the fathers of the constitution-第20节

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　proposal　in　the　Virginia　Resolutions　was　accepted　that　amendments　made　by　the　Convention　in　the　Articles　of　Confederation　should　be　submitted　to　assemblies　chosen　by　the　people　instead　of　to　the　legislatures　of　the　separate　States。　This　was　the　more　readily　accepted　because　it　was　believed　that　ratification　by　the　legislatures　would　result　in　the　formation　of　a　treaty　rather　than　in　a　working　instrument　of　government。　The　next　step　was　to　prevent　the　work　of　the　Convention　from　meeting　the　fate　of　all　previous　amendments　to　the　Articles　of　Confederation；　which　had　required　the　consent　of　every　State　in　the　Union。　At　the　time　the　committee　of　detail　made　its　report；　the　Convention　was　ready　to　agree　that　the　consent　of　all　the　States　was　not　necessary；　and　it　eventually　decided　that；　when　ratified　by　the　conventions　of　nine　States；　the　Constitution　should　go　into　effect　between　the　States　so　ratifying。　It　was　not　within　the　province　of　the　Convention　to　determine　what　the　course　of　procedure　should　be　in　the　individual　States；　so　it　simply　transmitted　the　Constitution　to　Congress　and　in　an　accompanying　document；　which　significantly　omitted　any　request　for　the　approval　of　Congress；　strongly　expressed　the　opinion　that　the　Constitution　should　〃be　submitted　to　a　convention　of　delegates　chosen　in　each　state　by　the　people　thereof。〃　This　was　nothing　less　than　indirect　ratification　by　the　people；　and；　since　it　was　impossible　to　foretell　in　advance　which　of　the　States　would　or　would　not　ratify；　the　original　draft　of　〃We；　the　People　of　the　States　of　New　Hampshire；　Massachusetts；　Rhode　Island；　。　。　。〃　was　changed　to　the　phrase　〃We；　the　People　of　the　United　States。〃　No　man　of　that　day　could　imagine　how　significant　this　change　would　appear　in　the　light　of　later　history。　Congress　did　not　receive　the　new　Constitution　enthusiastically；　yet　after　a　few　days'　discussion　it　unanimously　voted；　eleven　States　being　present；　that　the　recommendations　of　the　Convention　should　be　followed；　and　accordingly　sent　the　document　to　the　States；　but　without　a　word　of　approval　or　disapproval。　On　the　whole　the　document　was　well　received；　especially　as　it　was　favored　by　the　upper　class；　who　had　the　ability　and　the　opportunity　for　expression　and　were　in　a　position　to　make　themselves　heard。　For　a　time　it　looked　as　if　the　Constitution　would　be　readily　adopted。　The　contest　over　the　Constitution　in　the　States　is　usually　taken　as　marking　the　beginning　of　the　two　great　national　political　parties　in　the　United　States。　This　was；　indeed；　in　a　way　the　first　great　national　question　that　could　cause　such　a　division。　There　had　been；　to　be　sure；　Whigs　and　Tories　in　America；　reproducing　British　parties；　but　when　the　trouble　with　the　mother　country　began；　the　successive　congresses　of　delegates　were　recognized　and　attended　only　by　the　so…called　American　Whigs；　and　after　the　Declaration　of　Independence　the　name　of　Tory；　became　a　reproach；　so　that　with　the　end　of　the　war　the　Tory　party　disappeared。　After　the　Revolution　there　were　local　parties　in　the　various　States；　divided　on　one　and　another　question；　such　as　that　of　hard　and　soft　money；　and　these　issues　had　coincided　in　different　States；　but　they　were　in　no　sense　national　parties　with　organizations；　platforms；　and　leaders；　they　were　purely　local；　and　the　followers　of　one　or　the　other　would　have　denied　that　they　were　anything　else　than　Whigs。　But　a　new　issue　was　now　raised。　The　Whig　party　split　in　two；　new　leaders　appeared；　and　the　elements　gathered　in　two　main　divisionsthe　Federalists　advocating；　and　the　Anti…Federalists　opposing；　the　adoption　of　the　new　Constitution。　There　were　differences　of　opinion　over　all　the　questions　which　had　led　to　the　calling　of　the　Federal　Convention　and　the　framing　of　the　Constitution　and　so　there　was　inevitably　a　division　upon　the　result　of　the　Convention's　work。　There　were　those　who　wanted　national　authority　for　the　suppression　of　disorder　and　of　what　threatened　to　be　anarchy　throughout　the　Union；　and　on　the　other　hand　there　were　those　who　opposed　a　strongly　organized　government　through　fear　of　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