the fathers of the constitution-第13章

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bly；　an　influence　enhanced　by　the　formal　courtesy　and　stately　intercourse　of　the　times。　Washington　was　the　great　man　of　his　day　and　the　members　not　only　respected　and　admired　him；　some　of　them　were　actually　afraid　of　him。　When　he　rose　to　his　feet　he　was　almost　the　Commitnder…in…Chief　again。　There　is　evidence　to　show　that　his　support　or　disapproval　was　at　times　a　decisive　factor　in　the　deliberations　of　the　Convention。　Virginia；　which　had　taken　a　conspicuous　part　in　the　calling　of　the　Convention；　was　looked　to　for　leadership　in　the　work　that　was　to　be　done。　James　Madison；　next　to　Washington　the　most　important　member　of　the　Virginia　delegation；　was　the　very　opposite　of　Washington　in　many　respectssmall　and　slight　in　stature；　inconspicuous　in　dress　as　in　figure；　modest　and　retiring；　but　with　a　quick；　active　mind　and　wide　knowledge　obtained　both　from　experience　in　public　affairs　and　from　extensive　reading。　Washington　was　the　man　of　action；　Madison；　the　scholar　in　politics。　Madison　was　the　younger　by　nearly　twenty　years；　but　Washington　admired　him　greatly　and　gave　him　the　support　of　his　influencea　matter　of　no　little　consequence；　for　Madison　was　the　leading　expert　worker　of　the　Convention　in　the　business　of　framing　the　Constitution。　Governor　Edmund　Randolph；　with　his　tall　figure；　handsome　face；　and　dignified　manner；　made　an　excellent　impression　in　the　position　accorded　tohim　of　nominal　leader　of　the　Virginia　delegation。　Among　others　irom　the　same　State　who　should　be　noticed　were　the　famous　lawyers；　George　Wythe　and　George　Mason。　Among　the　deputies　from　Pennsylvania　the　foremost　was　James　Wilson；　the　〃Caledonian；〃　who　probably　stood　next　in　importance　in　the　convention　to　Madison　and　Washington。　He　had　come　to　America　as　a　young　man　just　when　the　troubles　with　England　were　beginning　and　by　sheer　ability　had　attained　a　position　cof　prominence。　Several　times　a　member　of　Congress；　a　signer　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　he　was　now　regarded　as　one　of　the　ablest　lawyers　in　the　United　States。　A　more　brilliant　member　of　the　Pennsylvania　delegation；　and　one　of　the　most　brilliant　of　the　Convention；　was　Gouverneur　Morris；　who　shone　by　his　cleverness　and　quick　wit　as　well　as　by　his　wonderful　command　of　）anguage。　But　Morris　was　admired　more　than　he　was　trusted；　and；　while　he　supported　the　efforts　for　a　strong　government；　his　support　was　not　always　as　great　a　help　as　might　have　been　expected。　A　crippled　arm　and　a　wooden　leg　might　detract　from　his　personal　appearance；　but　they　could　not　subdue　his　spirit　and　audacity。*　*　There　is　a　story　which　illustrates　admirably　the　audacity　of　Morris　and　the　austere　dignity　of　Washington。　The　story　runs　that　Morris　and　several　members　of　the　Cabinet　were　spending　an　evening　at　the　President's　house　in　Philadelphia；　where　they　were　discussing　the　absorbing　question　of　the　hour；　whatever　it　may　have　been。　〃The　President；〃　Morris　is　said　to　have　related　on　the　following　day；　〃was　standing　with　his　arms　behind　him　his　usual　positionhis　back　to　the　fire。　I　started　up　and　spoke；　stamping；　as　I　walked　up　and　down；　with　my　wooden　leg；　and；　as　I　was　certain　I　had　the　best　of　the　argument；　as　I　finished　I　stalked　up　to　the　President；　slapped　him　on　the　back；　and　said。　〃Ain't　I　right；　General？〃　The　President　did　not　speak；　but　the　majesty　of　the　American　people　was　before　me。　Oh；　his　look！　How　I　wished　the　floor　would　open　and　I　could　descend　to　the　cellar！　You　know　me；〃　continued　Mr。　Morris；　〃and　you　know　my　eye　would　never　quail　before　any　other　mortal。〃W。　T。　Read；　Life　and　Correspondence　of　George　Read　（1870）　p。441。

