedience (Article 21) (c) The Lack of Power to Regulate Commerce (Article 22) IV. Difficulties Encountered in Framing the New Constitution (a) Inherent Difficulties of the Undertaking (Article 37) (b) Differences of Opinion concerning Details (Article 38) V. The Conformity of the New Constitution to Republican Prin- ciples. Establishes a Government both Republican and Federal (Article 39) |