16, titled "The Same Subject Continued: The Insufficiency of the Present Confederation to Preserve the Union", is an essay by Alexander Hamilton.

The entire collection of papers was written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.

According to James Madison, "the immediate object of them was to vindicate and recommend the new Constitution to the State of [New York] whose ratification of the instrument, was doubtful, as well as important".

However, people feared a strong national government would gain too much power, and in turn, become tyrannical like the British Monarchy.

He does this by explaining that the purpose of the government is to create laws and decisions that protect the safety and tranquility of the people and the Union.

[2][better source needed] With the new constitution and a strong federal government, Hamilton states that the confederacy will be able to achieve the best possible outcome.

Eventually if Federal laws only compelled States to compliance and the only remedy to non-compliance was force, then "the first war of this kind would probably terminate in a dissolution of the Union".