“If we are wise enough to preserve the union we may for ages enjoy an advantage similar to that of an isolated situation. Europe is at a great distance from us. Her colonies in our vicinity will be likely to continue too much disproportioned in strength to be able to give us any dangerous annoyance. Extensive military establishments cannot, in this position, be necessary to our security.”

  Here is the crux of Hamilton’s argument in Federalist #8. America was isolated from the powers of the world, and if it could avoid war with itself it might avoid war (and the expenses of war) altogether. He reminds readers that war is costly and unprofitable. In this he is correct. He implies that adopting the Constitution would assure that no war between the states would ever occur. In this he was wrong. 

 Perhaps it would be fairer to claim this essay only says war between the states would be more likely if the states separated after 1788. We can’t argue with that. Surely union is the best way to preserve peace.

No, come to think of it, you can argue with it. During the late 1850s the Southern argument was that the only way to maintain peace was through disunion. The separate regions of the country were too different, and forcing them to live under one political regime was antagonistic. Voices in the north agreed to “Let the erring sisters go.” And no small number of analysts and armchair historians today hold that Lincoln’s war could have been avoided if he had not pressed so hard to preserve the Union.

By insisting on a union of the existing 13 states, plus whatever new states would join according to the terms of the Constitution, Hamilton might be said to have created the conditions that led to the civil war.

The history of the United States has many great successes, and we are not here discussing whether the Union has been a good thing. We are only considering Hamilton’s promise in Federalist #8 that approving the Constitution would ensure peace among the states.

 Discuss:

•  Hamilton promises here that the Constitution will prevent civil war. The Constitution was adopted, and the Civil War still happened just 73 years later. How does this affect your opinion of Constitution?