The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-09-25
Essays on the - F0rce
BIl Was Made Possible.

AAh SS"S Va 01lus
Mr.. PAUL LEICESTER Fonp has rendered an
important service to tho students OF our con-
stitutional history by collecting and reprint
Ing. under the title. Essays on the Constitution.
a series OF papers published In 1887 and
17SS. during the discussion OF the scheme
OF federal government proposed by the
Philadelphia Convention and eventually
adopted. Five of the writer's were signers
OF tho Declaration OF Independence. seven
were members OF the Federal Conven-
ton. and many were members OF the State
Conventions formed for determining whether
the Constitution should be accepted or re-
jected. Among the advocates of the Constitu-
ton whose arguments are hero set forth are
James Sullivan. Oliver Ellsworth. Roger Sher-
man. and Hugh Williamson. Conspicuous
among those who figure rs critics or opponents
OF tho new plan OF government are James
Winthrop. Elbridge Gerry. George Clinton.
Robert Yates. and Luther Martin. So far as tho
essays in this volume are concerned. the
advanced against an acceptance Of
the Constitution seem decidedly preponder-
ant: indeed they would be overwhelming but
for the shrewd and vigorous replies OF Oliver
Ellsworth and Roger Sherman. In view OF
one OF the pivotal questions In the present po-
litical campaign 1t Is particularly noteworthy
that vehement objections should have been
TtlSeu lEOIl lHo outSeC 10 lnaC clause OF inc
Federal organic law which gives Congress
power to regulate the time. manAer. and place
OF holding elections OF members OF the House
Of Representatives. 1t will be easy to demon
strato from passages In those essays that the
contemporary critics OF the Constitution. with
a prescicnce that reflects singular credit upon
their saGacity. foresaw tho possibility OF tho
introduction OF a Force bill.
].
TIL ablest OF the nnti- federal publications
which appeared In Massachusetts were the
Letters OF AGrippa." These wore printed In
the Massachusetts Gazette between Nov. %.
1887. and Fol. 8. 1888. They wore attributed
to James Winthrop Of Cambridge. and he
never repudiated them. unless we are to re-
gard as n definite denial the statement in the
tenth letter TINT AT present all tho reports
concerning tho writer OF these papers are
merely con!cctural." The imputed authorship
OF these essays brought SO much odium upon
Winthrop In Cambridge That when he was
proposed rs n member OF the Massachusetts
Convention he received only ono vote in the
whole town. Winthrop was ono OF those who
held that tho Philadelphia Convention should
have confined itself to the work which alone 1t
was authorized to perform. namely. to tho
amendment and improvement OF the existing
Articles OF Confederation. To his end Win
throp thought that two amendments would
suffice: that is to say. he would supplement
tho powers OF tho Federal Government then
existing by giving it the exclusive right to
regulate ard to impose Gus
IONS duties. What he wished to preserve
was tho distinctly federal character OF the
republic. and no viewed with mIsgivinG any
approach to . consolidated system. He opposed
the new system on tho EXPRESS ground that it
tended to "a consolidation OF all the States
into one large mass. however diverse the parts
may be OF which it is composed" He do
clared that "the idea OF an incorporated
tcentralized) republic on an average one |
thousand miles In length and eight hundred
in breadth. and containing six millions OF
white inhabitants all reduced to the same
standard Of morals. Of habits. and Of laws. il In
itself an absurdity. md contrary to the whole
o experience OF mankind" He adds that the
objection Of tho American colonies to taxation
without representation could not have been
parted by admitting their Delegates to the
Parliament at Westminster. The attempt. he
made by Grent Britain to introduce a
con solidstod ryotom struck us with horror,
snd whom It was proposed By some theorists \