COMMENTARIES, 25 JUNE 1788

Comte de Moustier to Comte de Montmorin
New York, 25 June 1788 (excerpts)'
The grand object that holds the attention of the United States today
acquired a new degree of interest from the difficulty that accompanies
the formation of the new Government, at the moment when its parti-
sans believe its success to be most assured. Today three States are as-
sembled in convention to make a decision on the new Constitution;
Newhampshire is hardly noticed; her vote would in truth be sufficient
to complete the nine that are needed to bring about the alteration of
the federal Government, but it is not probable that it would have any
influence on the decision of the State of Virginia nor on that of New-
york. The Antifederalists seemed to win some ground in the former
and they have a recognized majority in the latter.2 The Leaders of this
party come out in the open there [New York]. There is animosity on
both sides in Virginia. I limit myself to mentioning by name only one
leader of the party in that State, Mr. Patrick Henri, because he deserves
to be distinguished from all the others by his talents, his ambition and
his influence on the people. His plan would be to detach his State from
the confederation. If he carries the votes of the people from the inte-
rior and if he joins them with those of North Carolina, which is the
last [state] to meet in Convention, he would be able to form a body
strong enough to sustain itself against the efforts of the party opposed
to his plan.
In this State [New York] the opinion of the Antifederalists is posi-
tively in favor of separation. They are claiming that it is advisable for
them to form a separate Government and not involve themselves for a
long time to come in the affairs of Europe, with whom they ought to
have even fewer commercial ties, which only furnish them with luxuries
that they must do without to live in the simplicity that befits a newborn
State....
P.S. It is learned at this moment Newhampshire has agreed to the new
Constitution. Congress can now discuss if it also wants to adopt it. It is
probable that it will agree to it, but without Virginia and Newyork the
new Government will exist more in name than in fact. The great issue
remains which course those two will take. The implementation [of the
new government] will come afterwards. -Another difficulty.-
1. RC (Tr), Correspondance Politique, Etats-Unis, Vol. 33, ff. 214-18, Archives du Min-
istere des Affaires Etrangeres, Paris. Printed: CC:787; Ameican Histofical Review, VIII
(1903), 730-33. This letter, number 15, was endorsed as received on 26 September. Mous-
tier (1751-1817) was appointed French minister plenipotentiary to the United States in
September 1787 and on 18 January 1788 he arrived in New York, where he presented
his credentials to Congress on 26 February. He remained in America until October 1789.

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