DUTCHESS COUNTY, 18 MARCH 1788

regret, the daring attempts to involve you in slavery and ruin, and who
looks up to your patriotism and discernment, as the only resources, to
avert the impending dangers of despotism. That the advocates of the
new Constitution, have put in practice every art to accomplish their
end-that they stop at nothing to promote a measure which you justly
conceive, will reduce you to vassallage and misery, must be obvious to
you all. You will then have no reason to wonder, when I impute the
piece in Mr. Power's paper of the fourth instant, under the signature
of many Antifederalists,2 to one of them-when I consider it as purposely
designed, to divide your votes at the election of delegates for the en-
suing State Convention, and consequently to place it in their power to
obtain a majority of voices for the friends of the new system. They are
sensible that you greatly exceed them in number and respectability.-
They well know, that unanimity in you, will defeat and ruin their projects
in this county, and, that the only method for them to bring about their
purposes, is, to raise up jealousies among you, and to set you at variance.
For this end (I believe) an unprincipled man of the party, wrote the
performance, signed many Antifederalists. The greatest part of you have
unquestionably seen through the thinly veiled design of the author, have
penetrated into his base deceit. It may not however, be improper to make
some remarks on his production. I lay it down as an uncontrovertible
position, that the only requisite qualifications in your Delegates to the
State Convention, are firmness, character, ability, and an entire concur-
rence in sentiment with yourselves, on the subject of the new Constitu-
tion, and that the only thing essential for them to be acquainted with,
as to your situation and feelings, is your opinion of the proposed gov-
ernment. Try the gentlemen in the first nomination3 by this standard,
and if I am not greatly deceived, you will find them unexceptionable.
The observations of the writer of the many Antifederalists, as they re-
spect your representation in the Convention, must necessarily appear
more like the ravings of a Bedlamite4 than the deductions of sober
reason; however applicable they may be to your members of the Leg-
islature. This writer, instead of convincing your reason, appeals to your
passions, and endeavours to alarm your pride, by torturing into an
insult, the nomination of Mr. Smith. With an air of exultation, he en-
quires "What is the plain English in the nomination of Mr. Smith, of
New-York? It is this, that seven men cannot be found in this large
county, who are fit to be entrusted on the momentous question." I
answer, that this is supposing an absurdity, that no man acquainted with
human nature, would advance such an assertion-for is it not, in other
words, saying that the gentlemen who held up Mr. Smith, had an in-
different opinion not only of their friends, their acquaintances and

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