the fathers of the constitution-第15节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


attractive　smile。　He　carried　himself　erectly　and　with　dignity；　so　that　in　spite　of　his　small　figure；　when　he　entered　a　room　〃it　was　apparent；　from　the　respectful　attention　of　the　company；　that　he　was　a　distinguished　person。〃　A　contemporary；　speaking　of　the　opposite　and　almost　irreconcilable　traits　of　Hamilton's　character；　pronounced　a　bust　of　him　as　giving　a　complete　exposition　of　his　character：　〃Draw　a　handkerchief　around　the　mouth　of　the　bust；　and　the　remnant　of　the　countenance　represents　fortitude　and　intrepidity　such　as　we　have　often　seen　in　the　plates　of　Roman　heroes。　Veil　in　the　same　manner　the　face　and　leave　the　mouth　and　chin　only　discernible；　and　all　this　fortitude　melts　and　vanishes　into　almost　feminine　softness。〃　Hamilton　was　a　leading　spirit　in　the　Annapolis　Trade　Convention　and　wrote　the　report　that　it　adopted。　Whether　or　not　there　is　any　truth　in　the　assertion　of　the　French　charge　that　Hamilton　and　others　thought　it　advisable　to　disguise　their　purposes；　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　Annapolis　Convention　was　an　all…important　step　in　the　progress　of　reform；　and　its　recommendation　was　the　direct　occasion　of　the　calling　of　the　great　convention　that　framed　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States。　The　recommendation　of　the　Annapolis　delegates　was　in　the　form　of　a　report　to　the　legislatures　of　their　respective　States；　in　which　they　referred　to　the　defects　in　the　Federal　Government　and　called　for　〃a　convention　of　deputies　from　the　different　states　for　the　special　purpose　of　entering　into　this　investigation　and　digesting　a　Plan　for　supplying　such　defects。〃　Philadelphia　was　suggested　as　the　place　of　meeting；　and　the　time　was　fixed　for　the　second　Monday　in　May　of　the　next　year。　Several　of　the　States　acted　promptly　upon　this　recommendation　and　in　February；　1787；　Congress　adopted　a　resolution　accepting　the　proposal　and　calling　the　convention　〃for　the　sole　and　express　purpose　of　revising　the　Articles　of　Confederation　and　reporting　。　。　。　such　alterations　。　。　。　as　shall　。　。　。　render　the　Federal　Constitution　adequate　to　the　exigencies　of　Government　and　the　preservation　of　the　Union。〃　Before　the　time　fixed　for　the　meeting　of　the　Philadelphia　Convention；　or　shortly　after　that　date；　all　the　States　had　appointed　deputies　with　the　exception　of　New　Hampshire　and　Rhode　Island。　New　Hampshire　was　favorably　disposed　toward　the　meeting　but；　owing　to　local　conditions；　failed　to　act　before　the　Convention　was　well　under　way。　Delegates；　however；　arrived　in　time　to　share　in　some　of　the　most　important　proceedings。　Rhode　Island　alone　refused　to　take　part；　although　a　letter　signed　by　some　of　the　prominent　men　was　sent　to　the　Convention　pledging　their　support。

CHAPTER　VI。　THE　FEDERAL　CONVENTION　The　body　of　delegates　which　met　in　Philadelphia　in　1787　was　the　most　important　convention　that　ever　sat　in　the　United　States。　The　Confederation　was　a　failure；　and　if　the　new　nation　was　to　be　justified　in　the　eyes　of　the　world；　it　must　show　itself　capable　of　effective　union。　The　members　of　the　Convention　realized　the　significance　of　the　task　before　them；　which　was；　as　Madison　said；　〃now　to　decide　forever　the　fate　of　Republican　government。〃　Gouverneur　Morris；　with　unwonted　seriousness；　declared：　〃The　whole　human　race　will　be　affected　by　the　proceedings　of　this　Convention。〃　James　Wilson　spoke　with　equal　gravity：　〃After　the　lapse　of　six　thousand　years　since　the　creation　of　the　world　America　now　presents　the　first　instance　of　a　people　assembled　to　weigh　deliberately　and　calmly　and　to　decide　leisurely　and　peaceably　upon　the　form　of　government　by　which　they　will　bind　themselves　and　their　posterity。〃　Not　all　the　men　to　whom　this　undertaking　was　entrusted；　and　who　were　taking　themselves　and　their　work　so　seriously；　could　pretend　to　social　distinction；　but　practically　all　belonged　to　the　upper　ruling　class。　At　the　Indian　Queen；　a　tavern　on　Fourth　Street　between　Market　and　Chestnut；　some　of　the　delegates　had　a　hall　in　which　they　lived　by　themselves。　The　meetings　of　the　Convention　were　held　in　an　upper　room　of　the　State　House。　The　sessions　were　secret；　sentries　were　placed　at　the　door　to　keep　away　all　intruders；　and　the　pavement　of　the　street　in　front　of　the　building　was　covered　with　loose　earth　so　that　the　noises　of　passing　traffic　should　not　disturb　this　august　assembly。　It　is　not　surprising　that　a　tradition　grew　up　about　the　Federal　Convention　which　hedged　it　round　with　a　sort　of　awe　and　reverence。　Even　Thomas　Jefferson　referred　to　it　as　〃an　assembly　of　demigods。