pation of the political parties of later years. The dispatches of the French ministers at Philadelphia to Paris contain frequent references to the bitter contentions of the National and State parties.1 One was the party of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison; the other of John Adams, Samuel Adams, and R. H. and Arthur Lee. Mr. Jefferson went so far as to hold that Congress had authority to coerce a State to pay its quotas to the treasury.

1 Durand: Documents on the American Revolution, p. 194.

CHAPTER VII.

THE FEDERAL CONVENTION CALLED.

REFERENCES.

I. GENERAL.-Bancroft, Vol. VI., (The Formation of the American Constitution, II.); same author, History of the Constitution, Chaps. VII.-VIII.; Hildreth, Vol. III.; Winsor, Vol. VII., Chap. IV.; Curtis, Book III., Chaps. VI., VII.; Frothingham, Chap. XII.; Cooley, same as last chapter; Johnston, same as last chapter, also Convention of 1787 (in Lalor); Fiske, The Critical Period of American History; Von Holst, Constitutional and Political History of the U.S., 1750-1828; MacMaster, Vol. I., Chap. IV.; Schouler, Chap. I., Section 2.

II. SPECIAL. The principal documents relating to the calling of the Convention, with notes, are found in Elliot's Debates, Vol. I. Many of them are contained in Bancroft's and Curtis's Histories of the Constitution. See also Journals of Congress, Vol. IV., and the Introduction to J. C. Hamilton's edition of The Federalist.

166. Conference at Alexandria.-In March, 1785, commissioners appointed by Maryland and Virginia met at Alexandria to frame a compact concerning the navigation of Chesapeake Bay and the other waters that belong to those States in common. Mount Vernon is near by, and they naturally conferred with its distinguished master. Not only was Washington alive to the pending scheme, but he was also deeply interested in the improvement of the navigation of the Potomac and James Rivers, in connecting the waters of the sea-board and those of the interior by transit lines, in uniform customs-duties, and a uniform currency for the two States. He urged these ideas on the commissioners. In time the commissioners made reports to their respective Legislatures concerning the better regulation of the navigation of the Bay and the Potomac. It was seen at once, as it had been seen at Alexandria, that

the two States alone could not carry out the plan reported, much less the large ideas suggested by Washington. Other States must co-operate.

167. The Virginia Resolution.-On January 21, 1786, the Virginia Legislature, after considering the subject discussed at Alexandria, adopted a resolution naming eight commissioners who, or any five of whom, should meet such commissioners as might be appointed by the other States, at any time and place to be agreed upon, to take into consideration the trade of the United States; to consider how far uniformity in their commercial regulations might be necessary to their common interest and their permanent harmony; and to report to the several States such an act relative to this great object as, when unanimously ratified by them, would enable the United States in Congress assembled effectually to provide for the same. The commissioners were instructed immediately to transmit to the several States copies of this resolution, with a circular letter requesting their concurrence therein, and proposing a time and place for meeting.

168. Convention at Annapolis. Twelve commissioners, representing the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia, in pursuance of this call, convened at Annapolis, September 11, 1786. Some other States appointed commissioners who failed to appear. The twelve commissioners saw clearly that nothing effectual could be accomplished in the line marked out by the Virginia resolution, without a fuller representation of the States. They saw, too, that trade was intimately connected with other subjects, and could not be regulated without setting them in order. Fortunately, New Jersey had empowered her commissioners to consider "other important matters as well as trade; and the convention, catching at the phrase, adopted a report, drawn by Alex

1

1 "In the last and best history of the Constitution, in its more than a thousand pages, only a single phrase, and that in three words, is printed wholly in capital letters. It is OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS."-President Austin Scott.

ander Hamilton, recommending a general convention of the States to digest a plan for strengthening the General Government. This recommendation was, that a convention should meet at Philadelphia on the second Monday in May, 1787, "To take into consideration the situation of the United States, to devise such further provisions as shall appear to them necessary to render the constitution of the Federal Government adequate to the exigencies of the Union; and to report such an act for that purpose to the United States in Congress assembled as, when agreed to by them, and afterwards confirmed by the Legislatures of every State, will effectually provide for the same."

This report was addressed to the Legislatures of the five States, but copies of it were also sent to Congress and to the Governors of the eight States that were not represented.

169. The Action of Congress.-The Articles of Confederation could be altered only by the joint action of Congress and of every one of the thirteen States. They made no provision for a convention as a part of the machinery for effecting such alteration. Had the convention at Annapolis recommended changes in the Articles, it would have submitted them to the States appointing its members. Congress would naturally be jealous of any convention that, uninvited, should recommend such changes. The convention had sent its report to Congress for its information, from motives of respect, but it had not asked that body to take any action in the premises. Congress adopted, however, as of its own motion, the idea of holding a general convention. On February 21, 1787, studiously avoiding any reference to the proceedings at Annapolis, but referring to similar recommendations made by individual States, that body adopted, with a suitable preamble, this resolution :

"Resolved, That, in the opinion of Congress, it is expedient that on the second Monday in May next, a convention of delegates, who shall have been appointed by the several States, be held at Philadelphia, for the sole and

express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation, and reporting to Congress and the several Legislatures such alterations and provisions therein as shall, when ageed to in Congress and confirmed by the States, render the Federal Constitution adequate to the exigencies of government and the preservation of the Union."

170. The Action of the States. In pursuance of the foregoing resolution, the Legislatures of twelve States elected such number of delegates to the convention at Philadelphia as they severally chose. The Rhode Island Legislature was opposed to the whole movement and took no action whatever.

NOTE.

The foregoing recital shows that the master cause of the Convention of 1787 was the commercial derangement of the country. Reviewing this ground, Mr. Justice Miller has said:

"It is not a little remarkable that the suggestion which finally led to the relief, without which as a nation we must soon have perished, strongly supports the philosophical maxim of modern times-that of all the agencies of civilization and progress of the human race, commerce is the most efficient. What our deranged finances, our discreditable failure to pay our debts, and the sufferings of our soldiers could not force the several States of the American Union to attempt, was brought about by a desire to be released from the evils of an unregulated and burdensome commercial intercourse, both with foreign nations and between the several States."- Memorial Oration at the Centennial Celebration of the Constitution, Philadelphia, September 17, 1887.