Federalist No. 24 shows the lack of logic behind the arguments to prohibit the government from having a standing army. It is relatively unremarkable except that I was surprised to discover that the writing style differed so greatly from other papers by the same author. I was amused by the reference to advanced communication coming from the perspective of our information age.
The improvements in the art of navigation have, as to the facility of communication, rendered distant nations, in a great measure, neighbors.
Federalist No. 25 shows the wisdom of having a military under the control of the central government and the necessity of allowing for standing armies even in times of peace. More importantly, it illustrated the dangers that come form burdening a system of law and government with unnecessary or illogical regulations.
It was a fundamental maxim of the Lacedaemonian commonwealth, that the post of admiral should not be conferred twice on the same person. The Peloponnesian confederates, having suffered a severe defeat at sea from the Athenians, demanded Lysander, who had before served with success in that capacity, to command the combined fleets. The Lacedaemonians, to gratify their allies, and yet preserve the semblance of an adherence to their ancient institutions, had recourse to the flimsy subterfuge of investing Lysander with the real power of admiral, under the nominal title of vice-admiral.
Sadly, our government today has become a system that is almost defined as a burden of unnecessary or illogical regulations – just look at the tax codes.
Leave a Reply