the fathers of the constitution-第24章

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irly　well　represented　by　the　smallness　of　the　majority；　the　vote　standing　57　to　46。　Nine　States　had　now　ratified　the　Constitution　and　it　was　to　go　into　effect　among　them。　But　the　support　of　Virginia　and　New　York　was　of　so　much　importance　that　their　decisions　were　awaited　with　uneasiness。　In　Virginia；　in　spite　of　the　support　of　such　men　as　Washington　and　Madison；　the　sentiment　for　and　against　the　Constitution　was　fairly　evenly　divided；　and　the　opposition　numbered　in　its　ranks　other　names　of　almost　equal　influence；　such　as　Patrick　Henry　and　George　Mason。　Feeling　ran　high；　the　contest　was　a　bitter　one　and；　even　after　the　elections　had　been　held　and　the　convention　had　opened；　early　in　June；　the　decision　was　in　doubt　and　remained　in　doubt　until　the　very　end。　The　situation　was；　in　one　respect　at　least；　similar　to　that　which　had　existed　in　Massachusetts；　in　that　it　was　possible　to　get　a　substantial　majority　in　favor　of　the　Constitution　provided　certain　amendments　were　made。　The　same　arguments　were　used；　strengthened　on　the　one　side　by　what　other　States　had　done；　and　on　the　other　side　by　the　plea　that　now　was　the　time　to　hold　out　for　amendments。　The　example　of　Massachusetts；　however；　seems　to　have　been　decisive；　and　on　the　25th　of　June；　four　days　later　than　New　Hampshire；　the　Virginia　convention　voted　to　ratify；　〃under　the　conviction　that　whatsoever　imperfections　may　exist　in　the　Constitution　ought　rather　to　be　examined　in　the　mode　prescribed　therein；　than　to　bring　the　Union　into　danger　by　delay；　with　a　hope　of　obtaining　amendments　previous　to　the　ratification。〃　When　the　New　York　convention　began　its　sessions　on　the　17th　of　June；　it　is　said　that　more　than　two…thirds　of　the　delegates　were　Anti…Federalist　in　sentiment。　How　a　majority　in　favor　of　the　Constitution　was　obtained　has　never　been　adequately　explained；　but　it　is　certain　that　the　main　credit　for　the　achievement　belongs　to　Alexander　Hamilton。　He　had　early　realized　how　greatly　it　would　help　the　prospects　of　the　Constitution　if　thinking　people　could　be　brought　to　an　appreciation　of　the　importance　and　value　of　the　new　form　of　government。　In　order　to　reach　the　intelligent　public　everywhere；　but　particularly　in　New　York；　he　projected　a　series　of　essays　which　should　be　published　in　the　newspapers；　setting　forth　the　aims　and　purposes　of　the　Constitution。　He　secured　the　assistance　of　Madison　and　Jay；　and　before　the　end　of　October；　1787；　published　the　first　essay　in　〃The　Independent　Gazetteer。〃　From　that　time　on　these　papers　continued　to　be　printed　over　the　signature　of　〃Publius；〃　sometimes　as　many　as　three　or　four　in　a　week。　There　were　eighty…five　numbers　altogether；　which　have　ever　since　been　known　as　〃The　Federalist。〃　Of　these　approximately　fifty　were　the　work　of　Hamilton；　Madison　wrote　about　thirty　and　Jay　five。　Although　the　essays　were　widely　copied　in　other　journals；　and　form　for　us　the　most　important　commentary　on　the　Constitution；　making　what　is　regarded　as　one　of　America's　greatest　books；　it　is　doubtful　how　much　immediate　influence　they　had。　Certainly　in　the　New　York　convention　itself　Hamilton's　personal　influence　was　a　stronger　force。　His　arguments　were　both　eloquent　and　cogent；　and　met　every　objection；　and　his　efforts　to　win　over　the　opposition　were　unremitting。　The　news　which　came　by　express　riders　from　New　Hampshire　and　then　from　Virginia　were　also　deciding　factors；　for　New　York　could　not　afford　to　remain　out　of　the　new　Union　if　it　was　to　embrace　States　on　either　side。　And　yet　the　debate　continued；　as　the　opposition　was　putting　forth　every　effort　to　make　ratification　conditional　upon　certain　amendments　being　adopted。　But　Hamilton　resolutely　refused　to　make　any　concessions　and　at　length　was　successful　in　persuading　the　New　York　convention；　by　a　vote　of　30　against　27；　on　the　26th　of　July；　to　follow　the　example　of　Massachusetts　and　Virginia　and　to　ratify　the　Constitution　with　merely　a　recommendation　of　future　amendments。　The　satisfaction　of　the　country　at　the　outcome　of　the　long　and　momentous　struggle　over　the　adoption　of　the　new　government　was　unmistakable。　Even　before　the　action　of　New　York　had　been　taken；　the　Fourth　of　July　was　made　the　occasion　for　a　great　celebration　throughout　the　United　States；　both　as　the　anniversary　of　independence　and　as　the　consummation　of　the　Union　by　the　adoption　of　the　Constitution。　The　general　rejoicing　was　somewhat　tempered；　however；　by　the　reluctance　of　North　Carolina　and　Rhode　Island　to　come　under　〃the　new　roof。〃　Had　the　convention　which　met　on　the　21st　of　July　in　North　Carolina　reached　a　vote；　it　would　probably　have　defeated　the　Constitution；　but　it　was　doubtless　restrained　by　the　action　of　New　York　and　adjourned　without　coming　to　a　decision。　A　second　convention　was　called　in　September；　1789；　and　in　the　meantime　the　new　government　had　come　into　operation　and　was　bringing　pressure　to　bear　upon　the　recalcitrant　States　which　refused　to　abandon　the　old　union　for　the　new。　One　of　the　earliest　acts　passed　by　Congress　was　a　revenue　act；　levying　duties　upon　foreign　goods　imported；　which　were　made　specifically　to　apply　to　imports　from　Rhode　Island　and　North　Carolina。　This　was　sufficient　for　North　Carolina；　and　on　November　21；　1789；　the　convention　ratified　the　Constitution。　But　Rhode　Island　still　held　out。　A　convention　of　that　State　was　finally　called　to　meet　in　March；　1790；　but　accomplished　nothing　and　avoided　a　decision　by　adjourning　until　May。　The　Federal　Government　then　proceeded　to　threaten　drastic　measures　by　taking　up　a　bill　which　authorized　the　President　to　suspend　all　commercial　intercourse　with　Rhode　Island　and　to　demand　of　that　State　the　payment　of　its　share　of　the　Federal　debt。　The　bill　passed　the　Senate　but　stopped　there；　for　the　State　gave　in　and　ratified　the　Constitution　on　the　29th　of　May。　Two　weeks　later　Ellsworth；　who　was　now　United　States　Senator　from　Connecticut；　wrote　that　Rhode　Island　had　been　〃brought　into　the　Union；　and　by　a　pretty　cold　measure　in　Congress；　which　would　have　exposed　me　to　some　censure；　had　it　not　produced　the　effect　which　I　expected　it　would　and　which　in　fact　it　has　done。　But　'all　is　well　that　ends　well。'　The　Constitution　is　now　adopted　by　all　the　States　and　I　have　much　satisfaction；　and　perhaps　some　vanity；　in　seeing；　at　length；　a　great　work　finished；　for　which　I　have　long　labored　incessantly。〃*　*　〃Connecticut's　Ratification　of　the　Federal　Constitution；〃　by　B。　C。　Steiner；　in　〃Proceedings　of　the　American　Antiquarian　Society；〃　April　1915；　pp。　88…89。　Perhaps　the　most　striking　feature　of　these　conventions　is　the　trivial　character　of　the　objections　that　were　raised。　Some　of　the　arguments　it　is；　true；　went　to　the　very　heart　of　the　matter　and　considered　the　fundamental　principles　of　government。　It　is　possible　to　tolerate　and　even　to　sympathize　with　a　man　who　declared：　〃Among　other　deformities　the　Constitution　has　an　awful　squinting。　It　squints　toward　monarchy；　。　。　。　。　your　president　may　easily　become　a　king　。　。　。　。　If　your　American　chief　be　a　man　of　ambition　and　ability　how　easy　it　is　for　him　to　render　himself　absolute。　We　shall　have　a　king。　The　army　will　salute　him　monarch。*　*　〃Connecticut's　Ratification　of　the　Federal　Constitution；〃　by　B。　C。　Steiner；　in　〃Proceedings　of　the　American　Antiquarian　Society；〃　April　1915　pp。　88…89。

