1. DEBATE OVER CONSTITUTION

ablest men in the Union, a majority of whom shall be invested with the
power of altering it. It is now so bad, as to defy the malice of fortune
and ingenuity to make it worse.")4
If opposition is made in your public assemblies, which I have hope
will not be the case, from the means of information time will give all
classes of people, you will find ignorance and artifice endeavoring to
shroud themselves from public contempt, under an affected silence;
and perhaps not the shadow of an argument produced in support of a
dead vote. For shame, electors! let not the good sense of Americans be
thus represented; but if men do appear in your legislative bodies in
support of a bad cause, let them at least be able to gild its deformity.
But should you ratify the proceedings of your Convention, the happy
event will form an epocha, more peculiar in its nature, more felicitating
in its consequences, and more interesting to the philosophic mind,
than ever the political history of man has displayed. Where is the coun-
try in which the principles of civil liberty and jurisprudence are so well
understood as in this-and where has ever such an assembly of men
been deputed for such a purpose? To see an assemblage of characters,
most of them illustrious for their integrity, patriotism and abilities, rep-
resenting many Sovereign States; framing a system of Government for
the whole, in the midst of a profound peace; unembarrassed by any
unfavorable circumstance abroad, uninfluenced by any selfish motive
at home; but making the most generous concessions to each other for
the common welfare, and directing their deliberations with the most
perfect unanimity-to see a Constitution of Government thus formed,
and fraught with wisdom, economy, and foresight, adapted to the po-
litical habits of their constituents, to the state of Society and civilization,
to the peculiar circumstances of their country, and to those enlight-
ened sentiments of freedom and toleration, so dear to all good men-
and, finally, to see this Constitution ratified and adopted by several
millions of people, inhabiting an extensive country, not from any coer-
tion, but from mere principles of propriety, wisdom, and policy-these
are objects too great, and too glorious, to be viewed with common
admiration and delight-the idea alone is animating to every bosom,
susceptible of the emotions of patriotism or philanthropy-the attempt
alone reflects a dignity upon human nature, and the execution secures
freedom and public happiness to remote posterity.
This great event will disclose the meaning of those many astonishing
providences, which gave timely aid to American arms in the just strug-
gle for independence. From this it will appear, that these were not
intended to usher in, upon this recent theatre of cultivated humanity,
the horrors of domestic jarring; but to establish, upon the firmest basis,

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