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To: wideawake
But he did not, like the Anti-Federalists, oppose the basic structure of the government contemplated by the Constitution.

Initially, all he wanted was a revised articles of Confederation. Creation of a whole new National government gave him the yammering jim-jams as these quotes prove.

you can continue to try and put words in his mouth, but I'm not seeing you posting a lot of links to support your assertions.

I suppose it'd be too much to ask...

77 posted on 07/30/2008 12:03:04 PM PDT by Dead Corpse (What would a free man do?)
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To: Dead Corpse
you can continue to try and put words in his mouth, but I'm not seeing you posting a lot of links to support your assertions.

Allow me to quote from Jefferson's letter to William Carmichael on August 12, 1788 which was written in Paris upon receipt of the news of the ratification.

"DEAR SIR, Since my last to you, I have been honored with yours of the 18th and 29th of May, and Sth of June. My latest American intelligence is of the 24th of June, when nine certainly, and probably ten States, had accepted the new Constitution, and there was no doubt of the eleventh (North Carolina), because there was no opposition there.

"In New York, two-thirds of the State were against it, and certainly, if they had been called to the decision in any other stage of the business, they would have rejected it; but before they put it to the vote, they would certainly have heard that eleven States had joined in it, and they would find it safer to go with those eleven, than put themselves into opposition, with Rhode Island only.

" Though I am much pleased with this successful issue of the new Constitution, yet I am more so, to find that one of its principal defects (the want of a declaration of rights) will pretty certainly be remedied. I suppose this, because I see that both people and conventions, in almost every State, have concurred in demanding it.

"Another defect, the perpetual re-eligibility of the same President, will probably not be cured during the life of General Washington . His merit has blinded our countrymen to the danger of making so important an officer re-eligible. I presume there will not be a vote against him in the United States.

"It is more doubtful who will be Vice-President. The age of Dr. Franklin, and the doubt whether he would accept it, are the only circumstances that admit a question, but that he would be the man. After these two characters of first magnitude, there are so many which present themselves equally, on the second line, that we cannot see which of them will be singled out. John Adams, Hancock, Jay, Madison, Rutledge, will all be voted for."

Had Jefferson been "dead against" the Constitution, he would not have been much pleased that a Constitution without a Bill of Rights had been ratified. He would not be happy that it was likely that the lack of a Bill of Rights would be remedied at some time in the future - he would have been very upset that it had been ratified without one.

He also speaks of the reelectability of the President being a flaw, but says that it will also be remedied at some point after General Washington leaves office. He doesn't seem particularly exercised about this flaw either but trusts that it also will be amended.

78 posted on 07/30/2008 12:31:35 PM PDT by wideawake (Why is it that those who call themselves Constitutionalists know the least about the Constitution?)
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