The Journal of the Debates in the Convention which Framed the Constitution of the United States, May-September 1787. Volume 1Madison, James
History
The Journal of the Debates in the Convention which Framed the Constitution of the United States, May-September 1787. Volume 1
Madison, James
Constitutional law -- United States; Constitutions -- United States; United States. Constitution
M^r Hamilton. He did not mean to enter particularly into the subject. He
concurred with M^r Madison in thinking we were now to decide forever the
fate of Republican Government; and that if we did not give to that form
due stability and wisdom, it would be disgraced & lost among ourselves,
disgraced & lost to mankind forever. He acknowledged himself not to
think favorably of Republican Government; but addressed his remarks to
those who did think favorably of it, in order to prevail on them to tone
their Government as high as possible. He professed himself to be as
zealous an advocate for liberty as any man whatever, and trusted he
should be as willing a martyr to it though he differed as to the form in
which it was most eligible.--He concurred also in the general
observations of (M^r Madison) on the subject, which might be supported
by others if it were necessary. It was certainly true that nothing like
an equality of property existed; that an inequality would exist as long
as liberty existed, and that it would unavoidably result from that very
liberty itself. This inequality of property constituted the great &
fundamental distinction in Society. When the Tribunitial power had
levelled the boundary between the _patricians_ & _plebeians_, what
followed? The distinction between rich & poor was substituted. He meant
not however to enlarge on the subject. He rose principally to remark
that (M^r Sherman) seemed not to recollect that one branch of the
proposed Gov^t was so formed, as to render it particularly the guardians
of the poorer orders of Citizens; nor to have adverted to the true
causes of the stability which had been exemplified in Con^t. Under the
British system as well as the federal, many of the great powers
appertaining to Gov^t particularly all those relating to foreign Nations
were not in the hands of the Gov^t there. Their internal affairs also
were extremely simple, owing to sundry causes many of which were
peculiar to that Country. Of late the Governm^t had entirely given way
to the people, and had in fact suspended many of its ordinary functions
in order to prevent those turbulent scenes which had appeared elsewhere.
He asks M^r S. whether the State at this time dare impose & collect a
tax on y^e people? To these causes & not to the frequency of elections,
the effect as far as it existed ought to be chiefly ascribed.
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