Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-07
MADISON'S JOURNAL,


Nothing better illustrates the high
plane on which the convention was
conducted than Madison's unoflcial
Journal of its proceedings. 1t was
agreed at the outset that the debates
were to be secret. Every member was
so scrupulously faithful to that agree
nlent that when, in 1886, Madison's
widow felt that his Journal should be
published in the public interest, its
contents were known to no one outside
his executors.
President Jackson, in his message to
Congress urging the procuring of the
Madison papers, said: II am persuaded
that the work Of Mr.. Madison, consider
ing the author, the subject matter of it
and the circumstances under which II
was prepared-long withheld from the
public as 1t has been, by those motives
of personal kindness and delicacy that
gave tone to his intercourse with his
fellow men, until he and all who had
been participatorS with him in tbs
scenes he describes have passed away
well deserves to become the property OF
the Nation, and cannot fail, II published
and disseminated at the public charge,
to confer the most important of all
benefits on the present and succeeding
generations, accurate knowledge OF the
principles of their Government and the
circumstances under which they were
recommended and embodied in the
Constitution, for adoption" Thus, SO
years after the convention, the details
of the debates became public.
than Il
son of the obstacles In the way of the
success Of the gathering. Nevertheless,
he was supremely confident that he was
participating in one Of the epochal
events of history. His reasons for keep
ing a detailed report were given as fol-
lows: 1.-THE curiosity I had felt during
my researches into the history Of the
most distinguished confederactes, par
ticularly those Of antiquity, and the de-
ficiency found in the means Of salts
flying it, more especially in what related
to the process. the principles. the rea-
sons and the anticipations which pre-
vailed in the formation of them, deter
mined me to preserve. as far as could,
an exact account of what might pass
In the convention while executing its
trust; with the magnitude or which
was duly impressed, as I was by the
ratification promised to future curl
osity by an authentic exhibition OF the
objects, the opinions, and the reason
ings, from which the system OF Gov
eminent was to receive its peculiar
structure and organization. Nor was
unaware Of the value Of such con-
tribution to the fund of materials for
the history of a Constitution on which
would be staked the happiness OF a
people great even in its infancy, and
possibly the cause of liberty through
out the world"
He even tells how he went about his
work: In pursuance of the task had
assumed, I chose q seat in front of the
presiding member, with the other men,
bers on my right and left hands. In
this favorable position for hearing all
that passed, noted, in terms legibile
and in authorizations and marks in
telligible to myself, what was read from
the chair or spoken by the members;
and losing not moment unnecessarily
between the adjournment and reaSsena-
bling of the convention, ] was enabled
to write out my daily notes during the
session, or within few finishing days
after its close, in the extent and form
preserved in my own hand on my files.
In the labor and correctness of this I
was not a little aided by practice and
by a familiarity with the style and the
train of observation and reasoning
which characterize the principal
speakers. 1t happened, also, that was
not absent a single day, I1or more than
O casual fraction of an hour in any day,
so that I could not have lost q single
speech, unless q very short one"
An persons interested in public speak
ing Will b etEllck b. this ANGUS kaetx=