the fathers of the constitution-第21节

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　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　struck　out　as　being　of　little　importance；　but　it　throws　an　interesting　sidelight　upon　the　customs　of　the　time。　〃The　Gentlemen　provided　at　Faneul　Hall　some　biscuit　&　cheese　four　qr　Casks　of　wine　three　barrels　&　two　hogs　of　punch　the　moment　they　found　that　the　people　had　drank　sufficiently　means　were　taken　to　overset　the　two　hogspunch　this　being　done　the　company　dispersed　and　the　day　ended　most　agreeably〃*　*　Ibid。

Maryland　came　next。　When　the　Federal　Convention　was　breaking　up；　Luther　Martin　was　speaking　of　the　new　system　of　government　to　his　colleague；　Daniel　of　St。　Thomas　Jenifer；　and　exclaimed：　〃I'll　be　hanged　if　ever　the　people　of　Maryland　agree　to　it！〃　To　which　his　colleague　retorted：　〃I　advise　you　to　stay　in　Philadelphia；　lest　you　should　be　hanged。〃　And　Jenifer　proved　to　be　right；　for　in　Maryland　the　Federalists　obtained　control　of　the　convention　and；　by　a　vote　of　63　to　11；　ratified　the　Constitution　on　the　26th　of　April。　In　South　Carolina；　which　was　the　Southern　State　next　in　importance　to　Virginia；　the　compromise　on　the　slave　trade　proved　to　be　one　of　the　deciding　factors　in　determining　public　opinion。　When　the　elections　were　held；　they　resulted　in　an　overwhelming　majority　for　the　Federalists；　so　that　after　a　session　of　less　than　two　weeks　the　convention　ratified　the　Constitution；　on　the　28th　of　May；　by　a　vote　of　over　two　to　one。　The　only　apparent　setback　which　the　adoption　of　the　Constitution　had　thus　far　received　was　in　New　Hampshire；　where　the　convention　met　early　in　February　and　then　adjourned　until　June　to　see　what　the　other　States　might　do。　But　this　delay　proved　to　be　of　no　consequence　for；　when　the　time　came　for　the　second　meeting　of　the　New　Hampshire　delegates；　eight　States　had　already　acted　favorably　and　adoption　was　regarded　as　a　certainty。　This　was　sufficient　to　put　a　stop　to　any　further　waiting；　and　New　Hampshire　added　its　name　to　the　list　on　the　21st　of　June；　but　the　division　of　opinion　was　fairly　well　represented　by　the　smallness　of　the　majority；　the　vote　standing　57　to　46。　Nine　States　had　now　ratified　the　Constitution　and　it　was　to　go　into　effect　among　them。　But　the　support　of　Virginia　and　New　York　was　of　so　much　importance　that　their　decisions　were　awaited　with　uneasiness。　In　Virginia；　in　spite　of　the　support　of　such　men　as　Washington　and　Madison；　the　sentiment　for　and　against　the　Constitution　was　fairly　evenly　divided；　and　the　opposition　numbered　in　its　ranks　other　names　of　almost　equal　influence；　such　as　Patrick　Henry　and　George　Mason。　Feeling　ran　high；　the　contest　was　a　bitter　one　and；　even　after　the　elections　had　been　held　and　the　convention　had　opened；　early　in　June；　the　decision　was　in　doubt　and　remained　in　doubt　until　the　very　end。　The　situation　was；　in　one　respect　at　least；　similar　to　that　which　had　existed　in　Massachusetts；　in　that　it　was　possible　to　get　a　substantial　majority　in　favor　of　the　Constitution　provided　certain　amendments　were　made。　The　same　arguments　were　used；　strengthened　on　the　one　side　by　what　other　States　had　done；　and　on　the　other　side　by　the　plea　that　now　was　the　time　to　hold　out　for　amendments。　The　example　of　Massachusetts；　however；　seems　to　have　been　decisive；　and　on　the　25th　of　June；　four　days　later　than　New　Hampshire；　the　Virginia　convention　voted　to　ratify；　〃under　the　conviction　that　whatsoever　imperfections　may　exist　in　the　Constitution　ought　rather　to　be　examined　in　the　mode　prescribed　therein；　than　to　bring　the　Union　into　danger　by　delay；　with　a　hope　of　obtaining　amendments　previous　to　the　ratification。