Editorial Procedures

All documents are transcribed literally. Obvious slips of the pen and
errors in typesetting are silently corrected. When spelling, capitaliza-
tion, punctuation, paragraphing, and spacing between words are un-
clear, modern usage is followed. Superscripts and interlineations are
lowered to the line, and marginalia are inserted where the author in-
tended. The thorn is spelled out (i.e., "ye" becomes "the"). Crossed-
out words are retained when significant. Obsolete meanings of words
are supplied in footnotes.
Square brackets are used for editorial insertions. Conjectural read-
ings are enclosed in brackets with a question mark or in angle brackets
as noted. Illegible and missing words are indicated by dashes enclosed
in brackets. However, when the author's intent is obvious, illegible or
missing text (up to five characters in length) is silently provided.
All headings are supplied by the editors. Salutations, closings of let-
ters, addresses, endorsements, docketings, and postmarks are deleted
unless they provide important information, in which case they are re-
tained in the document or placed in editorial notes. Contemporary
footnotes and marginal citations are printed after the text of the doc-
ument and immediately preceding editorial footnotes. Symbols used by
contemporaries, such as stars, asterisks, and daggers, have been re-
placed by superscripted letters (a), (b), (c), etc.
Many documents, particularly letters, are excerpted when they con-
tain material that is not relevant to ratification. Whenever an excerpt
is printed in this edition and a longer excerpt or the entire document
appears elsewhere in this edition or in other editions, this is noted.
"Editors' Notes" have been used frequently to discuss important events
as well as out-of-state newspaper essays or pamphlets that circulated in
Rhode Island but are printed elsewhere in the edition.

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