if your american chief (president) be a man of ambition and abilities, how easy is it for him to render himself absolute (complete ruler)! the army is in his hands, and if he be a man of address, it will be attached to him, and it will be the subject of long mediation with him to seize the first auspicious (good) moment to accomplish his design."

the above quote reflects a fear on the part of anti-federalists that: a: the army will one day try to take over the nationb: the army will be too weak to defend the nationc: the president will have too little power to get anything doned: the president will be able to use the army for whatever he wishes