THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE FEDERALIST 133
Virginia as an example in February and New York in July ? He might do so, of course, but there is a certain natural- ness in a Virginian taking the largest State — his own State — as the extreme example, even though addressing New Yorkers, while the most natural example for a New Yorker, as well as the most directly pertinent, would be New York.
Both Hamilton and Madison remarked upon the assistance that would be derived from State systems of taxation, etc. The writer of bQ says, after a similar remark: "A skiKul individual in his closet with all the local codes before him might compile a law on some subject of taxation for the whole Union," p. 352. Madison, in No. 37, refers to the lack in the Constitution of " the symmetry which an abstract view of the subject might lead an ingenious theorist to bestow on Constitution planned in his closet or in his imagination," p. 221. The writer of 53 (Madison?) says, "some portion of this knowledge may no doubt be acquired in a man's closet," p. 337. The closing paragraph of No. bQ cites the experience of Great Britain, " which presents to mankind so many polit- ical lessons, both of the monitory and exemplary kind" (p. 354). "Monitory" is almost a favorite word with Madison. I have noted the following instances : " Monitory examples," IH, 244; "monitory reflection," IV, 334; "In- structed by these monitory lessons," IV, 424; and, in The Federalist^ No. 20, p. 118, "this melancholy and monitory lesson of history." In referring to the experience of Great Britain the writer cites Burgh's Political Disquisitions, Madison was reading Burgh just about this time, for in his " Additional Memorandum for the Convention of Virginia in 1788, on the Federal Constitution," he quotes Burgh on the union between England and Scotland. ( Writings^ I, 392, note b.) I have met with no reference to Burgh in Hamilton's writings.
Number 57.
No. 57 deals with the charge that the " House of Repre- sentatives " will be taken from that class of citizens which
