Yes, the slavemasters were the worst kind of statists because they wanted to use the brute force of government to enforce human slavery.
All of the Founding Fathers, including George Washington, believed the Union to be perpetual. They did not favor a “vastly more powerful central government.” The Federal government was comparatively tiny until the 20th century.
BTW, the term “State’s Rights” was not much used until the segregation controversy of the 1950’s. The slavemasters were certainly not in favor of states rights. In fact, they wanted to forbid the states from outlawing slavery.
“Yes, the slavemasters were the worst kind of statists because they wanted to use the brute force of government to enforce human slavery.”
Evidently you have your own personal definition of ‘statist’ to suit your argument.
So, are you consistent enough to condemn George Washington as a statist? Two years before his death he tried to recover his slaves, Oney Judge and Hercules, who had run away while Washington was at the President’s House in Philadelphia.
“All of the Founding Fathers, including George Washington, believed the Union to be perpetual. “
Of course Founding Fathers such as Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Richard Henry Lee and the rest of the Anti Federalists didn’t believe any such thing. Their argument against ratification and consolidated government warned that it would destroy state sovereignty and lead to the destruction of freedom. And nothing in the Constitution states that the union is perpetual.
“BTW, the term “State’s Rights” was not much used until the segregation controversy of the 1950’s”
Which is a comment without merit since the philosophy of State’s Rights goes go back to the founding generation. The Virginia and Kentucky Resolves of 1798 penned by Madison and Jefferson are classic arguments in favor of state’s rights. The Nullification/ Tariff of Abominations controversy of 1832 was based in state’s rights. And John Calhoun’s defense of states rights beginning in 1840 played a major role in leading to secession. Claiming that the idea of State’s Rights wasn’t significant until 1950... you need to study more.