Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the fictitious Publius wrote a series of eighty-five papers. However, Hamilton, a statesman published the first article in the independent journal of October 1787. He used an emotionally charged word in describing the failure of the existing government. In this persuasive introductory writing, he called on the people of New York to deliberate on a proposed constitution and ratify the new constitution. Hamilton’s rhetoric was to sway the reader’s opinion and to elicit an emotional response to his argument, and for the readers to understand that the present constitution was inadequate for the existence of the union.
As such, it is important for the readers, not only to consider but to ratify the new constitution. Hamilton used many rhetorical techniques available to him to convince the reader in this essay. Hyperbole, cynicism, apophasis, logic, indignation, and confidence in delivery were his language strategies. He called on the people of New York to deliberate on a proposed constitution and ratify the new constitution.
Hamilton started his writing using a loaded language, after which he appealed to the value of the people of New York as he said, “you are called upon”. He asked a rhetorical question about the enactment of the constitution if it should emanate through “reflection and choice” or by “accident and force”? This technique was used to emphasize his point and to get the readers thinking as they deliberate and hopefully ratify the proposed constitution.
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After he recalled their value and made them ruminate on the need for the ratification of the proposed constitution, Hamilton appealed to their emotion by using hyperbole. He told his readers that the United States constitution was, “the most interesting in the world”, and that a wrong election based on their choice will be a “general misfortune of mankind”. This is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation to show the value and the importance of the American constitution over other constitutions which was unwarranted. Hamilton used this so that the reader can be patriotic in making the United States constitution more admirable by voting for the proposed constitution.
While Hamilton will be happy if the readers will vote for the new constitution, yet, he understood that some people will be antagonistic. He used cynicism rhetoric languages to denigrate the opposition. However, Hamilton was so satirical that he resulted to apophasis, “it is not my design…….nature”. This is an irony because he has already listed the obstacle to the constitution. This technique allowed Hamilton to denigrate the opposition and yet pretended that he never did. After he alienated the opposition, he raised the subject of “candor”. This is a general moral virtue of his argument, and to the reader that he was fair in his assessment of the opposition.
Hamilton was logical in his appeal for the new constitution when he asserted that, “we have already sufficient indication”, inductively he concluded that based on what has happened in the past the opposition will behave in certain ways. He went on to logically identified the road to despotism (“history will teach …….latter”). Hamilton used this technique because he based it on the evidence of what the opposition had done before and reasoning. Logical appeals are a presentation of relationships constructed such that the reader will find them hard to refute.
Hamilton was so concerned and passionate about a new constitution that he appealed to the indignation and the fear of his readers. He told them of the private whisperings to return to separate confederacies. Hamilton warned his readers by appealing to their fear that those who opposed the constitution are planning to scrap the state unions and resort to separate confederacies. An appeal to indignation is an appeal to emotion that argues against a position based only on negative feelings towards the opposition. An appeal to fear is a fallacy in which a person attempts to create support for an idea by attempting to increase fear towards an alternative. He used this to get the readers prepared for the things that are not likely to happen. Hamilton wanted his readers to be enraged and appalled and thereby do something about the issue, but his goal was to arouse their emotion to say yes to the newly proposed constitution.
Writer’s credibility is tantamount to the trust the readers have, and writers also exemplify their expertise and draw themselves as respectable. Hamilton did this by telling the readers to trust his opinion, “my convictions were based on the consciousness of good intentions and ……and in a spirit which will not disgrace the cause of truth”. Hamilton was so anticipatory of the opposition to the new constitution that he proposed to address satisfactorily all the objections to the new constitution. He established the fact that he was an authority in his field. He listed the topics he will discuss in his future essays to keep his readers anticipating and convinced to ratify the new constitution.
Finally, after he has reiterated his credibility and authority, Hamilton proved to his readers why they should trust him and vote for the new constitution. He promised to address the advantages of the union and the implications of its dissolution. He proved his confidence in delivery
In summary, Alexander Hamilton effectively employed many rhetorical techniques, including hyperbole, cynicism, apophasis, logic, indignation, and confidence in delivery to lure and persuade the people of New York to ratify the newly proposed constitution.
Reference
- Hamilton, Alexander, et al. “Federalist No. 1.” The Federalist Papers, 2009. doi:10.1057/9780230102019_2.
