Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-05-30
ANECDOTE OF THE FEDERAL
CONVENTION OF 1897.
from Lattelrs Living Are.

ANECDOTE OF THE FEDERAL
CONVENTION OF 1887.
From Lattelrs Living Age.
New York, April 29lh, 1850.
When promised, last week, in Boston, that |
would send you a copy of letter from my IA
ther, received twenty-five gears ago. narratng a
most interesting historical fact, not elsewhere so
minutey recorded, | think you concured with
me in the opinion that its publication could not
but be useful at this time, when the wisdom and
sagacity of our Franklin, and the spirit of con-
ciliation and mutual concession evinced by the
Convention which adopted our Constitution, are
so much needed at Washington.
On Saturday last, took from my files the o.
rignal letter, which now enclose to you, land
which, as | informed you, was published in the
Daily Advertiser, in 1885, and handed it 10 my
clerk 10 copy. Judge, then, of my surprise, on
opening the New York Observer, of the same
day, Saturday, to find that, by singular coin.
cidence, some ancient reader, and rememberer,
too, of the paper of my late valued friend, The
odore Dwight, ESQ.,, had, without my knowledge,
brought forward from the dark recesses of years
long elapsed, this identical letter, in the same
spirit in which you proposed to republish it As
everything which relates to the formation of our
glorious Union is deeply interesting to all those
who wish for its perpetuity, should be gratifcd
to see an historical anecdote of SO much inter-
est and of undoubted authenticity, transferred
to the pages of the Living Age"
Painted Post, Sept, 1925.
My DEAR Son:
l some time ago repeated to you an historical
anecdote, in which you felt so much interested
that you extorted from me promise, that
would at some moment of leisure commit it to
paper for you. am now seated for that pur-
pose, and shall relate it, as nearly as can rec
ollect, in the words Of General Johnathan Day.
ton, one of the members of the General Conven-
ton, who framed the Constitution, and after
wards speaker of the House of Representatives
in the Congress of the United States.
| was (said General Dayton) delegate from
New Jersey, in the General Convention which
assembled in Philadelphia for the purpose of di
gesting constitution for the United States, and
believe was the youngest member of that
body. The great and good Washington was
other great men.'wa a delegate from Pennsyl-
vana. A disposition was SOON discovered in
some members to display themselves in oratori-
cal hourishes; but the good sense and discretion
of the majority put down all such attempts. We
had convened to deliberate upon, and if possible
effect, great national object-to search for po.
itical ,oisdom and truth these we meant to pur
sue with simplicity. and to avoid everything
which would have tendency to divert our at
tention, or perpex our scheme.
great variety of projects were proposed, all
republican in their general outlines, but differ
ing in their details. 1t was, therefore, determin
ed that certain elementary principles should Al
first be established, in each branch of the inten
ded constitution, & afterwards the details should
be debated and filled up.
There was little or no difficulty in determining
upon the elementary prnciple as, for in.
stance, that the government should bel repubh
can, representative government-that it should be
divided into three branches, that is, legislative
erecuiUe, and judicial, &c. But when the organ
ization of the respective branches of the legis
lature came under consideration, it was easy tC
be perceived that the Eastern and Southern
States had distinct interests, which it was diff
cult to reconcile and that the larger States
were disposed to form constitution, in which
the smaller States would be mere appendages
and satellites to the larger ones. On the first o
these subjects, much animated and somewhat
angry debate had taken place, when the ratio O.
representation in the lower house of Congress
was before us--thC Southern States claiming fol-
themselves the ,Uhole number of their black pop
ulation, while the Eastern States were for con.
fnng the elective franchise to ,Geemen only
without respect 10 color.
AS the different parties adhered pertinacious.
y to their different positions, it was feared that
this would prove an insurmountable obstacle s.
but as the members were not already generally
satisfied that no Constitution could be formed
which would meet the views and subserve the
interests of each individual State, it was evident
that it must be matter of compromise and mu-
tua concession. Under these impressions ant
with these views, it was agread at length thai
each State should be entitled to one delegate r
the House of Representatives for every 10000
inhabitants-in which number should be inclu.
ded three ;ft1hs of the number, of their SLAVES.
When the details of the House of Represent
atives were disposed of, more knotty pon
presented itself in the organization of the Sen
ate. The larger States contended thatthe samt
ratio, as to States should be common 10 botl
branches of the legislature; or, in other words
that each State should be entitled to represen.
tation in the Senate, (whatever might be the
number fixed on,l in proportion to its population
as in the House of Representatives. The small
Ter States, on the other hand commended that the
House of Representatives might be considered
as the guardian of the Liberties of the people
and therefore ought to bear a just proportion t,
their numbers but that the Senate Represented
the sOureignty Of the STATES, and that each State
whether great or small, was equally an indepen
dent and sovereign State, it ought, in this branct
of the Legislature, to have equal weight and au.
thority; without this, they said, there could be
no security for their equal rights-and they
would, by such distribution of power, be merg.
ed and lost in the larger States.
This reasoning, however plain and powerful
lhad but little influence on the minds of delegates