James Madison as a founder of America

Alexander Genis: America is preparing to celebrate its birthday - Independence Day, July 4. This holiday, which traditionally opens up, has a special one, I would say a lazy, country character. This is the day of the barbecue, pool, salute. But - and ceremonial, often costume processions. However, the main and indispensable detail of the festivities is a star-striped flag, which is supposed to hang everywhere on this day. The Americans treat their flag with pride, considering it beautiful and unusual. So it is. In the Pentagon Museum (as a fundamentally civilian person I love military museums), the very first flags of the novice country are exhibited. One, for example, portrayed a rattling snake, from whose mouth the words flew out: "Try to come."

Compared to this, a somewhat paranoid banner, a tricolor banner with 13th - in terms of the first colonies - in strips and 50 - in the number of states - the stars looks symbolic and elegant.

Another, and, of course, the main relic of America is rightly considered the country's constitution - undoubtedly the most ingenious document in the history of democracy. The leading role in its compilation was played by one of the most sober and farsighted founders of America, which is remembered less often than should. The more attention, especially on the eve of independence, deserves the new biography of James Madison.

Marina Efimova: The new biography of James Madison, the fourth American president, was published in Viking Publishing House. The book was written by historian Linn Cheney and called it “James Madison. Reviewed biography. " John Kennedy called President Madison (one of the main authors of the American Constitution and the author of Bill of Rights). And Linn Cheney set himself the task of correcting the mistake of history:

Announcer: “Madison is remembered (if they remember at all) not as a brilliant thinker and politics, but as an inconspicuous and poor health of the theoretician, not even suitable even for the tasks of everyday life, not to mention the complex and harsh world of politics. It's time to squeeze the web from this figure. James Madison was not only a skillful legislator, a firm politician and winner of England in the 1812 war, he was the organizer of the first political opposition in America, more precisely, the creator of the party, which opposed the political course of the government. "

Marina Efimova: And we note that the then political course was determined no more or less, like President George Washington and Minister of Finance Alexander Hamilton - two heroes of American history. Moreover, both became famous as warriors and as wise politicians. Hamilton is still considered the creator of the American financial system. Portraits of both can be found on American dollars. Why did James Madison rebelled against their politics?

Announcer: “In 1791, George Washington, despite the objections of Madison (then the leader of the House of Congress), signed the law that established the first national bank. Madison was not against the creation of the bank, but he was opposed to the Congress to manage money, that is, he was engaged in activities that the constitution did not give him the right. “If the Congress gives money and privileges at its discretion,” Madison said, speaking to the House of Representatives, “if Congress is the highest judge in the questions that it is good and what is bad for the general good, then the end to control the central government - from control over religion to control over children's education.”

Marina Efimova: Madison saw that the president and his ministers (especially influential Hamilton) themselves represent the party - a party of federalists with the idea of strengthening the central government as uniting power, designed to create a single state from disparate states. Washington’s authority was too unquestioned to decide on the opposition to his government, but when another federalist, John Adams, Madison, created the party of opponents of the central government, which was called democratic and republican. Its most influential members were other heroes and founding fathers: Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and Madison himself.

The author of the “revised” biography of Madison, historian Lynn Cheney, is an employee of the conservative research institute American Enterprise, the author of historical bestsellers and the wife of former vice president Dick Cheini. That is, it is difficult to find a person who is familiar with the modern political cuisine of the United States. Here's what she writes about the consequences of creating a second batch in America:

Announcer: “In our time, the party strife ruined the reputation of both our parties and turned away many citizens of America from participating in political activities. Who will have a desire to participate in the system, in which the leader of the majority of the democratic Senate publicly accuses opponents of anti -Americanism, and the republican leaders, criticizing the president, easily transferred to personalities? Everyone is desperate that party disagreements create monstrous congestion in the process of making important decisions of Congress. And I have to admit that it was James Madison who was the first creator of these traffic jams, although he hardly foresaw them. The institution of the opposition party in 1798 seemed to him the only way to avoid that one person - even Alexander Hamilton - interpreted the constitution. The consequences were far from unambiguous: the creation of the opposition party opened the era of the party struggle, which was even as cruel, evil and dirty as now. ”

Marina Efimova: Perhaps because the party struggle was Vnova, the first decades after the establishment of the opposition party were the most restless in the history of American domestic policy. With the help of hunting, to the sensations of journalists, the struggle of opinions quickly reached the personal destruction of the enemy. The fate of Alexander Hamilton is especially tragic. The campaign was launched by the scandalously famous journalist Callander, who betrayed Hamilton’s illegitimate connection, thereby destroying his political career. Another person frivolously published a private letter in which the offensive revelations made by Hamilton addressed to his political opponent Aaron Burra quoted. It came to a duel, on which Hamilton was killed. (This is brightly narrated by Roman Gor Vydala, well -known to Russian readers).

Madison himself suffered from a dirty party struggle. The ill -wishers let the gossip about his wife Dolly. (Recall that this wonderful woman became famous during the war with the British in 1812. The British were already a few miles from the empty and all the abandoned White House, when Dolly, with the help of the only servant, gathered and at the last moment took important government documents from the burning capital, the banner and huge portrait of George Washington). But 15 years before, the gossip attributed “sexual insaturation” to the cheerful and sociable Dolly, the reason for which was supposedly Madison, who could not make her a mother.

Mutual pouring mud was so out of control that in 1798 the congress issued a decree - t. SEDITION ACT, - read:

The announcer: “Writing and publishing fake, scandalous or evil accusations against government officials, members of Congress or the President (accusations aimed at slander them or discredit, to cause contempt and hatred from the population) will be considered a crime and be punished with a fine of up to 2000 dollars or imprisonment for up to two years.”

Marina Efimova: The president who signed this act was not anyone, but John Adams-one of the most famous and respected founding fathers of America. The act was adopted only for a two -year period - only to calm the revelry of newspaper slander and dirt. True, Adams himself did not have time to cancel the act. The following president - Thomas Jefferson - an opponent of such measures and a like -minded Madison, canceled the act. Cheney writes:

Announcer: “Since then we have been following the conviction of James Madison that we can express disagreement with the authorities, not being a traitor or a rebel. True, there are now Americans who are ready to criminalize political disagreement. But still in the country the belief prevails that this approach is incorrect. The party struggle can be offensive, evil and even worse. Believe me, I know this from personal experience. But she keeps us from turning into a country where there is no effective opposition at all - as in Russia. Of course, it would be nice to free ourselves from the worst manifestations of such a struggle, but this is hardly possible while we remain a republic. ”

Marina Efimova: I think that Russia is a convenient, but not entirely correct example. The stories of these two countries are incomparable, as incomparable and the experience of peoples. Russia has not known democracy since the time of the Novgorod Republic. As for James Madison, one cannot help but mention that having become the president, he radically changed his attitude to the role of the central government, quickly realizing that without broad government authority not to create a strong army. Fortunately, he realized this on time, which explains the victorious resistance of the United States to the English invasion of 1812-15.