[FLT-bird]

Patrick Henry in particular pointed out that there was no limit to the public welfare clause....that some could use it to bilk taxpayers to pay for just about anything. He was especially concerned about New England states leeching off of the wealthier Southern States.

Obviously he was 100% correct.

Another issue the Anti Federalists brought up (in addition to the lack of a bill of rights) was the lack of any limit on the government’s ability to borrow money. Again, they were right about that.

[central_va]

Secession is the utltimate exression of anti-federalism.

[Herakles]

The civil war was fight between Federal Rights and states rights Federal Rights won and now we see what the results are

[Rockingham]

Oh, here we go, an invitation to put on bow ties and tweed jackets and debate as Federalist versus Anti-Federalist. I get the love of history, especially American history. Really though, does it make sense to urge that "the concerns raised by the Anti-Federalists over 200 years ago appear more relevant than ever."

We can easily see where that logic goes, with Anti-Federalists secure in their bunker firing salvos at Federalists based on today's excesses of the federal government. A losing political dissent though from nearly two hundred and fifty years ago is not an alternative for today. No one but no one will be drawn to the conservative cause by such a display, nor does it help us toward solutions for today's woes.

[Jacquerie]

So why did the Constitutional Convention reject the federal New Jersey Plan of government?