 Alexander Hamilton, author of Federalist No. 9 | |
| Author | Alexander Hamilton |
|---|---|
| Original title | The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Federalist |
| Publisher | The Independent Journal |
Publication date | November 21, 1787 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Newspaper |
| Preceded by | Federalist No. 8 |
| Followed by | Federalist No. 10 |
| Text | Federalist No. 9 at Wikisource |
Federalist No. 9, titled "The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection", is a political essay by Alexander Hamilton and the ninth of The Federalist Papers. It was first published in the New York Daily Advertiser and the Independent Journal on November 21, 1787, under the pseudonym used for all Federalist Papers, Publius. The essay argues that large republics can achieve stability, and that they do not inevitably lead to tyranny as his opponents believe. It expressed ideas that became the foundation of Federalist No. 10, the most influential in the series.
Federalist No. 9 was a rebuttal to an anti-federalist argument based on the arguments of the political philosopher Montesquieu, which held that a republic as large as the United States would be unsustainable. Hamilton responded with other writings of Montesquieu, presenting the argument that a larger republic could exist as a confederation of states like the one proposed in the constitution. Hamilton distinguished a potential American republic from the failed republics of ancient Greece and Italy, arguing that insurrection from one state would be kept in check by the others, preventing tyranny from consuming the entire nation.