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

in only two instances In the i've months
OF debate were speakers able to supply
Madison with a copy or even fairly
complete outline of their remarks. The
convention, therefore, proceeded on an
extemporaneous debate basis, in which
even the basic arguments were worked
out while speakers were on their feet.
The exceptions to this general plan
of procedure are Illuminating. Edmund
Randolph, who had the task of pre-
senting the gigantic and detailed
scheme known as the Virginia plan, was
able to furnish Madison with only a
sketch, and not an exact text, of his
remarks. Yet his address continued
for several hours and contained not
only an historical background proving
the need OF a new Government, but
carefully outlined the suggested organi.
Zation.
Hamilton, on June 10, gave his long,
mastery address, all of which was de-
livered without notes, except during the
last eight minutes, in which he read his
II propositions.
Franklin, speaking through James
Wilson, always wrote out his remarks
and carefully supplied Madison with a
copy. Thus the only genuine journalist
in the convention saw to it that his
statements were properly recorded
Madison, in discussing the caliber Of
the delegates, suggests that the best
test of their intellectual powers Is not
to be found IN the mere chanting of
their names and the posts they later
occupied, but rather in a calm perusa1
of the astounding reasoning power,
vigor and vision which they showed in
their actual remarks. There is no bet
ter standard for evaluating them.
Judged by such standard, they loom
large, indeed.
The Journal itself contains the conn
plete story of the Constitutional Con-
vention, as far as the votes and adj
dresses of the members are concerned.
Being strictly impartial and reportorial
in its tone, it quite properly refers to
none of the informal maneuvers, con-
ferenceS and compromises which stand
in the background of the convention
and heighten its human interest.
The technique Of the Journal bears
a striking similarity to that Of the Lon
don Times, which was founded barely
three months after the closing of the
Constitutional Convention. The Times
was founded on January /, 1888, and
was primarily concerned with publish
ing parliamentary debates, which was
then forbidden by law. Madison's Jour-
nal was to record, but not to make pub
lie, important utteranceS. But the form
of reporting in these two instances is
almost identical. That form was a
blending Of sunmarizations and literal
questions, without quotation marks.
The speakers views almost always are
presented in the third person. For in
stance, the following is the beginning
of the Madison report of a speech by
Ellsworth: Mr.. Ellsworth assured the
House that Connecticut was entirely
Federal in her disposition. The muster
rolls would show that she had had
more troops in the field than Virginia."
etc.
At the beginning of his Journal
Madison calls attention to one very
ominous fact discovered in scrutinizing
the credentials of the deputies from the
various States. Delaware expressly pro-
hibited its deputies from changing that
part CT the Articles of Confederation
establishing an equality of votes
among the States" There was to be
found the key to the chief stumbling
block of the convention-the divergent
interests of the small and large States.
Around the Delaware credentials, and
the sentiment back Of them, was to dee
velop one of the most far-reaching con-
troversies in American history.
Copyright, is3l.)