In his first essay, Brutus considered whether or not the thirteen states should be reduced to one republic as the Federalists proposed. After examining various clauses in the Constitution, he determined that this would essentially create a federal government that will “possess absolute and uncontrollable power…” Brutus pointed to the Necessary and Proper Clause (3.8.18) and the Supremacy Clause (6.2.0) as sources of immense power conferred upon the federal government by the Constitution.