Federalist #24

The Powers Necessary to the Common Defense Further Considered  (Hamilton)

In Essay 24, Alexander Hamilton rebuffs the assertion that there is no provision for creating a standing military in times of peace. Hamilton argues that such a creation is rooted in the powers indebted to that of the legislature, not the executive, and this settlement, through periodic monetary review, would eliminate the establishment of a powerful military establishment. Hamilton also argues for such a creation based on the fact that European powers (Britain and Spain) lie at America’s doorstep and pose a risk at all times to the fledgling nation.

Hamilton opens with the overarching claim that while a couple state constitutions forbid the keeping of an army during peacetime, in no way do these documents lay out restrictions provided to the United States government. In fact, Hamilton continues, the remaining 11 constitutions “had either observed a profound silence on the subject, or had in express terms admitted the right of the Legislature to authorize their existence.” Hamilton continues that keeping the army under the close watch of the legislature, a body comprised of the people, who must undergo periodic election combined with the statute that no army can receive a budget no greater than two years, would greatly reduce the establishment of a powerful military order, and would virtually remove any interference from the executive branch. He ends this point with a common appeal that nothing should prevent this consideration from all people with a vested and loving interest for the nation because as he explains next, there are always threats at the frontier.

While America may be separated from Europe by the vast Atlantic, Hamilton lays out the argument that Britain and Spain’s colonial possessions abut the growing outer reaches of the United States on all sides. Their colonial holdings, alongside the location of a growing America, make these powers in sense common allies. As a result, in order to secure their interests in North America, they would be natural enemies to the United States, even in times of peace. For this reason alone, at least a small standing army would be required by the United States government to police the frontier. Hamilton adds that the increased efficiency of navigation and communication makes what would seemingly be far away threats actually existing in reality right next door at all times, and Americans should not be settled into a mindset of isolationism and complacency.

Hamilton concludes the essay with the previous need for the creation of a federal navy to protect marine interests and ensure continued commercial expansion for the nation. Hamilton adds that such a standing army can be used to protect the small and developing navy, its ships, dockyards, and materials against all threats at home, and this is yet one more reason for the creation of a full-time standing army, overseen by the legislature and with the ability to respond to bordering threats from Europeans and Native Americans alike.