can someone interpret hamilton's quote for me- i read it online and i don't really understand it fully
I go further, and affirm that bills of rights, in the sense and to the extent in which they are contended for, are not only unnecessary in the proposed Constitution, but would even be dangerous. They would contain various exceptions to powers not granted; and, on this very account, would afford a colorable pretext to claim more than were granted. For why declare that things shall not be done which there is no power to do? Why, for instance, should it be said that the liberty of the press shall not be restrained, when no power is given by which restrictions may be imposed? I will not contend that such a provision would confer a regulating power; but it is evident that it would furnish, to men disposed to usurp, a plausible pretense for claiming that power. They might urge with a semblance of reason, that the Constitution ought not to be charged with the absurdity of providing against the abuse of an authority which was not given, and that the provision against restraining the liberty of the press afforded a clear implication, that a power to prescribe proper regulations concerning it was intended to be vested in the national government. This may serve as a specimen of the numerous handles which would be given to the doctrine of constructive powers, by the indulgence of an injudicious zeal for bills of rights.
What do you understand about this quote? After you tell us what you think, we'll be glad to help you with the parts you don't understand.
well, I get that he felt a bill of rights wasn't needed but i don't understand why..
Consider these parts --
contain various exceptions to powers not granted;
why declare that things shall not be done which there is no power to do? Why, for instance, should it be said that the liberty of the press shall not be restrained, when no power is given by which restrictions may be imposed?
it would furnish, to men disposed to usurp, a plausible pretense for claiming that power.
In short, he seemed to believe that a Bill of Rights implies government powers that are not granted in the Constitution.
In this quote, Alexander Hamilton is expressing his opposition to the inclusion of a bill of rights in the proposed Constitution. He argues that bills of rights are unnecessary and can even be dangerous.
Hamilton first states that bills of rights would contain exceptions to powers that are not granted by the Constitution. This means that they would list specific rights or freedoms that the government cannot infringe upon, even if those rights are not explicitly granted to the government in the Constitution. Hamilton argues that including these exceptions could provide a pretext for individuals or groups to claim powers beyond what is actually granted to them.
Hamilton uses the example of the liberty of the press. He asks why it should be necessary to state in a bill of rights that the government cannot restrict the freedom of the press, when there is no provision or power in the Constitution that allows the government to do so. He acknowledges that including such a provision would not actually give the government the power to regulate the press, but it could create an opportunity for those who seek to seize power to argue that the government should have that authority.
In other words, Hamilton believes that by including specific rights in a bill of rights, the Constitution could be interpreted to imply that the government has other powers beyond those explicitly granted. This, according to Hamilton, would give rise to a doctrine of "constructive powers," where the government claims powers based on implications or interpretations, rather than explicit grants in the Constitution.
Hamilton warns against the dangers of allowing such a doctrine to exist, arguing that it would enable those with a desire to usurp power to exploit the loopholes provided by a bill of rights. He suggests that the Constitution should not be burdened with provisions that guard against the abuse of authority that was not given in the first place.
Overall, Hamilton's quote reflects his belief that bills of rights are unnecessary because they could potentially create more harm than good by providing opportunities for the expansion of government power beyond what is explicitly granted in the Constitution.