Federalism, being the most powerful organization politically, wanted to minimize the powers of the central government. Federalists were mostly producers and businessmen. These included men such as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay. Anti federalists took to farming instead of business, such were people like George Mason. When the constitution was being brought to the fore, they were totally against it more so the omission of the bill of rights. The argument, though interesting and with a lot of heat besides revolving around how much power the central government should have went round and round. But with all these taking place eleven states approved the draft which contained a new system of government for the United States (George and Barber 144).
While federalists were serious putting down their writings and bringing together their efforts with an aim to ratify the constitution, many scholars and elites were questioning and raising opposition on the same. They were greatly fearful about the majority rights being unprotected. Commonly referred to as anti federalists, they perceived themselves as people who were patriotic with the same urge that commenced with revolution (Ball 42). Partially led by Thomas Jefferson, anti federalists were a wide variety of individuals. They stood their grounds that the constitution will allow too much authority to the federal government rather than to let states make sole decisions.
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Anti federalists considered shouldering act of being responsible on persons and not the kingdom and as such considered people as honest and decent. They felt that federalist image of government would result to dictatorship and greed for power. The head of state, they observed, would resemble the king they had done away with. In the same breath, they were interested about the affluent benefiting much more than the less fortunate just as the inequality among big and small states (Ball 43). Anti federalists observed that many people lost their lives owing to the war with England. Therefore, they saw the need for bill of rights which they fought hard to get during revolutionary. The federalists felt that individuals needed to be put under checks while anti federalists saw no need for that and this brought out the differences between these two. Federalists papers were put down fashionably while anti federalists saw no need for that and this saw them on the receiving end as the language used appeared bogus. From anti federalist perspective, failing to reach a consensus over which rights to be put under close watch was an idea against central authority and not against bill of rights. Therefore, if knowledge of political matters in the then thirteen states was differing that an agreement was far from being reached on common matters, there was no need for the two to have a common authority, anti federalists observed (George and Barber 150).
Other propositions from the federalists against having the bill of rights were by far not addressing the anti federalists needs because they were purely based on guess work that constitution were basically laws. One James Wilson observed that, the united state constitution gave little power to central government compared to state constitution. Central government would only get powers given and power to control speech among others. With bill of rights having powers exempted, it simply will mean that, central government has all powers. Instead of reducing power, bill of right would increase power on the central authority (George and Barber 151). As the expression of differences escalated, ant federalists had another view altogether. They argued that it’s not the authority alone to have power emanating from people instantly but individuals as well should put arrangement in place of bringing power together far from government. In short they observed that, central authority should be in such a way that its effectiveness would lie with their motivating the common people. In the same manner, anti federalists were urging to maintain and add more power on systems to allow individuals to boldly face the central government. They were totally against too much power on the central government. The society, they said, should give its power on credit to the authority in question without being seen as surrendering (George and Barber 152).
In the end, the anti federalists were for the idea that, the power for opposition must go hand in hand with authority power. The federalists on the other hand could no longer come into terms to such owing to the fact that theirs was to appear an outstanding power on the greater picture, the United States saw the need to come up with government that brought no havocs and that would regulate the country. All in all, the federalists appeared to have won, in their wish to form a government with power enough to demand respect from the one they had discarded (George and Barber 152).
The lesson we all seem to learn from federalists throws a challenge to look into affairs between central authority and its people in the perspective of powers as well as rights. The anti federalists assist our perception of putting issues in general and put straight what we feel should be addressed. Thus, the argument between federalists and ant federalist over what is to process a constitution brings to the fore what any intellect would address regarding citizens and power of the government in American constitution. Eventually, the constitution was reached upon through much deliberation, compromise and commitment.