Saturday we celebrated “Constitution Day”, the day (September 17, 1787) when the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the final document and sent it off to the states for ratification.
There are, of course, a million ways to interpret the meaning of this day. But amidst such a dispiriting presidential election—one with two candidates so manifestly unbecoming of the presidential office that it has left many Americans despairing of our very system of government—I thought it appropriate to recall James Madison’s speech at the Convention from June 6.
Democracy in America, at this point in time, seemed to be failing on multiple fronts. The state governments were trampling on individual rights and the public interest in their own states. They were also confounding the Confederation Congress’s mandate to provide for the general welfare of the nation.
And so Madison was compelled to ask, “Was it to be supposed that republican liberty could long exist under the abuses of it practised in some of the States?” There were reasons to be doubtful. The experiences in the states had been mere repetitions of the travails of ancient governments, leading Madison to conclude that “In all cases where a majority are united by a common interest or passion, the rights of the minority are in danger.” There seemed to be nothing in human nature of man to restrain the majority—conscience, religion, and public spiritedness were all insufficient.
In the summer of 1787, it was painfully apparent that republican government contained within it the seeds of its own destruction. The principle of majority rule was both essential to and destructive of republican government. What, then, should be done? Should the country abandon its experiment, and return to monarchy? No—quite the opposite, said Madison. The experiment should, rather, be expanded:
This, for me, is the essence of the Revolution of 1787. How to solve the problem of republicanism? More republicanism. Far from running from the ideal of self-government, the people must embrace it more fully.
We should, therefore, not despair of the choice at hand in this election. It is easy to do so, but the Founders faced greater challenges than we do today. They remained faithful to their principles, and “it is incumbent on us“ to do likewise. When this election is over—in just over seven short weeks—conservatives will have enormous work into do. We should face the challenges with vigor and, like Madison, with confidence that republican government can be made to work.
