| OCR Text |
Show • 74 THE Fl1DJCI~AL CONV~N'l'ION. back to anci nt hi: t.ory fot· mo<lcl: of gov('mmcnt, and examined the dill'erent !'or111s of' t h o~c repul>li <'H which, having been formed with t he ~eeds or their 0\Vll dissolution, 110\V no lonrrer exist. An<l we have viewed mod ' I'll Stales all round Europe, but find none of Lheir co nsLilutiom; ·uilable to our circumstances. In this situation of this assembly, groping as it were in the d:1rk to find political truth, and scarce able to perceive it when presented to us, how has it happcncr1, sir, that we havo not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our under ·tandiugs? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britnin, when we were Rt'nsible of dttngcr, we had dnily prayer in Llli:; room for the J >ivi 11c protection. Our pray erR, sir, were heard, and they were grn.ciously answered. All of us who were cngngcd in the stru g-gle must have ob. crvcd frequent instan ces of a su· perintcncling Providence in our favor. 1'o that kind Providence we owe this hnppy opportunity of consnlting in peace on the means of establishing our l'ulurcuationnl fcli ·ity. And have we now forgotten thai powerful fri end? Or do we imagine that we no longer nccll hiH as it· ance? I have lived, sir, a long time, anc1 the longer T live the more convincing proofs I sec of this trul h- lh at God governs in the o,[Jairs of rnan. An<l if a sparrow cmmot fall lo the grou11d without his notice, is it 1n·ol>ablc that nn empire can rise without his ai<l ? W c have been answered, sir, in 1 he sacred writin gs, that "cxrcpt the Lord bu ilcl the house, they labor in vain that buil<l it." I firmly believe this; anu I also firmly l>cli vc this, that without his concurrin" aid we shall snccccd, in this political building, 110 better than the builders of Babel. vYc shall be tlivide<l by our little partial local interests; onr projects will be confounded; alld we shall oursel vcs become a rcpron<:h nnt1 by-word down to future ages. And, what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing • 'J'U ~ Fl£ J>,h; ltAL GONVI!:N'l'lON. 75 govrrnmcnts by humnn wi~dom, and ]cave it to chance, war, and conqn csl. I therefore beg lr.n.ve to move that h nc forth prayers, im plorin rr the ttR. i::;tancc of H<·nn·n and its bles:ingR on onr dclibcmlions, be held in th is n~~embly every morning b fo ro we proceed to busin ess, and that ouc or more of the clergy of this city be requested to ollie iatc in that service. Mr. Sherman seconded the motion. Mr. Ilamilton was fcn.rful that if the motion should he adopted it would alarm tho p oplc, who would think that some cxtraoruinnry emergency had ari en in the Convention. It wonld ha.v' bccu well to havo ado pled snch a motion at the U('g"illllillg Of lhe S{'S~io n. Mr. Randolph proposed that a Rcrmon he prrnchccl on the fonrLh of July, and after that prayers. An adjournment was fin ally canicd without a. vote by n.ycs and nays. June 29.-Dr. J ohuson said this controversy s em eel endless. On tho one sitlc tho tatcs were co nRicl crcd as districts of pro]Jlc, aml ltcnsc cnlillcd to representation according to their numucn;; on the other side it wns contended that they were political S{)("ietie. ·, nncl hence cnch should be represe nted cqnnlly. Ilc snggcst ·<l thnt each side was pnrlially right, and ihn.t th ct·efo rc the true ground Was a compromise ; let one branch rcpt·cscnt exclu sively tho people and tho other (the Senate) represent the Slates. Mr. Madison agreed wi th Dr. J ohnRo n, that the rnixf<l nature of the rrov rnmcnL onght to be k pt in view. lie made a lengthy speech in faV\)1' of this propo~itio n. 'L'he debate was continued th rot t ~lt the day, and j L was finally agreed that the rcp rcscntn.Lion should uo nccun.litJir Lo tho ratio of inh11biLau ts. · 5 June 30.-Ml'. Brcarly moved that the President writo to tho Executive of New llampshire rcquestiug tho imme- .. |
