ULSTER COUNTY, 4 APRIL 1788

You Since. At this Meeting it was by Some of the Members present
Suggested to the Members of our County, that it would be best for
Ulster not to fix on the Governor for a Delegate until they were in-
formed, that it could not be fixed with certainty that the Governor
should be Elected a Delegate for Kings County, Where, if the Gover-
nor is not Elected it is highly probable the whole Representation will
be fedral-Which County however, placeing the highest confidence
in the Governor is supposed will not hesitate, if proposed to them, to
make him their choice for a Delegate, and with him Elect another
Member whose Opposition to the new Constitution can by Relyed
on-This proposition Melancton Smith Esquire, who was present at
the Meeting, and going to New York immediately thereafter, engaged,
with [Cornelius] Wykoff, to Communicate to some of the principal
Characters in that County as soon as he came Home, and when fixed
with certainty there, he has promised immediately thereupon to in-
form us thereof-This proposition was consented to on our part, be-
cause, if the Governor was Elected in Kings County, there was no
doubt at all but that our County would notwithstanding Elect six Mem-
bers who would be decidedly against the New Constitution, and in
that case there would be two Members Gained to our Cause which
you doubtless will admit to be a good [Result?] I Perfectly agree with
you in Opinion that we ought to support the first list fixed at Pough-
keepsie if there should be any danger of division taking place amongst
us, or that by the Change we would have Reason to suspect that a
Man would be Elected that was not decidedly against the New Con-
stitution-But my dear friend let not our Zeal lead us [against a
Man?] Ready and willing to support [the first list Agreed?] on by us,
But if the Governor should be fixed to be Elected [in?] Kings County
with certainty and you could think it safe and adviseable I would have
no Objections to fix on any other Gentleman in Kingston you would
approve of in the Room of Addison and give up the Governor, this I
would consent to, only to Strengthen the General Cause, thereby to
gain in Numbers in the Convention,-And if you do not think it ad-
vised let me know it and I shall do every thing in my power to Support
the list- (I am afraid I shall wear out your patience to Read this.) I
believe the Fedral Cause has in this County so few Supporters and
most of them very Weak ones too, that there would be no danger in
the Cause if we was even now to fix upon an entire new list, to carry
it into Effect if we will only exert ourselves, why then should we be
afraid for the change of one name only, however important to the
List-and especially as I observed before while we would with our
Exertions gain one or two to the Number in support of the Cause-

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