the fathers of the constitution-第26章

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its　destroying　liberty。　Especially　debtors　and　creditors　took　opposite　sides；　and　most　of　the　people　in　the　United　States　could　have　been　brought　under　one　or　the　other　category。　The　former　favored　a　system　of　government　and　legislation　which　would　tend　to　relieve　or　postpone　the　payment　of　debts；　and；　as　that　relief　would　come　more　readily　from　the　State　Governments；　they　were　naturally　the　friends　of　State　rights　and　State　authority　and　were　opposed　to　any　enlargement　of　the　powers　of　the　Federal　Government。　On　the　other　hand；　were　those　who　felt　the　necessity　of　preserving　inviolate　every　private　and　public　obligation　and　who　saw　that　the　separate　power　of　the　States　could　not　accomplish　what　was　necessary　to　sustain　both　public　and　private　credit；　they　were　disposed　to　use　the　resources　of　the　Union　and　accordingly　to　favor　the　strengthening　of　the　national　government。　In　nearly　every　State　there　was　a　struggle　between　these　classes。　In　Philadelphia　and　the　neighborhood　there　was　great　enthusiasm　for　the　new　Constitution。　Almost　simultaneously　with　the　action　by　Congress；　and　before　notification　of　it　had　been　received；　a　motion　was　introduced　in　the　Pennsylvania　Assembly　to　call　a　ratifying　convention。　The　Anti…Federalists　were　surprised　by　the　suddenness　of　this　proposal　and　to　prevent　action　absented　themselves　from　the　session　of　the　Assembly；　leaving　that　body　two　short　of　the　necessary　quorum　for　the　transaction　of　business。　The　excitement　and　indignation　in　the　city　were　so　great　that　early　the　next　morning　a　crowd　gathered；　dragged　two　of　the　absentees　from　their　lodgings　to　the　State　House；　and　held　them　firmly　in　their　places　until　the　roll　was　called　and　a　quorum　counted；　when　the　House　proceeded　to　order　a　State　convention。　As　soon　as　the　news　of　this　vote　got　out；　the　city　gave　itself　up　to　celebrating　the　event　by　the　suspension　of　business；　the　ringing　of　church　bells；　and　other　demonstrations。　The　elections　were　hotly　contested；　but　the　Federalists　were　generally　successful。　The　convention　met　towards　the　end　of　November　and；　after　three　weeks　of　futile　discussion；　mainly　upon　trivial　matters　and　the　meaning　of　words；　ratified　the　Constitution　on　the　12th　of　December；　by　a　vote　of　forty…six　to　twenty…three。　Again　the　city　of　Philadelphia　celebrated。　Pennsylvania　was　the　first　State　to　call　a　convention；　but　its　final　action　was　anticipated　by　Delaware；　where　the　State　convention　met　and　ratified　the　Constitution　by　unanimous　vote　on　the　7th　of　December。　The　New　Jersey　convention　spent　only　a　week　in　discussion　and　then　voted；　also　unanimously；　for　ratification　on　the　18th　of　December。　The　next　State　to　ratify　was　Georgia；　where　the　Constitution　was　approved　without　a　dissenting　vote　on　January　2；　1788。　Connecticut　followed　immediately　and；　after　a　session　of　only　five　days；　declared　itself　in　favor　of　the　Constitution；　on　the　9th　of　January；　by　a　vote　of　over　three　to　one。　The　results　of　the　campaign　for　ratification　thus　far　were　most　gratifying　to　the　Federalists；　but　the　issue　was　not　decided。　With　the　exception　of　Pennsylvania；　the　States　which　had　acted　were　of　lesser　importance；　and；　until　Massachusetts；　New　York；　and　Virginia　should　declare　themselves；　the　outcome　would　be　in　doubt。　The　convention　of　Massachusetts　met　on　the　same　day　that　the　Connecticut　convention　adjourned。　The　sentiment　of　Boston；　like　that　of　Philadelphia；　was　strongly　Federalist；　but　the　outlying　districts；　and　in　particular　the　western　part　of　the　State；　where　Shays'　Rebellion　had　broken　out；　were　to　be　counted　in　the　opposition。　