Federalist #85

Concluding Remarks (Hamilton)

In the final Federalist paper, Hamilton again takes up the position that many of the critics of the Constitution are hypocrites since they point out defects in the Constitution that not only exist under the Articles but also their respective state governments. Hamilton then asserts that it is wrong to demand of something new that you do not demand of the old thing. 

Hamilton concludes that arguing that the previous papers, en masse, have done a good job of addressing the concerns that people have with the proposed Constitution. He dismisses the argument that the country should wait to ratify the Constitution until it is perfect. Hamilton writes that the imperfect nature of man makes the creation of a perfect government impossible. Next, he asserts that the urgent nature of the times demand prompt ratification due to the failures of the Articles of Confederation.