Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 2.djvu/295

 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION :Z8 9 Tuesday MADISON ,4gust z4 & enforce it: nor will the best part of our Citizens exert them- selves for the purpose.- It is a great mistake to suppose that the paper we are to propose will govern the U. States? It is The men whom it will bring into the Governt. and interest in maintaining it that is to govern them. The paper will only mark out the mode & the form- Men are the substance and must do the business. All Govt. must be by force or influence. It is not the King of France- but 2oo,ooo jani- saries of power that govern that Kingdom. There will be no such force here; influence then must be substituted; and he would ask whether this could be done, if the members of the Legislature should be ineligible to offices of State; whether such a disqualification would not determine all the most influential men to stay at home, and & prefer appointments within their respective States. Mr. Wilson was by no means satisfied with the answer given by Mr. Elseworth to the argument as to the discouragement of merit. The members must either go a second time into the Legislature, and disqualify themselves- or say to their Constituents, we served you before only from the mercenary view of qualifying ourselves for offices, and haveg answered this purpose we do not chuse to be aga!n elected. Mr. Govr. Morris put the case of a war, and the Citizen the most capable of conducting it, happening to be a member of the Legislature. What might have been the consequence of such a regulation at the commencement, or even in the Course of the late contest for our liberties? On question for postponing in order to take up Mr. Pinkheys motion, (it was lost.) N- H- ay- Mas. no. Ct no. N. J- no. Pa ay. Del. ay. Md. ay. Va. ay. N. C. no. S-C. no. Geo. (divd.) [Ayes m 5; noes m 5; divided -- I.] s Mr Govr Morris moved to insert, after "office", except offices in the army or navy: (but in that case their offices shall be vacated) 4 a Revised from Journal. Madison originally recorded "Geo. ay", which would have determined the question in the affirmative.  Taken from Journal.

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