Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/325

 that the said committee ought to be instructed to pre- pare the draft of a letter^ in answer to one received from his excellency George Clinton, esquire, president of the convention of New York — and a circular letter, on the aforesaid subject, to the other states in the union, expressive of the wish of the general assembly of this commonwealth, that they may join in an appli- cation to the new congress, to appoint a convention of the states, so soon as the congress shall assemble under the new constitution. '^

These were carried in committee, and immediately reported to the house; when a motion was made to amend them, by striking out from the word ^^ whereas,^^ and substituting, in lieu of the original, the following preamble and resolutions:

" Whereas the delegates appointed to represent the good people of this commonwealth, in the late conven- tion held in the month of June last, did, by their act of the 25th of the same month, assent to and ratify the constitution recommended on the 1 7th day of Septem- ber, 1 787, by the federal convention for the government of the United States, declaring themselves, with a solemn appeal to the Searcher of hearts for the purity of their intentions, under the conviction, ' that whatsoever imperfections might exist in the constitution, ought rather to be examined in the mode prescribed therein, than to bring the union into danger by a delay, with a hope of obtaining amendments previous to the ratifica- tion.^ And whereas, in pursuance of the said declara- tion, the same convention did, by their subsequent act of the 27th of June aforesaid, agree to such amend- ments to the said constitution of the government for

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