But　it　is　hard　to　take　seriously　a　delegate　who　asked　permission　〃to　make　a　short　apostrophe　to　liberty；〃　and　then　delivered　himself　of　this　bathos：　〃O　liberty！thou　greatest　goodthou　fairest　propertywith　thee　I　wish　to　livewith　thee　I　wish　to　die！Pardon　me　if　I　drop　a　tear　on　the　peril　to　which　she　is　exposed；　I　cannot；　sir；　see　this　brightest　of　jewels　tarnished！　a　jewel　worth　ten　thousand　worlds！　and　shall　we　part　with　it　so　soon？　O　no！〃*　*　Elliot's　〃Debates　on　the　Federal　Constitution；〃　vol。　III。　p。　144。

There　might　be　some　reason　in　objecting　to　the　excessive　power　vested　in　Congress；　but　what　is　one　to　think　of　the　fear　that　imagined　the　greatest　point　of　danger　to　lie　in　the　ten　miles　square　which　later　became　the　District　of　Columbia；　because　the　Government　might　erect　a　fortified　stronghold　which　would　be　invincible？　Again；　in　the　light　of　subsequent　events　it　is　laughable　to　find　many　protesting　that；　although　each　house　was　required　to　keep　a　journal　of　proceedings；　it　was　only　required　〃FR