Saturday, March 27, 2004
The Federalist --
by guest poster James Madison
Federalist No. 10
The Same Subject Continued: The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection
November 23, 1787
Among the numerous advantages promised by a well-constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendancy to break and control the violence of faction [political parties] .... The valuable improvements made by the American constitutions on the popular models, both ancient and modern, cannot certainly be too much admired; but it would be an unwarrantable partiality to contend that they have as effectually obviated the danger on this side, as was wished and expected ...
There are again two methods of removing the causes of faction: the one, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence: the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests ...
It could never be more truly said than of the first remedy that it is worse than the disease. Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an ailment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be a less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourished faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency ...
The second expedient is as impracticable as the first would be unwise.
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by guest poster James Madison
Federalist No. 10
The Same Subject Continued: The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection
November 23, 1787
Among the numerous advantages promised by a well-constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendancy to break and control the violence of faction [political parties] .... The valuable improvements made by the American constitutions on the popular models, both ancient and modern, cannot certainly be too much admired; but it would be an unwarrantable partiality to contend that they have as effectually obviated the danger on this side, as was wished and expected ...
There are again two methods of removing the causes of faction: the one, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence: the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests ...
It could never be more truly said than of the first remedy that it is worse than the disease. Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an ailment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be a less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourished faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency ...
The second expedient is as impracticable as the first would be unwise.
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