The Constitution Completed: Differing Opinions

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The Constitution CompletedDiffering Opinions
every member of the convention should sign.
A few characters of consequence, by opposing or
even refusing to sign the Constitution, might do
infinite mischiefNo mans ideas were more remote
from the plan than mine are known to be but is
it possible to deliberate between anarchyon one
side, and the chance of good to be expected from
the plan on the other?
a Civil war may result from the present
crisisIn Massachusetts there are two parties,
one devoted to Democracy, the worstof all
political evils, the other as violent in the
opposite extremefor this and other reasonsthe
plan should have been proposed in a more
mediating shape.
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I confess that there are several parts of this
Constitution which I do not at present
approveBut the older I grow, the more apt I am
to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect
to the judgment of othersIn these sentimentsI
agree with this Constitution with all its faults,
if they are such because I think a general
Government necessary for usand I doubtwhether
any other Convention we can obtain, may be able
to make a better Constitution. For when you
assemble a number of men to have the advantage of
their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with
those men all their prejudices, their passions,
their errors of opinion, their local interests,
and their selfish views. From such an assembly
can a perfect production be expected? It
therefore astonishes meto find this system
approaching so near to perfection as it doesThus
I consentto this Constitution because I expect
no better, and because I am not sure, that it is
not the bestIf every one of us in returning to
our Constituents were to report the objections he
has had to itwe might prevent its being
generally received, and thereby lose all the
salutary effects and great advantages resulting
naturally in our favor among foreign Nations as
well as among ourselves, from a real or apparent
unanimityOn the wholeI cannot help expressing a
wish that every member of the Convention who may
still have objections to it, would with me on
this occasion doubt a little of his own
infallibility, and to make manifest our unanimity
put his name to this instrument.
http//teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/deba
tes/0917-2/
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• http//www.foundingfathers.info/federalistpapers/
  
• http//thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fedpapers.html

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Hammering Out a Bundle of Compromises

• After deciding to scrap the Articles of
  Confederation, what to do?

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Political Negotiation

• Great Compromise
• Upper house ? 2 delegates from each state
• Lower house ? based on population
• Federal Judicial System
• States had own courts and feared losing this
  power
• Convention left creation of system up to new
  national legislature
• Voting was not restricted to just property owners
• Upper house chosen by state legislatures
• President elected by an electoral college

States and their legislatures had some power
the people had more direct power acceptance of
reduction of state sovereignty?
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Compromises cont.

• Slavery
• 3/5 Compromise
• Slave trade would exist for at least 20 years
• Separation of Powers
• Federalism
• States and national government
• Branches of government
• Legislative
• Executive
• Judicial
• Electoral College

Constitutional Convention adjourned on
9/17/1787 -Constitution now had to be ratified
by voters
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George Masons Objections
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"I have often looked at that behind the president
without being able to tell whether it was rising
or setting. But now I... know that it is a
...sun."
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Federalists Position

• Ratification by
• Ratifying conventions in each state with
  popularly elected delegates
• or

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Ratification

• 10 months of debate
• The Federalist (Papers)
• Designed for NY
• Used in VA also
• Not intended to present all sides
• Constitution presented as favorable as possible
• Conflicts and compromises reached not discussed
• Feds better organized than Anti-Feds

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Civic Virtue

• Citizens had to be willing to set aside their
  interests if it was necessary to do so for the
  common good
• Greatest danger selfish pursuit of interests by
  groups of citizens (ignoring the common good)

Vs.
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Promoting Republicanism

• Constitution
• System of representation, separation of powers,
  and checks balances protected common good

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Counterarguments to B of R
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Federalists Compromise

• Federalists agreed that the first Congress would
  draft a bill of rights to be added to the
  Constitution
• Insisted on including a statement that the list
  of rights should not be interpreted to mean that
  they are the only rights the people had

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Compromise

• Federalists
• Anti-Federalists

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Article VII

• 9 states needed to ratify