American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-02-27
Anecdote of the Federal Convention
Of 1887.
NEW YORK, April Goth, 1850.

To the Editor Of The Living Age:
When l promised, last week, in
Boston, that l would send you a copy
of letter from my father, received
t'eenty tre gears ago, narratinga most
interesting historical fact, not else
where so. minutely recorded, / think
you concurred 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 conciliation and mutual
concession evinced by the conven-
tion which adopted our Constitution,
are so much needed at Washington.
On Saturday last, took from my
files the original letter, which l now
enclose to you. (aud which, as [ in
formed You, was published in the
Daily AdUertiser, in 1926 and hand
ed it to my clerk to copy. Judge,
then, of my surprise. on opening the
New York Observer, of the Same day.
Saturday, 9th, to find that, by a
singular coincidence, some ancient
reader, and rememberer, too. of the
paper of my late valued friend, Thee .
dore 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 glori,
Gus Union is deeply interesting 20 all
those who wish. for its ,perpetuity, ]
should be gratifed to see an histori
cal anecdote Ofso much int rest, and
of, undoubted authenticity, transfer.
red to the pages of the Liring Age.
PAINTED POST, September, 1926
MY. DEAR Son Il some time age
repeated to you an historical anec
dote, in which you felt so mach in
terested that you extorted from me q
promise, that | wru.d at some mo
ment of leisure commit. it to paper
for you. | am now seated for that
purpose, and shall relate it, as neaI ly
rs 1 can recolect, in the words OF
General Jonathan Dayton, onej ot
the members of the General Conyen
ton, who framed the Constitution
and afterwards Speaker of the House
of Representatives, in the Cons ress
of the United States.
/ a was (said General Dayton) a
delegate from New jersey, in the
General Convention which assembled
in Pphiladelphia for the purpose OF
digesting constitution, for the
United States, and / believe I was
| Une UungeSs Il einDeT OI tnaG Oody
The great and good Washington was
chosen our President, and DR.. Frank
lin, among other great men, was a
delegate from Pennsylvania. a dis
position was soon discovered in some
members to display themselves il
oratorical flourishes; but the goot
sense and discretion of the majorit!
put down all such attempts. W,
had convened to deliberate upon
and ifpossible effect, a.great nationa
object-to search for political aciSd0n
and truth; these we meant to pursue
with simplicity, and to avoid every
thing which would have tendenc.
to divert our attention, or perple.
our scheme.
A great variety of projects wer
proposed, all republican in their gen
eral outlines, but differing in thei
details. 1t was, therefore, determir
ed that certain elementary principle
shouhl at first be established, i
each branch of the intended const
tuition, and afterwards the detail
should be debated and filled up
There was little or no difficulty l
determining upon the elementdr
princ,ples-such as, for instance
that the government should be II r
publican representative government
that it should be divided into thre
branches, that is,, Legislative, e.rec
tire, and Judicial, &c. But when IL
Orga'. izatiOn of the respectlN
bran shes. of the legislature came u
Gsr consideration, it was easy to
perceived that the eastern and sout
ern States had distinct Interest
which it was difficult to reconcile
and that the larger States were di
posed to form q constitution, in whi'
the smaller States would be me
appendages and satellites to Il
larger ones. On the first of the
subjects, much animated and SON
what angry debate had taken plat
when the ratio of representation in t
lower house of Congress was befC
us-the Southern States claiming
themselves the 1chole number of TIN
black population, while the Easte
States were for confining the electi
franchise TO freemea onl y, withC
respect to color.
AS the different parties adhel
pertinaciously to their different pc
tions. it was feared that this wol
prove an insurmountable obstacle
but as the members were alrea
generally satisfied that no consti
tion could be formed, which wol
meet the views and subSeryU, the
terests of each individual State,
was evident that it must he Il mat
of compromise and mutual cORcesSj
Under these impressions, and W
these views, it was agreed at len5
that each State should be entitled
one delegate in the House of Rel
scntativeS for every 10000 OF its
habItants-in which number Eho
be included three .ffthS "f the wi
number OF their sIdceS.
When the details of the House
REPRESENTATIVE were disposed
a more knotty point presented it
> in the organization of the Sem
The larger States contended that
same ratio, as to States should
common TO both branches of the
islature or, in other words,
each State should he entitled t
representation in the Senate, (Wl
> ever might be the number fixed
in proportion to its population, Il
the House of Representatives..
sm Her States, on the other hG
Gonteded that, the House Of Re
e s,ntatives might be considered
the GU" rdian of the liberties of
people, md therefore ought to
a ajustproportion to their numb
but that the Senate represented