Today in Supreme Court History: June 18, 1787

6/18/1787: Alexander Hamilton introduces his plan to the Constitutional Convention.

Alexander Hamilton

Comments

[DaivdBehar]

That constitution caused the Civil War by not ending slavery.

[Dan Schiavetta]

Hamilton, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly erupted with a six-hour speech advocating government by aristocrats elected for life, with the President being given all but dictatorial powers. He made no attempt beforehand to line up support for his plan. Some might say the speech was a strategic move to make Madison's plan for a strong central government more palatable, but in fact it had no effect on the progress of debate.

Hamilton was so opposed to what was going on that he later walked out of the Convention. He came back when delegates were cleaning up the details but the other New York delegates had also left by then, and without a quorum of his own delegation he couldn't vote.

This is what people should keep in mind when reading Hamilton's "Federalist Papers" contributions. He was trying to resurrect as much of that six-hour speech as possible.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Researching the Whiskey Rebellion persuaded me that Hamilton has won and Jefferson has lost.