implying lack of sympathy
with the political views which it embodied. With his main purpose, that
of effectually curbing the power of the majority, nearly all the members
of that body were in full accord. They were, however, shrewd
experienced men of affairs who understood the temper of the people and
knew that their plan of political reorganization could be carried
through only by disguising its reactionary character and representing it
as a democratic movement. To have submitted the Constitution in the form
in which it was proposed by Hamilton would have defeated their purpose.
It was too obviously undemocratic, inasmuch as it provided for a strong
centralized government only one branch of which was to be elected by the
people, while the other three were to be placed beyond the reach of
public opinion through indirect election and life tenure. The
Constitution as framed and submitted was more democratic in appearance,
though it really contained all that was essential in Hamilton's plan.
Life tenure for the President and Senate was discarded, it is true, but
indirect election was expected to ensure their independence. The
absolute veto on Federal and state legislation which Hamilton proposed
to give to a permanent executive was the most serious practical
objection to his scheme, since it showed too clearly the purpose of the
Convention to make the aristocratic element supreme not only in the
general government but in the states as well. In form and appearance the
Constitution merely gave the President a qualified negative on the acts
of Congress; but in reality the Convention went much farther than this
and conferred the absolute veto on federal and state legislation
contended for by Hamilton. The power was merely transferred from the
President in whose hands he had proposed to place it, and given to the
Supreme Court. The end which he had in view was thus attained without
arousing the opposition which would have been inevitable had there been
anything in the Constitution to indicate that such a power was intended
to be conferred.

These facts disclose the true motive for Hamilton's untiring efforts in
behalf of the Constitution. He desired its adoption, not because he
believed that it would make the will of the people supreme, as his above
quoted references to _principal_ and _agent_ and _master_ and _servant_
would seem to imply, but for the opposite reason that it would make the
government largely independent of pub