COMMENTARIES, 27 OCTOBER 1787

Publius: The Federalist 1
New York Independent Journal, 27 October 17871
PURPOSE AND AUTHORSHIP
The Federalist, a series of eighty-five essays signed by "Publius," was written
by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. Addressed to the "Peo-
ple of the State of New-York," these essays first appeared in New York City
between 27 October 1787 and 28 May 1788. The purpose of the series, declared
Hamilton in the first number, was to show the necessity of the "UNION," the
weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, and the nature and benefits of
the Constitution. The essays were also intended to answer the objections raised
to the Constitution.
Whether or not Hamilton or Jay originated the idea for the series is uncer-
tain, but they asked others to be their collaborators. Gouverneur Morris of
Pennsylvania, the most frequent speaker in the Constitutional Convention and
the delegate most responsible for putting the Constitution into its final form,
turned them down. Hamilton's close friend William Duer was asked and wrote
four brief essays, signed "Philo-Publius," that did not become part of the series.
(See "Philo-Publius" I, Daily Advertiser, 30 October, below.) James Madison was
then asked and he agreed to participate, publishing his first essay (No. 10) on
22 November. Due to illness, Jay dropped out after publishing number 5 on
10 November, although he contributed one more essay (No. 64) in March
1788. Perhaps in response to the loss of Jay, Madison recommended Rufus
King to Hamilton, but Hamilton did not think that King's talents were "as
altogether of the sort required for the task in view." (For a fuller discussion
of the choice of authors, see CC:Vol. 1, pp. 486-87.)
About three decades after the essays were printed, James Madison described
the manner in which The Federalist essays were written and published, and to
what extent the authors were responsible for each other's work. He stated that
the essays "were written most of them in great haste, and without any pr-eise
special allotment of the different parts of the subject to the several writers. J. M.
being at the time a member of the then Congress, and A. H. being also a
member, and occupied moreover in his profession at the bar, it was understood
that each was to write as their respective situations permitted, preserving as
much as possible an order & connection in the papers successively published.
This will account for arty deficiencys in that respect, and also for an occasional
repetition of the views taken of particular branches of the subject. The haste
with which many of the papers were penned, in order to get thro' the subject
whilst the Constitution was before the public, and to comply with the arrange-
ment by which the printer was to keep his newspaper open for four numbers
every week, was such that the performance must have borne a very different
aspect, without the aid of historical and other notes which had been used in
the Convention, and without the familiarity with the whole subject produced
by the discussions there. It frequently happened that whilst the printer was
putting into type parts of a number, the following parts were under the pen,
& to be furnished in time for the press.
"In the beginning it was the practice, of the writers, of A. H. & J. M par-
ticularly to communicate each to the other, their respective papers before they

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