III. DEBATE OVER CONSTITUTION

Hudson Weekly Gazette, 24 June 1788
To the CONVENTION of the STATE of NEW-YORK.
At this moment, while the event of your debates is yet undetermined,
a friend to the rights of mankind, and to the essential interests of this
state begs leave to address you. Deeply impressed with the importance
of the subject of your deliberations, the people at large look up to you
on this occasion as the pillars of your country, and with anxiety wait
the result, as the sure ground of their political salvation. They have
however reason to dread that PARTY under the specious cloak of PA-
TRIOTISM will have an undue influence on many of your members.
They have in many instances felt the effects of that pernicious pest of
society, that bane of every just principle, and liberal grounds of argu-
ment. They know that when the minds of men have been long agitated
by any object of importance, when they have at length chosen the side
which they intend to support, all the force of reason is not sufficient
to make them forego their preconceived opinions. But they flatter
themselves, that, at this time, when the present and future happiness
of this country is suspended on the adoption or rejection of the pro-
posed constitution, party prejudices, and local views will be banished
from your councils, and that you will hear the arguments, on both sides,
with impartiality and judge with candor. It is generally supposed, that
the question which you are now to debate, is materially different from
what it was at first. It is now reduced to this single point-whether we
shall unite with the other states in adopting this new form of govern-
ment, or separate ourselves entirely from them? In forming your opin-
ions on this important subject, you ought seriously to consider what
would be the probable consequences, either of an adoption of the con-
stitution, or of our separation from the other states. It is strongly im-
pressed on the minds of the more considerate and reflecting class of
people, that the advantages to be derived from the adoption of the
constitution would be many and great. We should be united with states
who, on all occasions, would be able to contribute their share of money
towards the support of government and public faith, and of soldiers to
repel the hostile attacks of invaders. The channels of commerce, un-
clogged by duties or restrictions, would flow in streams of mutual ben-
efit-the mild and equal energy of laws would be felt by us and our
neighbours-foreign states would look upon us with reverence, and,
from our local situation, and the fertility of our country, we must, in
the revolutions of time, become the emporium of commerce-the ar-
biter of the world. If any branch of the constitution should, on trial,
be found subversive of any essential right of the people, an easy door

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