The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-08-21

To James Madison of Virginia, afterward President of the United States, we are indebted for de- tailed account of the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention day by day and hour during its four months session from May to September. He never missed day or an hours attendance or failed to make notes of every debate and speech; but it was not published till many years afterward-during his Presidential administration.
 Thomas Jefferson regarded 1t as the most remarkable record of the kind ever made and John Adams agreed with him.
 Describing his method of talk ing the notes of the Convention, James Madison says: "In pur- suance of the task had assumed I chose seat in front of the presiding member General Wash ington) with the other members on my right and left hand. In this favorable position for hearing all that passed noted in terms legibre and in abbreviations and marks ineligible to myself what was said from the chair or spoken by the members; and losing not a moment unnecessarily between the adjournment and reassemb- ling of the Convention I was en- abled to write out my daily notes during the session or within a few finishing days after its close.
 So we are able to read the com- plete speech of Benjamin Frank lin, so often quoted in part, and his historic Motion to the Con- vention that was seconded by Roger Sherman:
 (SPEECH BY BENJAMIN FRANK LIN IN CONSTITUTIONAL CON- VENTION, JUNE 28th, 1787 = FROM THE NOTES TAKEN AT THE TIME BY JAMES MADI- SON):
 MT. President
 "The small progress we have made after 4 or weeks close at- tendance and continual reasonings with each other-our different sentiments on almost every ques- tion, several of the last producing as many noes as ayes, is methinkS a melancholy proof of the imper- lection of human understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom and we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which have been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution which now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all around Europe, but find none of their Constitutions suit able to our circumstances.
 "In this situation of this As sembly, groping as it were, in the dark to find political truth, and scarcely able to distinguish 1t when presented to us, how has 1t hap pened. "how has 1t happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once
 thought of humby applying to the Father of>Lights to Illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of our Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed fre- quent instances of Superintend- ing Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe our happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of estab- fishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we ima- zine that we no longer need His assistance? I have lived, Sir. a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs ! see of this truth-'that God governs