〃　If　we　can　get　away　from　the　glamour　which　has　been　spread　over　the　work　of　the　Fathers　of　the　Constitution　and　understand　that　they　were　human　beings；　even　as　we　are；　and　influenced　by　the　same　motives　as　other　men；　it　may　be　possible　to　obtain　a　more　faithful　impression　of　what　actually　took　place。　Since　representation　in　the　Convention　was　to　be　by　States；　just　as　it　had　been　in　the　Continental　Congress；　the　presence　of　delegations　from　a　majority　of　the　States　was　necessary　for　organization。　It　is　a　commentary　upon　the　times；　upon　the　difficulties　of　travel；　and　upon　the　leisurely　habits　of　the　people；　that　the　meeting　which　had　been　called　for　the　14th　of　May　could　not　begin　its　work　for　over　ten　days。　The　25th　of　May　was　stormy；　and　only　twenty…nine　delegates　were　on　hand　when　the　Convention　organized。　The　slender　attendance　can　only　partially　be　attributed　to　the　weather；　for　in　the　following　three　months　and　a　half　of　the　Convention；　at　which　fifty…five　members　were　present　at　one　time　or　another；　the　average　attendance　was　only　slightly　larger　than　that　of　the　first　day。　In　such　a　small　body　personality　counted　for　much；　in　ways　that　the　historian　can　only　surmise。　Many　compromises　of　conflicting　interests　were　reached　by　informal　discussion　outside　of　the　formal　sessions。　In　these　small　gatherings　individual　character　was　often　as　decisive　as　weighty　argument。　George　Washington　was　unanimously　chosen　as　the　presiding　officer　of　the　Convention。　He　sat　on　a　raised　platform；　in　a　large；　carved；　high…backed　chair；　from　which　his　commanding　figure　and　dignified　bearing　exerted　a　potent　influence　on　the　assembly；　an　influence　enhanced　by　the　formal　courtesy　and　stately　intercourse　of　the　times。　Washington　was　the　great　man　of　his　day　and　the　members　not　only　respected　and　admired　him；　some　of　them　were　actually　afraid　of　him。　When　he　rose　to　his　feet　he　was　almost　the　Commitnder…in…Chief　again。　There　is　evidence　to　show　that　his　support　or　disapproval　was　at　times　a　decisive　factor　in　the　deliberations　of　the　Convention。　Virginia；　which　had　taken　a　conspicuous　part　in　the　calling　of　the　Convention；　was　looked　to　for　leadership　in　the　work　that　was　to　be　done。　James　Madison；　next　to　Washington　the　most　important　member　of　the　Virginia　delegation；　was　the　very　opposite　of　Washington　in　many　respectssmall　and　slight　in　stature；　inconspicuous　in　dress　as　in　figure；　modest　and　retiring；　but　with　a　quick；　active　mind　and　wide　knowledge　obtained　both　from　experience　in　public　affairs　and　from　extensive　reading。　Washington　was　the　man　of　action；　Madison；　the　scholar　in　politics。　Madison　was　the　younger　by　nearly　twenty　years；　but　Washington　admired　him　greatly　and　gave　him　the　support　of　his　influencea　matter　of　no　little　consequence；　for　Madison　was　the　leading　expert　worker　of　the　Convention　in　the　business　of　framing　the　Constitution。　Governor　Edmund　Randolph；　with　his　tall　figure；　handsome　face；　and　dignified　manner；　made　an　excellent　impression　in　the　position　accorded　tohim　of　nominal　leader　of　the　Virginia　delegation。　Among　others　irom　the　same　State　who　should　be　noticed　were　the　famous　lawyers；　George　Wythe　and　George　Mason。　Among　the　deputies　from　Pennsylvania　the　foremost　was　James　Wilson；　the　〃Caledonian；〃　who　probably　stood　next　in　importance　in　the　convention　to　Madison　and　Washington。　He　had　come　to　America　as　a　young　man　just　when　the　troubles　with　England　were　beginning　and　by　sheer　ability　had　attained　a　position　cof　prominence。　Several　times　a　member　of　Congress；　a　signer　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　he　was　now　regarded　as　one　of　the　ablest　lawyers　in　the　United　States。　A　more　brilliant　member　of　the　Pennsylvania　delegation；　and　one　of　the　most　brilliant　of　the　Convention；　was　Gouverneur　Morris；　who　shone　by　his　cleverness　and　quick　wit　as　well　as　by　his　wonderful　command　of　）anguage。　But　Morris　was　admired　more　than　he　was　trusted；　and；　while　he　supported　the　efforts　for　a　strong　government；　his　support　was　not　always　as　great　a　help　as　might　have　been　expected。　A　crippled　arm　and　a　wooden　leg　might　detract　from　his　personal　appearance；　but　they　could　not　subdue　his　spirit　and　audacity。*　*　There　is　a　story　which　illustrates　admirably　the　audacity　of　Morris　and　the　austere　dignity　of　Washington。　The　story　runs　that　Morris　and　several　members　of　the　Cabinet　were　spending　an　evening　at　the　President's　house　in　Philadelphia；　where　they　were　discussing　the　absorbing　question　of　the　hour；　whatever　it　may　have　been。　〃The　President；〃　Morris　is　said　to　have　related　on　the　following　day；　〃was　standing　with　his　arms　behind　him　his　usual　positionhis　back　to　the　fire。　I　started　up　and　spoke；　stamping；　as　I　walked　up　and　down；　with　my　wooden　leg；　and；　as　I　was　certain　I　had　the　best　of　the　argument；　as　I　finished