Convention of North Carolina assembles 596 Refuses to ratify the Constitution 597 Elements of the Opposition in Rhode Island 598 Local Parties in the State 599 Town and Country divided 600 Spirit of a Majority of the People 600, 601 They reject the Constitution 602 Embarrassing Position of the Union 603 Conclusion 604 APPENDIX. Constitution of the United States of America 607 Articles in Addition to, and Amendment of, the Constitution of the United States of America 619 INDEX 633 BOOK IV. FORMATION OF THE CONSTITUTION. CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS.--ORGANIZATION OF THE CONVENTION.--POSITION OF THE STATES.--RULE OF INVESTIGATION. After long wanderings through the struggles, the errors, and the disappointments of the earlier years of our constitutional history, I now come to consider that memorable assembly to which they ultimately led, in order to describe the character of an era that offered the promise of a more vigorous nationality, and presented the alternative of final dissolution. How the people of the United States were enabled to seize the happy choice of one of these results, and to escape the disasters of the other, is to be learned by examining the mode in which the Constitution of the United States was framed. In approaching this interesting topic, I am naturally anxious to place myself at once on a right understanding with the reader,--to apprise him of the purpose of the discussions to which he is invited, and to guard against expectations which might be entertained, but which will not be fulfilled.