There　were　355　delegates　who　took　part　in　the　Massachusetts　convention；　a　larger　number　than　was　chosen　in　any　of　the　other　States；　and　the　majority　seemed　to　be　opposed　to　ratification。　The　division　was　close；　however；　and　it　was　believed　that　the　attitude　of　two　men　would　determine　the　result。　One　of　these　was　Governor　John　Hancock；　who　was　chosen　chairman　of　the　convention　but　who　did　not　attend　the　sessions　at　the　outset；　as　he　was　confined　to　his　house　by　an　attack　of　gout；　which；　it　was　maliciously　said；　would　disappear　as　soon　as　it　was　known　which　way　the　majority　of　the　convention　would　vote。　The　other　was　Samuel　Adams；　a　genuine　friend　of　liberty；　who　was　opposed　on　principle　to　the　general　theory　of　the　government　set　forth　in　the　Constitution。　〃I　stumble　at　the　threshold；〃　he　wrote。　〃I　meet　with　a　national　government；　instead　of　a　federal　union　of　sovereign　states。〃　But；　being　a　shrewd　politician；　Adams　did　not　commit　himself　openly　and；　when　the　tradesmen　of　Boston　declared　themselves　in　favor　of　ratification；　he　was　ready　to　yield　his　personal　opinion。　There　were　many　delegates　in　the　Massachusetts　convention　who　felt　that　it　was　better　to　amend　the　document　before　them　than　to　try　another　Federal　Convention；　when　as　good　an　instrument　might　not　be　devised。　If　this　group　were　added　to　those　who　were　ready　to　accept　the　Constitution　as　it　stood；　they　would　make　a　majority　in　favor　of　the　new　government。　But　the　delay　involved　in　amending　was　regarded　as　dangerous；　and　it　was　argued　that；　as　the　Constitution　made　ample　provision　for　changes；　it　would　be　safer　and　wiser　to　rely　upon　that　method。　The　question　was　one；　therefore；　of　immediate　or　future　amendment。　Pressure　was　accordingly　brought　to　bear　upon　Governor　Hancock　and　intimations　were　made　to　him　of　future　political　preferment；　until　he　was　persuaded　to　propose　immediate　ratification　of　the　Constitution；　with　an　urgent　recommendation　of　such　amendments　as　would　remove　the　objections　of　the　Massachusetts　people。　When　this　proposal　was　approved　by　Adams；　its　success　was　assured；　and　a　few　days　later；　on　the　6th　of　February；　the　convention　voted　187　to　168　in　favor　of　ratification。　Nine　amendments；　largely　in　the　nature　of　a　bill　of　rights；　were　then　demanded；　and　the　Massachusetts　representatives　in　Congress　were　enjoined　〃at　all　times；　。　。　。　to　exert　all　their　influence；　and　use　all　reasonable　and　legal　methods；　To　obtain　a　ratification　of　the　said　alterations　and　provisions。〃　On　the　very　day　this　action　was　taken；　Jefferson　wrote　from　Paris　to　Madison：　〃I　wish　with　all　my　soul　that　the　nine　first　conventions　may　accept　the　new　Constitution；　to　secure　to　us　the　good　it　contains；　but　I　equally　wish　that　the　four　latest；　whichever　they　may　be；　may　refuse　to　accede　to　it　till　a　declaration　of　rights　be　annexed。〃　Boston　proceeded　to　celebrate　as　Philadelphia；　and　Benjamin　Lincoln　wrote　to　Washington；　on　the　9th　of　February；　enclosing　an　extract　from　the　local　paper　describing　the　event：　〃By　the　paper　your　Excellency　will　observe　some　account　of　the　parade　of　the　Eighth　the　printer　had　by　no　means　time　eno'　to　do　justice　to　the　subject。　To　give　you　some　idea　how　far　he　has　been　deficient　I　will　mention　an　observation　I　heard　made　by　a　Lady　the　last　evening　who　saw　the　whole　that　the　description　in　the　paper　would　no　more　compare　with　the　original　than　the　light　of　the　faintest　star　would　with　that　of　the　Sun　fortunately　for　us　the　whole　ended　without　the　least　disorder　and　the　town　during　the　whole　evening　was；　so　far　as　I　could　observe　perfectly　quiet。〃*　*Documentary　History；　vol。　IV；　pp。　488…490。

He　added　another　paragraph　which　he　later