Beschreibung:

THE FEDERALIST PAPERS – [HAMILTON, Alexander (1739-1802), James MADISON (1751-1836) and John JAY (1745-1829).] The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, as Agreed Upon by the Federal Convention, September 17, 1787 . New York: John and Andrew M'Lean, 1788.
THE FEDERALIST PAPERS – [HAMILTON, Alexander (1739-1802), James MADISON (1751-1836) and John JAY (1745-1829).] The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, as Agreed Upon by the Federal Convention, September 17, 1787 . New York: John and Andrew M'Lean, 1788. 2 volumes in one, 12° (166 x 100mm). (Without initial blanks, title repaired at inner margin, last leaf with short tear in inner margin, tear without loss in leaf T1 of vol. II, light browning in the top margin of the first few leaves, occasional minor marginal spotting.) Contemporary sheep (worn, boards detached, spine defective, text block split near beginning of volume II, front flyleaves detached and with some edge wear). Provenance : [John] Guillemard (title signature). FIRST EDITION. ‘A CLASSIC EXPOSITION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT’ (Bernstein), and ‘one of the new nation's most important contributions to the theory of government’ ( PMM ). The Federalist collects all 85 of the seminal essays in defence of the newly drafted Constitution published under the pseudonym ‘Publius’ in various New York newspapers. Together these constitute ‘the most thorough and brilliant explication of the Federal Constitution (or any other constitution) ever written’ (Smith). The complete text of the Constitution is also included, headed ‘Articles of the New Constitution’, with the accompanying resolutions of the Constitutional Convention. Essays 78 to 85 appear here for the first time, and were subsequently published in newspapers to coincide with the New York State ratification convention in Albany. The Federalist Papers grew out of the heated pamphlet wars engendered by the tumultuous debate over ratification of the Constitution. Concerned that the state of New York might refuse to ratify, Alexander Hamilton enlisted John Jay and James Madison to collaborate on a series of interpretive essays supporting the new plan of government and refuting point by point the objections of its detractors. Due to Jay's illness and Madison's return to Virginia, the bulk of the 85 essays, in the end, were written by Hamilton. ‘Hamilton wrote the first piece in October 1787 on a sloop returning from Albany... He finished many pieces while the printer waited in a hall for the completed copy’ (Brookhiser). 'Despite the hurried pace at which they worked – they ground out four articles nearly every week – what began as a propaganda tract, aimed only at winning the election for delegates to New York's state ratifying convention, evolved into the classic commentary upon the American Federal system’ (McDonald). Washington, the former President of the Constitutional Convention, precisely spelled out the work's importance when he wrote that The Federalist ‘will merit the Notice of Posterity; because in it are candidly and ably discussed the principles of freedom and the topics of government, which will always be interesting to mankind’. John Guillemard was the brother-in-law of Davies Giddy, Humphry Davy's early patron, and gifted 160 volumes of books relating to America to the Royal Institution. Bernstein, Are We to be a Nation? The Making of the Constitution , p.242; Brookhiser, Alexander Hamilton: American , pp.68-69; Church 1230; Evans 21127; Grolier/ American 19; PMM 234; McDonald, Alexander Hamilton , p.107; Sabin 23979; Smith, The Constitution: A Documentary and Narrative History , pp.263-264.