Madison on the "General Welfare" of America: His Consistent Constitutional Vision

The Cato Journal ^ | Robert A. Levy

[sourcery]

sourcery says: "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle, and quick to anger!"

Veto of federal public works bill The "General Welfare" Clause. What Does It Really Mean? The Commerce Clause: Route to Omnipotent Government The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions Original Understanding of the Commerce Clause THE EVOLVING POLICE POWER: SOME OBSERVATIONS FOR A NEW CENTURY LOCATING THE BOUNDARIES: THE SCOPE OF CONGRESS'S POWER TO REGULATE COMMERCE

[jimkress]

Argh! The limitations of human intellect are eventually injurious to all mankind.

[sourcery]

"Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle, and quick to anger!"

Summoning the usual suspects...

[SAJ]

Mr. Madison has, particularly recently, given the inexcusable non-teaching of U.S. history in government ''skools'', never received his due recognition as one of the 3 or 4 greatest figures of this republic.

Never mind his brilliance in his authorship of the bulk of the Constitution -- he was a principled and determined President who guided the nation through some of America's most difficult days, particularly when the New England states treated willfully with America's stated enemy, and argued aloud about secession (how oddly familiar these days, eh?)

[philman_36]

Thank you very much for the flag. Articles such as this are sadly lacking these days.

[philman_36]

Given the conversation of yesterday the two of you may find these articles interesting.
Note destructor in many of these where my premise is made about the preamble, most especially in The "General Welfare" Clause. What Does It Really Mean?.
The preamble is not a delegation of power to the federal government. It is simply a stated purpose.

[sultan88]

ping

[jmc813]

WOD Ping

[PhilipFreneau]

Years after the Federalist Papers, Madison used his seat in the House of Representatives to combat abuse of the general welfare term, as in this argument of 1792: "It would be absurd to say, first, that Congress may do what they please, and then that they may do this or that particular thing. After giving Congress power to raise money and apply it to all purposes which they may pronounce necessary to the general welfare, it would be absurd, to say the least, to superadd a power to raise armies, to provide fleets, etc."

Further, Madison stated the "general welfare" term came from the Articles of Confederation, and, "it was always considered [in the Articles of Confederation] as clear and certain that the old Congress was limited to the enumerated powers, and that the enumeration limited and explained the general terms."

Madison warned, "If Congress can apply money indefinitely on the general welfare, and are the sole and supreme judges of the general welfare, they may take the care of religion into their own hands, they may establish teachers in every state, county, and parish, and pay them out of the public treasury; they may take into their own hands the education of children, establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may undertake the regulation of all roads other than post roads. In short, everything, from the highest object of state legislation down to the most minute object of police, would be thrown under the power of Congress."

Madison and Jefferson owned a newspaper called the National Gazette. In 1792, the Editor, Philip Freneau, wrote a satire on usurpation containing these words: "... in order to render success the more certain, it will be of special moment to give the most plausible and popular name that can be found to the power that is to be usurped. It may be called, for example, a power for the common safety or the public good, or, "the general welfare" . . . If the people should not be too much enlightened, the name will have a most imposing effect. It will escape attention that it means, in fact, the same thing with a power to do anything the government pleases "in all cases whatsoever." To oppose the power may consequently seem to be ignorant, and be called by the artful, opposing the "general welfare," and may be cried down under that deception."

[HenryLeeII]

A Good Ol' Virginny bump to the top for later digestion and ingestion. Thanks...

[Bigun]

B U M P ! ! !

[Tauzero]

bttt

[Hemingway's Ghost]

everything, from the highest object of state legislation down to the most minute object of police, would be thrown under the power of Congress.

EXACTLY. Why enumerate anything if you can do everything? Why don't many conservatives hold with this?

[philman_36]

14 replies and little discussion whatsoever...what a pity.
I'll apologize for my fellow denizens of FR for such a poor showing on your superlative thread. Perhaps it was well read with nothing further needing to be said.
Even a BUMP would've been nice to see though.

And everyone wonders why this nation is in such dire political straits.

[sourcery]

sourcery says: "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle, and quick to anger!"

Those who agree with Madison would have little reason to post anything other than some variation of "I agree." Those who disagree are free to ignore the Madisonites, since their point of view is so fully entrenched and institutionalized.

[tpaine]

14 replies and little discussion whatsoever...what a pity.

I'll apologize for my fellow denizens of FR for such a poor showing on your superlative thread. Perhaps it was well read with nothing further needing to be said.
Even a BUMP would've been nice to see though.
And everyone wonders why this nation is in such dire political straits.
15 -phil-

---

What we have here on FR is a "failure to communicate". [sarcastic Ho ho.]

-- Many here give lip service to individual rights, while backing the current politically correct view that the feds's & states can 'regulate' [read prohibit] any type of property or any form of behavior, -- by decree..

Even some of those here that talk of 'CWII' over gun issues don't realize that this problem extends far beyond our RKBA's..

Both political parties are advancing their own different agendas in this 'war' on our individual rights to life, liberty & property.

"It is time", - time to put a stop to this type of sedition.

[sourcery]

sourcery says: "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle, and quick to anger!"

The time to put a stop to corruption of the Constitution was upon us as soon as the Supreme issued its ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland, 17 U.S. 316 (1819).

[tpaine]

The Logic of Constitutional Republican Government
Address:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1016395/posts

[Ditto]

Bump for later review.