What did the Federalists believe regarding the Bill of Rights?

The Federalists believed that a Bill of Rights was redundant and unnecessary because they argued that the Constitution, as it was originally drafted, already limited the powers of the federal government. They maintained that since the government could only exercise powers explicitly granted to it by the Constitution, there was no need for additional protections of individual rights. The Federalists contended that the government would not be able to infringe upon rights not delegated to it, hence a separate enumeration of rights would imply that any unlisted rights were not protected. This perspective was rooted in their broader philosophy of a strong central government that was necessary to maintain order and unity in the newly formed nation.

While some individuals and groups advocated for the inclusion of a Bill of Rights to explicitly safeguard individual freedoms and limit government power, the Federalists believed the existing constitutional framework was sufficient to address those concerns. This position was part of a larger debate during the ratification of the Constitution, which ultimately led to the adoption of the Bill of Rights as a compromise to appease the Anti-Federalists who were concerned about potential governmental overreach.