2. In speaking of the defects of the confederation he professed a high respect for its authors, and considered them as having done all that patriots could do, in the then infancy of the science, of constitutions, & of confederacies,--when the inefficiency of requisitions was unknown--no commercial discord had arisen among any States--no rebellion had appeared as in Mass^{ts}--foreign debts had not become urgent--the havoc of paper money had not been foreseen--treaties had not been violated--and perhaps nothing better could be obtained from the jealousy of the states with regard to their sovereignty. He then proceeded to enumerate the defects. 1. that the confederation produced no security against foreign invasion; congress not being permitted to prevent a war nor to support it by their own authority--Of this he cited many examples; most of which tended to shew, that they could not cause infractions of treaties or of the law of nations to be punished: that particular states might by their conduct provoke war without controul; and that neither militia nor draughts being fit for defence on such occasions, enlistments only could be successful, and these could not be executed without money. 2, that the foederal government could not check the quarrels between states, nor a rebellion in any, not having constitutional power nor means to interpose according to the exigency. 3, that there were many advantages, which the U. S. might acquire, which were not attainable under the confederation--such as a productive impost--counteraction of the commercial regulations of other nations--pushing of commerce ad libitum,--&c &c. 4, that the foederal government could not defend itself against encroachments from the states. 5, that it was not even paramount to the state constitutions, ratified as it was in many of the states. 3. He next reviewed the danger of our situation, appealed to the sense of the best friends of the U. S. the prospect of anarchy from the laxity of government every where; and to other considerations. 4. He then proceeded to the remedy; the basis of which he said must be the republican principle. He proposed as conformable to his ideas the following resolutions, which he explained one by one. 1. Resolved that the articles of Confederation ought to be so corrected & enlarged as to accomplish the objects proposed by their institution; namely, "common defence, security of liberty, and general welfare." 2. Res^d therefore that the rights of suffrage in the National Legislature ought to be proportioned to the Quotas of contribution, or to the number of free inhabitants, as the one or the other rule may seem best in different cases. 3. Res^d that the National Legislature ought to consist of two branches.