Pierce Butler of South Carolina favored the Executive office as best suited to make war. 4īy August, the framers had yet to decide where to vest the country’s war powers. Other delegates, including John Rutledge of South Carolina, James Wilson of Pennsylvania, and James Madison of Virginia agreed, concluding that the powers of war and peace were best reserved for the national legislature. But to give the office war-making powers would turn the President into an elected monarch, Pinkney argued. 3 Then in early June, 1787, Charles Pinkney of South Carolina argued for “a vigorous Executive,” reopening the war powers issue. Initially, delegates to the Constitutional Convention discussed America’s war powers in general terms, briefly mentioning the “common defence, security of liberty and general welfare” of the country’s citizens. House of RepresentativesĪbout this object James Madison was an integral part of the constitutional framing of the House. tiles/non-collection/i/i_origins_biennal_elections_madison_hc.xml Collection of the U.S. This, our Convention understood to be the most oppressive of all Kingly oppressions and they resolved to so frame the Constitution that no one man should hold the power of bringing this oppression upon us.” 2 Constitutional Framing “Kings had always been involving and impoverishing their people in wars, pretending generally, if not always, that the good of the people was the object. “The provision of the Constitution giving the war-making powers to Congress, was dictated, as I understand it, by the following reasons,” a young first-term Congressman named Abraham Lincoln wrote in 1848 during America’s War with Mexico. If America was going to survive as a republic, they reasoned, declarations of war required careful debate in open forums among the public’s representatives. The framers of the Constitution-reluctant to concentrate too much influence in the hands of too few-denied the office of the President the authority to go to war unilaterally. Constitution, Congress’ authority to declare war was revolutionary in its design, and a clear break from the past when a handful of European monarchs controlled the continent’s affairs. Constitution, Article I, section 8, clauses 11–16 Origins “To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress”
“To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions “To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces
“To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules conquering Captures on Land and Water Constitution, Article I, section 8, clause 1 provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States.” AugEdition for Educators – Congress in Wartime