Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-09-07
CONSrITUTfONAT- nIS.rnn,v 'u-.ue.


CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY
IL Us some days since read, without having Coun,
",G interval an Opportunity o.: noticing the work
Hhcn mas been lately published at Albany with
ne title, !" Secret Proceedings and Dcho,at Of ,I,a
Conventions assembled Philadelphia. in the wear
81 tbe l'I o inc grpose Of forming the Constitution
taken by the atc Robert Yates esq Chief T,stce Of
view ork and copied by John Lansing ir. ESQ.
!a'e chancellor OF that State, members of the Conven
We have not NJ this n,omcn, the leisure mr. rom, .,
sly an which seems to be proper and desirable
Ia reiauon 10 tins work ana shall therefore conline
ourselves aow To few general remarks ,n, e,r;l;n
rg"','!ohs IN the first place, know not whether
t1e o'Jcctn this publication he political or 1ccuninry
OF partakc OF both characters There /, rrounI Co.
G'sp'0'1 ION as 10 bot" points. The Notes ot the De-
e, 90 not constitute moeiy Of the coricnts of the
umt inc rest consist OF documents already print
"a win Inc Journals of tho PROCEEDINGS oc t,, s,,o
convention, Published 10y Congress- b1t cbiefy Of ,,
hostile TO the present Constitution of the
chi'ed States. The principal OF these s onc of
Heh'y-Ne pages, rear third of the volume. STYLED
MN Tnhune INFORM l'ion, delivered 10 The Lceis!a-
w." ot tne State OF Maryland relative To the proceed
!hHS OF the General Convention of 1897 BIZ Iutber
e;'l. Attorney General of Maryland and one
~ Ue delegates in the said Convention" In the pre-
'''Nc 'o ne volume, the editor observes that the com
'H!mcaiIon OF Mir. Martin may serve as :; kew 10 dis
eliminate tie several interocniors mentioned in
WI uN1.''cS. As LIE intcrlocutors are mentioned
~" thedT sentiments reported, KEY might be deem
"a "hc!y sIpcrfiuouS, unless his very invdious and
IsSera'ed IDEAS oGthc spirit aud ends OF particular
"f,1.oS a; OF them, are to be implicitly admitted
Nr- Martin performance is strangely itaIicsel in
80! page, whether by the author originally, or bv
hSpiesent editor, does appea) so as to he made
~ oe"F us strongly as possible against the Consu.
Hon III Is miscaled, when termed genuun ;,t,r
ihauon, because The author entertained tho rooe, vc
cement enmity to the federal system resisted j, with
effort in the convention and saw all The nro-
Ssedhgs which he undertook TO report and cxpiain
VIII jauadiced eye. His account is not, therefore
- oS "Ken as accurate history, particularly I'M re-
-; w. "iot''Cs ana views Of particular and
l1Uues IN that body and ia the more readily TO lie
NS"us'ei lnasmuch as it has tendency 10 lessen the
'cnosation which ought To be cherished for tho CON
ana oil course TO affect the lustre of our Ame-
r,e. .iHha's lie hazarded the most extrayagant
Ie1'OHS respecting the nOxiOus effects of the con-
at'uuoOy winch were nvaldated ,yioyi bv tle ,yri-
teIS 9i inc edcraiis and haie been completely re-
,u " iI.he- nc state OF his judgment aud temper
on Tie subject may be collected from the Coioyying
s,Nnehccs Will which his report is concluded " So
u'N" u''Nc % consider the present system to the
happncss vi my country, would chceriuly sac, ifice
ny snare oi property wth which heaven has blessed
ne oil ndustiy-i would reduce myself 10 influence
ana loYeriY, and those who are learcr TO me tlan INV
effieSGs. would enirust TO the and protection
W u't 'oNIdencc who hath so kindly protected nc
h on hcSe terms only could procure my cnuntrv 20
reject hose chains which are forged for it," On the
wnoic we are sorry TO find Mr.. Martins report re-
pFlhe'l Tor ciTcildtioa our, VIC must confess t,,
some instruction is to he drawn from il and Thai II
T0h'aihs some passages worthy of present attention
we slall probably quote them hereafter
OHiHCtliOf Lansing, and Chief Jusficp Xatrs
g "hou. .i'e notes were taken, arrayed against
Jug cohs'tution In letter from them To the Cover
ior VI view fork which is comprised in the Appcndx
lnc ioIume, they represent, that they O gave tho
principles OF the Constitutions which had received the
s!nct'oh OF majority Of the Convention their de-
.yeu ana "nreserved dissent, and they declare that
Ivy nave the strongest approximations tha' a GO
te'"licHt so organized as that recommended by The
Convention, c1nno afford security to eaual md per
,I'e I'M nocr'y' Without meaning TO inpeach in
"py ucIree OF respect the moral rcctude aud fair
,lLI (. 4.
tlat ms notes were nctured by his opinions of te
constitutions and OF the sentiments and purposes of its
advocates IN the Convention
Nearly the close OF the volume the o,,,r s..
that Mr.: Yates, though often solicited refnscT dnr
I3 nus ME, to permit his notes be published no;
9pi because they were originally written Tor the
puOiIc eye, but because he conceived himself unJcr
nono'ane obligations 10 withhold their publication
y these notes, it is added after his death r into
lie hahds OIL his widow, aHdate thts bcconIf.pu
Ln'epcnuenly OF llc special obligations referred to
ana nor shcwn Ia be- exlinguished y his death Other
CONSIDERATIONS sufficient 10 have deferred The 3utLcr
arc 10 DC found The notes arc so general al,,i,t
nu lncGheIeh that justice is lar from being done to
ihe sPeucfs lhcy have the COuipiexiun of detached
pWascs, caught up at intervals and Leaving s course
IN inc dark as 70 the qualifications aud eli1lcs ofI
meaning ana DRIFT, which The round aud sagtlin, doc
"bCS mus reported nigh have received in the course
OF tie speeches or debates. Moreover i, IL ,,,,u
tno"n that The members OF the Convention often
t'c" Ou', by Wy Of experiment upon the tcapcr OF
tie assembly, or IN Orrr to reacb 81 rn,,
propositions much stcngcr Than L a., meant ,,i,;,,,l
i
q m"iniHn. We have Coubl, whethc! il is NOT TO be
Emenicd ti1 these oes, such rs they are have bccu
H:,un 10 "c "'fu at all, seeing that those Of hir
r1adson much more ample and extending throngt-
OH ihe Whole " the debates (Which these do no0-
arc uHdcfto2d to DC destined for tho press or at all
eI14i' ulat tlc publication was not simultaneous IL
%'h De no" nc"mDent upon that gentleman 20 lny be-
ioio c country, earlier, perhaps, tan he infcidcd
w record "hch &c has preserved, aud which wG |
Iusl WI" serve 10 correct the general principles lik o.
y 70 be produced by the Albany volume Wcannrx.
Wih9ut arrangement, the quotations to which We nj.
ludcd above " Ct"
-. Page i2j--Pins NJ Constitutions DsJael
H5lnl plan proposes tyO branches IN the lcgisla.
turc
jersey e single legislative body
'psnlt' Tue lc3'slat' powers derived from The
Jcrey, f0m the states
virginia, single executive
Sc.scv, in.nc than one.
. Fon ihls dnd solue prev Ions positions we dissent
ar,ae m"aFi what they li wrote. Lei us have .il
~. e. Gnx.