There　were　other　prominent　members　of　the　Pennsylvania　delegation；　but　none　of　them　took　an　important　part　in　the　Convention；　not　even　the　aged　Benjamin　Franklin；　President　of　the　State。　At　the　age　of　eighty…one　his　powers　were　failing；　and　he　was　so　feeble　that　his　colleague　Wilson　read　his　speeches　for　him。　His　opinions　were　respected；　but　they　do　not　seem　to　have　carried　much　weight。　Other　noteworthy　members　of　the　Convention；　though　hardly　in　the　first　class；　were　the　handsome　and　charming　Rufus　King　of　Massachusetts；　one　of　the　coming　men　of　the　country；　and　Nathaniel　Gorham　of　the　same　State；　who　was　President　of　Congressa　man　of　good　sense　rather　than　of　great　ability；　but　one　whose　reputation　was　high　and　whose　presence　was　a　distinct　asset　to　the　Convention。　Then；　too；　there　were　the　delegates　from　South　Carolina：　John　Rutledge；　the　orator；　General　Charles　Cotesworth　Pinckney　of　Revolutionary　fame；　and　his　cousin；　Charles　Pinckney。　The　last　named　took　a　conspicuous　part　in　the　proceedings　in　Philadelphia　but；　so　far　as　the　outcome　was　concerned；　left　his　mark　on　the　Constitution　mainly　in　minor　matters　and　details。　The　men　who　have　been　named　were　nearly　all　supporters　of　the　plan　for　a　centralized　government。　On　the　other　side　were　William　Paterson　of　New　Jersey；　who　had　been　Attorney…General　of　his　State　for　eleven　years　and　who　was　respected　for　his　knowledge　and　ability；　John　Dickinson　of　Delaware；　the　author　of　the　〃Farmer's　Letters〃　and　chairman　of　the　committee　of　Congress　that　had　framed　the　Articles　of　Confederationable；　scholarly；　and　sincere；　but　nervous；　sensitive；　and　conscientious　to　the　verge　of　timiditywhose　refusal　to　sign　the　Declaration　of　Independence　had　cost　him　his　popularity；　though　he　was　afterward　returned　to　Congress　and　became　president　successively　of　Delaware　and　of　Pennsylvania；　Elbridge　Gerry　of　Massachusetts；　a　successful　merchant；　prominent　in　politics；　and　greatly　interested　in　questions　of　commerce　and　finance；　and　the　Connecticut　delegates；　forming　an　unusual　trio；　Dr。　William　Samuel　Johnson；　Roger　Sherman；　and　Oliver　Ellsworth。　These　men　were　fearful　of　establishing　too　strong　a　government　and　were　at　one　time　or　another　to　be　found　in　opposition　to　Madison　and　his　supporters。　They　were　not　mere　obstructionists；　however；　and　while　not　constructive　in　the　same　way　that　Madison　and　Wilson　were；　they　must　be　given　some　credit　for　the　form　which　the　Constitution　finally　assumed。　Their　greatest　service　was　in　restraining　the　tendency　of　the　majority　to　overrule　the　rights　of　States　and　in　modifying　the　desires　of　individuals　for　a　government　that　would　have　been　too　strong　to　work　well　in　practice。　Alexander　Hamilton　of　New　York；　as　one　of　the　ablest　members　of　the　Convention；　was　expected　to　take　an　important　part；　but　he　was　out　of　touch　with　the　views　of　the　majority。　He　was　aristocratic　rather　than　democratic　and；　however　excellent　his　ideas　may　have　been；　they　were　too　radical　for　his　fellow　delegates　and　found　but　little　support。　He　threw　his　strength　in　favor　of　a　strong　government　and　was　ready　to　aid　the　movement　in　whatever　way　he　could。　But　within　his　own　delegation　he　was　outvoted　by　Robert　Yates　and　John　Lansing；　and　before　the　sessions　were　half　over　he　was　deprived　of　a　vote　by　the　withdrawal　of　his　colleagues。　Thereupon；　finding　himself　of　little　service；　he　went　to　New　York　and　returned　to　Philadelphia　only　once　or　twice　for　a　few　days　at　a　time；　and　finally　to　sign　the　completed　document。　Luther　Martin　of　Maryland　was　an　able　lawyer　and　the　Attorney…General　of　his　State；　but　he　was　supposed　to　be　allied　with　undesirable　interests；　and　it　was　said　that　he　had　been　sent　to　the　Convention　for　the　purpose　of　opposing　a　strong　government。　He　proved　to　be　a　tiresome　speaker　and　his　prosiness；　when　added　to　the　suspicion　attaching　to　his　motives；　cost　him　much　of　the　influence　which　he　might　otherwise　have　had。　