Why Thomas Jefferson is rolling in his grave. (and Alexander Hamilton is happy about it)

Thomas Jefferson was a rebel amongst patriots. If he were alive today, he would probably be viewed as a terrorist. He is most notably known for saying that democracy was mob rule, were 51% of the population took captive the other 49. He also felt that George Washington abused the office of the President of the United States. John Adams created the Alien and Sedition Acts of the 1798 to contain him and his party of "radicals." He referred to the United States in the plural tense. (In a nut shell, take Abe Lincoln and multiple by negative one thats Thomas Jefferson) Yet, this man is revered, by many, as a true patriot.

His nemesis was Alexander Hamilton. Good ole' Alex is a little known man today. Go into any classroom in America's fine public school system and ask a child who he was. At best you might get that he created the Bank of the United States. This is true, but the scope of this man is far greater. He was one of the many writers of the Federalist papers, a good commentary on true Constitutional law. He is best known for being a monarchist. Yes, a monarchist. He wanted the English government to be transplanted directly into the United States (with a King and Parliament). He also wanted the elimination of states completely. While great statesmen in New York, North Carolina and Virginia were a bit weary about forming a federal government, he wanted a national government (yes these are different). He is the man who struck fear in the eyes Patrick Henry, a small government patron and anti-Constitution advocate. He is best known for forming the Bank of the United States. This is the original feds. He also created the Federal Courts, an organization that was reported to the states never to be chartered unless it was needed. The Constitution was up to loose interpretation according to Alex. He is the ACLU champion.

Thomas Jefferson understood the Constitution a tad bit better than Alex. He understood that the power was in the states hand. According the law, there is always a sovereign. According to the Constitution, the sovereign is the States. That means that Georgia's, Florida's, and California's independent State government is more powerful than the federal. In todays minds, its hard to understand, but if you look at early American documents, such as the Treaty of Paris, it address each state individually. Effectively, the United States was kinda like a European Union. If Alabama wanted to declare Christianity the State religion, it could. It never says in the Constitution that Alabama couldn't. This is the government the United State was suppose to become.

Sadly, Alex got in the way. He became the chief adviser to two presidents, Washington and Adams. Each of these presidents strengthen the Federal Government. Moving the United States from being an alliance of 13 independent countries, to one country.

This was not want any of these states signed on for. Kentucky and Virginia signed resolutions against this destruction of the very thing they were told would protect there civil liberty of states rights. However this kind of conflict is to easily swayed.

It took a Civil War to end the madness. We all know what happened. Now we live in a new world order, were the founding fathers, for the exception of good ole' Alex, would be plotting a revolution, to end the tyranny that is the Federal Government (which really isn't a Federal Government any more, but a national government).

Things to Read:
The US Constitution
The Federalist
The Anti-Federalist
The Kentucky Resolutions
The Virginia Resolutions