Page:The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 Volume 3.djvu/357

 in the general Convention & Judge Yates’s Information on that subject.

I have confined myself to the Revisal of my own observations, leaving Mr. Hamilton & Mr. Jay to do the like with theirs—Some of the observations of the former are not accurately stated & some omitted, but I suppose he will correct them.

In the paper enclosed wherever it is divided into Columns the first Column contains the sentiments of Judge Yates or myself as revised—the second is a Copy of Mr. Child’s verbatim—in the other parts my sentiments are of my own stating—those of the others of Mr Childs—without the least Alteration.

It would have been my wish that this Business might have been represented by Child’s after subjecting the Revisions of both parties to the perusal of the other—but tho’ I intimated this to Mr. Childs he never signified any assent & I would not repeat it.—Mr. Hamilton may therefore give such an Account of it as he thinks proper—I shall only reserve the Right if I suppose it is not accurate to contradict it.

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New York, Octr. 8th. 1788.

You ask me why I agreed to the constitution proposed by the Convention of Philada. I answer because I thought it safe to the liberties of the people, and the best that could be obtained from the jarring interests of States, and the miscellaneous opinions of Politicians; and because experience has proved that the real danger to America & to liberty lies in the defect of energy & stability in the present establishments of the United States.—Had you been a member of that assembly and been impressed with the truths which our situation discloses, you would have concurred in the necessity which was felt by the other members. …

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It is generally admitted that the federal convention which assembled at Philadelphia in 1787, was composed of many of the ablest men in the states; after much previous discussion, three plans were submitted to their consideration and debated:

1st. That of New Jersey, supposed to be the production of