Orrin Hatch: “in defending the Constitution and arguing for its ratification, Alexander Hamilton stated plainly in the first of the…”

“in defending the Constitution and arguing for its ratification, Alexander Hamilton stated plainly in the first of the Federalist Papers the challenge and the promise of American democracy. He explained: It has been frequently remarked that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force. The challenge identified by Hamilton and our Founding Fathers remains with us today. Will American citizens and will our political institutions maintain our Constitution and adhere to the rule of law or will we succumb to force and the whims of the moment? Will the law be supreme and will the Constitution endure or will politics prevail? This is a choice that Americans and public officials face every day. But some moments present this choice in bolder terms. And the legal challenge to the President's health care law is one of those moments that present a stark choice. Will we support the Constitution or will we throw in with the passing wishes of temporary majorities? That is the choice that we as Americans face and that the Supreme Court will face when it hears oral arguments on this case next week.…”