Brutus (Antifederalist)

Brutus was the pen name of an Antifederalist in a series of essays designed to encourage New Yorkers to reject the proposed Constitution. His series are considered among the best of those written to oppose adoption of the proposed constitution. They paralleled and confronted The Federalist Papers during the ratification fight over the Constitution. Brutus published 16 essays in the New-York Journal, and Weekly Register from October, 1787, through April, 1788, beginning shortly before The Federalist started appearing in New York newspapers. The essays were widely reprinted and commented on throughout the American states. All 16 of the essays were addressed to "the Citizens of the State of New York".

The author of the anti-federalist essay series was "Brutus," a pseudonym for the author. Brutus is believed by modern scholars to be the pen name of Melancton Smith of Poughkeepsie, New York (or a close associate of his), although there is some evidence that Brutus may have been John Williams of Salem, New York. The pen name is in honor of either Lucius Junius Brutus who led the overthrow of the last Roman King Tarquinius Superbus or else Marcus Junius Brutus, who was one of Julius Caesar's assassins.

One of the main objections to the Constitution argued by Brutus is the immense power of the federal government which requires the people to sacrifice their liberties. Like other Anti-Federalist writers, he argued that a bill of rights was necessary to protect the people from the government. He urged the people of New York not to ratify the Constitution and therefore give up powers to the government because "when the people once part with power, they can seldom or never resume it again but by force." In his view, Americans believe “that all men by nature are free” and the new Constitution requires them to give up too many rights which “counteracts the very end of government.” To alleviate this issue, a bill of rights that considers criminal rights, free elections, and freedom of press must be included.

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