All　in　all；　the　delegates　to　the　Federal　Convention　were　a　remarkable　body　of　men。　Most　of　them　had　played　important　parts　in　the　drama　of　the　Revolution；　three…fourths　of　them　had　served　in　Congress；　and　practically　all　were　persons　of　note　in　their　respective　States　and　had　held　important　public　positions。　They　may　not　have　been　the　〃assembly　of　demigods〃　which　Jefferson　called　them；　for　another　contemporary　insisted　〃that　twenty　assemblies　of　equal　number　might　be　collected　equally　respectable　both　in　point　of　ability；　integrity；　and　patriotism。〃　Perhaps　it　would　be　safer　to　regard　the　Convention　as　a　fairly　representative　body；　which　was　of　a　somewhat　higher　order　than　would　be　gathered　together　today；　because　the　social　conditions　of　those　days　tended　to　bring　forward　men　of　a　better　class；　and　because　the　seriousness　of　the　crisis　had　called　out　leaders　of　the　highest　type。　Two　or　three　days　were　consumed　in　organizing　the　Conventionelecting　officers；　considering　the　delegates'　credentials；　and　adopting　rules　of　procedure；　and　when　these　necessary　preliminaries　had　been　accomplished　the　main　business　was　opened　with　the　presentation　by　the　Virginia　delegation　of　a　series　of　resolutions　providing　for　radical　changes　in　the　machinery　of　the　Confederation。　The　principal　features　were　the　organization　of　a　legislature　of　two　houses　proportional　to　population　and　with　increased　powers；　the　establishment　of　a　separate　executive；　and　the　creation　of　an　independent　judiciary。　This　was　in　reality　providing　for　a　new　government　and　was　probably　quite　beyond　the　ideas　of　most　of　the　members　of　the　Convention；　who　had　come　there　under　instructions　and　with　the　expectation　of　revising　the　Articles　of　Confederation。　But　after　the　Virginia　Plan　had　been　the　subject　of　discussion　for　two　weeks　so　that　the　members　had　become　a　little　more　accustomed　to　its　proposals；　and　after　minor　modifications　had　been　made　in　the　wording　of　the　resolutions；　the　Convention　was　won　over　to　its　support。　To　check　this　drift　toward　radical　change　the　opposition　headed　by　New　Jersey　and　Connecticut　presented　the　so…called　New　Jersey　Plan；　which　was　in　sharp　contrast　to　the　Virginia　Resolutions；　for　it　contemplated　only　a　revision　of　the　Articles　of　Confederation；　but　after　a　relatively　short　discussion；　the　Virginia　Plan　was　adopted　by　a　vote　of　seven　States　against　four；　with　one　State　divided。　The　dividing　line　between　the　two　parties　or　groups　in　the　Convention　had　quickly　manifested　itself。　It　proved　to　be　the　same　line　that　had　divided　the　Congress　of　the　Confederation；　the　cleavage　between　the　large　States　and　the　small　States。　The　large　States　were　in　favor　of　representation　in　both　houses　of　the　legislature　according　to　population；　while　the　small　States　were　opposed　to　any　change　which　would　deprive　them　of　their　equal　vote　in　Congress；　and　though　outvoted；　they　were　not　ready　to　yield。　The　Virginia　Plan；　and　subsequently　the　New　Jersey　Plan；　had　first　been　considered　in　committee　of　the　whole；　and　the　question　of　〃proportional　representation；〃　as　it　was　then　called；　would　accordingly　come　up　again　in　formal　session。　Several　weeks　had　been　occupied　by　the　proceedings；　so　that　it　was　now　near　the　end　of　June；　and　in　general　the　discussions　had　been　conducted　with　remarkably　good　temper。　But　it　was　evidently　the　calm　before　the　storm。　And　the　issue　was　finally　joined　when　the　question　of　representation　in　the　two　houses　again　came　before　the　Convention。　The　majority　of　the　States　on　the　29th　of　June　once　more　voted　in　favor　of　proportional　representation　in　the　lower　house。　But　on　the　question　of　the　upper　house；　owing　to　a　peculiar　combination　of　circumstancesthe　absence　of　one　delegate　and　another's　change　of　vote　causing　the　position　of　their　respective　States　to　be　reversed　or　n