The frequent appearance of the word ‘people’ accompanied by ‘government,’ ‘power,’ ‘united,’ ‘representation,’ and ‘liberty,’ appeals to the classic republican belief in popular sovereignty. Wilson also argued that the ‘people’ would ultimately decide the fate of the country because “supreme power…should be vested in the people….It is a power paramount to every constitution, inalienable in its nature, and indefinite in its extent” (Beeman 381). The federal government would seek to preserve order and regulation through peoples ‘representation.’ This would preserve order and secure the liberty of the larger republic. By highlighting words like ‘government,’ ‘power,’ ‘people,’ ‘union,’ and ‘representation,’ the content of Wilson’s speech is clearly a persuasive case for the necessity of a federal government that would strengthen and protect their budding nation. His speech includes the most important ideals set forth in the Federalist papers, focusing largely on the benefits of a union between the states, the illness with the current confederation and the effectiveness of a centralized federal government. The national debates between the Federalist and Antifederalists occurred between September 17, 1787, and when Rhode Island became the thirteenth and final state to ratify the Constitution.įederalist, James Wilson’s Speech to the Pennsylvania Convention on Novemset the tone for the debates, not only for the remainder of the convention but for the entirety of the constitution’s ratification.
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