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 Elseworth said he had not attended the proceedings of the Committee,
but was ready to accede to the compromise they had reported. Some
compromise was necessary; and he saw none more convenient or reasonable.
M^r Williamson hoped that the expressions of individuals would not be
taken for the sense of their colleagues, much less of their States which
was not & could not be known. He hoped also that the meaning of those
expressions would not be misconstrued or exaggerated. He did not
conceive that (M^r Gov^r Morris) meant that the sword ought to be drawn
ag^{st} the smaller States. He only pointed out the probable
consequences of anarchy in the U. S. A similar exposition ought to be
given of the expressions of (M^r Ghorum). He was ready to hear the
Report discussed; but thought the propositions contained in it, the most
objectionable of any he had yet heard.
M^r Patterson said that he had when the Report was agreed to in the
Com^e reserved to himself the right of freely discussing it. He
acknowledged that the warmth complained of was improper; but he thought
the Sword & the Gallows little calculated to produce conviction. He
complained of the manner in which M^r M and M^r Gov^r Morris had treated
the small States.
M^r Gerry. Tho' he had assented to the Report in the Committee, he had
very material objections to it. We were however in a peculiar situation.
We were neither the same Nation nor different Nations. We ought not
therefore to pursue the one or the other of these ideas too closely. If
no compromise should take place what will be the consequence. A
secession he foresaw would take place; for some gentlemen seem decided
on it: two different plans will be proposed; and the result no man could
foresee. If we do not come to some agreement among ourselves some
foreign sword will probably do the work for us.
M^r Mason. The Report was meant not as specific propositions to be
adopted; but merely as a general ground of accommodation. There must be
some accommodation on this point, or we shall make little further
progress in the work. Accommodation was the object of the House in the
appointment of the Committee; and of the Committee in the Report they
had made. And however liable the Report might be to objections, he
thought it preferable to an appeal to the world by the different sides,
as had been talked of by some Gentlemen. It could not be more
inconvenient to any gentleman to remain absent from his private affairs,
than it was for him; but he would bury his bones in this City rather
than expose his Country to the Consequences of a dissolution of the
Convention without any thing being done.
The 1^{st} proposition in the report for fixing the representation in
the 1^{st} branch, "one member for every 40,000 inhabitants," being
taken up.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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