Posted on 11/13/2017 1:29:45 AM PST by Jacquerie
While we take for granted today that the Framers breezily agreed to a compound republic of the people and the states, the issue still was unresolved five weeks into the convention! Tempers flew as arguments ranged on the one hand, from forming a national, democratic republic which did away with the states, and on the other, to keeping the existing Articles of Confederation.
In late June, delegates far more resembled steely political negotiators than a band of brothers. What kept them going through the long summer was fear of the future if they did not come up with an adequate governing form.
The convention was a hopeless endeavor if delegates couldn’t agree on the foundation of government, those on one side considering the states as districts of people composing one political society, and those on the other considering them as so many political societies. Dr. William Samuel Johnson (CN) advised compromise. The fact is that the states do exist as political societies, and a government must reflect their political capacity, as well as for the individuals composing them. Recognize the states as states in the new plan. As such, they have the right of self-defense, yet the people must have their house in congress as well.
Without a bold stroke amendment which encouraged state participation, the confederation faced certain dissolution. As opposed to 1860 – 1861, and the California secessionist movement today, the states in 1787 could secede from the confederation through a simple legislative decision to stop attending congress.
Without the common attachment of a well-attended congress, what did the future hold? Informed speculation ran wild. Nathaniel Gorham (MA) predicted a consolidation of Delaware with Pennsylvania, just as New Haven Plantation joined Connecticut (1664), and Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth and Maine united into Massachusetts in 1692.
(Excerpt) Read more at articlevblog.com ...
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Recessional of the Sons of the American Revolution:
“Until we meet again, let us remember our obligations to ourDr. Benjamin Franklin, when asked if we had a republic or a monarchy, replied "A Republic, if you can keep it."
forefathers who gave us our Constitution, the Bill of Rights,
an independent Supreme Court and a nation of free men.”
This is an excellent read.
It shows how close the U.S. came to breaking up at the beginning.
Thanks for the Freeper ‘share’!
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