〃　When　the　New　York　convention　began　its　sessions　on　the　17th　of　June；　it　is　said　that　more　than　two…thirds　of　the　delegates　were　Anti…Federalist　in　sentiment。　How　a　majority　in　favor　of　the　Constitution　was　obtained　has　never　been　adequately　explained；　but　it　is　certain　that　the　main　credit　for　the　achievement　belongs　to　Alexander　Hamilton。　He　had　early　realized　how　greatly　it　would　help　the　prospects　of　the　Constitution　if　thinking　people　could　be　brought　to　an　appreciation　of　the　importance　and　value　of　the　new　form　of　government。　In　order　to　reach　the　intelligent　public　everywhere；　but　particularly　in　New　York；　he　projected　a　series　of　essays　which　should　be　published　in　the　newspapers；　setting　forth　the　aims　and　purposes　of　the　Constitution。　He　secured　the　assistance　of　Madison　and　Jay；　and　before　the　end　of　October；　1787；　published　the　first　essay　in　〃The　Independent　Gazetteer。〃　From　that　time　on　these　papers　continued　to　be　printed　over　the　signature　of　〃Publius；〃　sometimes　as　many　as　three　or　four　in　a　week。　There　were　eighty…five　numbers　altogether；　which　have　ever　since　been　known　as　〃The　Federalist。〃　Of　these　approximately　fifty　were　the　work　of　Hamilton；　Madison　wrote　about　thirty　and　Jay　five。　Although　the　essays　were　widely　copied　in　other　journals；　and　form　for　us　the　most　important　commentary　on　the　Constitution；　making　what　is　regarded　as　one　of　America's　greatest　books；　it　is　doubtful　how　much　immediate　influence　they　had。　Certainly　in　the　New　York　convention　itself　Hamilton's　personal　influence　was　a　stronger　force。　His　arguments　were　both　eloquent　and　cogent；　and　met　every　objection；　and　his　efforts　to　win　over　the　opposition　were　unremitting。　The　news　which　came　by　express　riders　from　New　Hampshire　and　then　from　Virginia　were　also　deciding　factors；　for　New　York　could　not　afford　to　remain　out　of　the　new　Union　if　it　was　to　embrace　States　on　either　side。　And　yet　the　debate　continued；　as　the　opposition　was　putting　forth　every　effort　to　make　ratification　conditional　upon　certain　amendments　being　adopted。　But　Hamilton　resolutely　refused　to　make　any　concessions　and　at　length　was　successful　in　persuading　the　New　York　convention；　by　a　vote　of　30　against　27；　on　the　26th　of　July；　to　follow　the　example　of　Massachusetts　and　Virginia　and　to　ratify　the　Constitution　with　merely　a　recommendation　of　future　amendments。　The　satisfaction　of　the　country　at　the　outcome　of　the　long　and　momentous　struggle　over　the　adoption　of　the　new　government　was　unmistakable。　Even　before　the　action　of　New　York　had　been　taken；　the　Fourth　of　July　was　made　the　occasion　for　a　great　celebration　throughout　the　United　States；　both　as　the　anniversary　of　independence　and　as　the　consummation　of　the　Union　by　the　adoption　of　the　Constitution。　The　general　rejoicing　was　somewhat　tempered；　however；　by　the　reluctance　of　North　Carolina　and　Rhode　Island　to　come　under　〃the　new　roof。〃　Had　the　convention　which　met　on　the　21st　of　July　in　North　Carolina　reached　a　vote；　it　would　probably　have　defeated　the　Constitution；　but　it　was　doubtless　restrained　by　the　action　of　New　York　and　adjourned　without　coming　to　a　decision。　A　second　convention　was　called　in　September；　1789；　and　in　the　meantime　the　new　government　had　come　into　operation　and　was　bringing　pressure　to　bear　upon　the　recalcitrant　States　which　refused　to　abandon　the　old　union　for　the　new。　One　of　the　earliest　acts　passed　by　Congress　was　a　revenue　act；　levying　duties　upon　foreign　goods　imported；　which　were　made　specifically　to　apply　to　imports　from　Rhode　Island　and　North　Carolina。　This　was　sufficient　for　North　Carolina；　and　on　November　21；　1789；　the　convention　ra