adequate to the exigencies of the Union." This report was sent to all the states and the Congress. The situation grew more and more intolerable, and early in 1787 Congress recommended the calling of a convention to revise the Articles of Confederation. The states approved the recommendation of Congress, and appointed delegates as requested.

Federal

The convention met May 14, 1787, at Independ- The ence Hall in Philadelphia, and remained in secret Convensession for four months. The delegates present rep- tion resented all the states except Rhode Island. George (1787).

Washington of Virginia was unanimously chosen President, "and one William Jackson, otherwise unknown to fame and apparently not a delegate, was chosen as Secretary. The debates in this convention were held strictly secret, but James Madison every night made notes of its proceedings, which were published after his death and from which alone we derive a fair picture of the measures brought forward, considered, the difficulties surrounding this union of the states, and the final adoption of the various measures."

"It is quite common nowadays to speak of this convention as composed of rich men and lawyers, the rich men predominating. However, rich men in those days did not compare in wealth with the rich men of to-day. Of the fifty-five who at one time or another sat in the convention there were sixteen lawyers, the most eminent in the country and in fact in the world at that time. Very few lawyers in that day were rich men. The fees of the most eminent would not to-day pay office rent in any city in the country."

"Alexander Hamilton, the leader of the Federalist Party and one of the most eminent lawyers of his time, was born in the Bermudas, came to New York practically penniless, and accumulated no more than a small competence although he had at one time the largest law practice in New York."

"Roger Sherman of Connecticut was apprenticed to a shoemaker, studied at the cobbler's bench, became a surveyor, a merchant, later served as Chief

Justice of his state and United States Senator, a poor boy who owed everything to his exertions."

"James Wilson, a Scotchman, who was undoubtedly the ablest Constitutional lawyer in the convention, later a justice of the Supreme Court, died prematurely because of his worry over money troubles."

"Samuel Chase, who later became a Justice of the Supreme Court, successfully defended himself against an impeachment trial, the first and only one that has ever been attempted against a member of that body."

"The only banker was Robert Morris, who largely financed the Revolutionary War, bankrupted himself in his devotion to his country, and died penniless.'

"There were a few great landowners in the body but very few. Among them was George Mason, who owned an estate of twelve thousand acres on the Potomac River eight miles below Washington's home, Mount Vernon. In his personal characteristics he was perhaps the greatest aristocrat in the body; always dressed in silk with ruffles of the finest lace and was in every respect in his personal habits an English country gentleman. His home, Gunstun Hall, was built of brick imported from Holland and was at the time one of the three or four finest houses in Virginia. He owned a thousand slaves but was opposed to slavery. He wrote the Virginia Bill of Rights and fought throughout the convention for the rights and privileges of the individual. He re

fused to sign the Constitution, and despite his devotion to Washington bitterly opposed its ratification in the Virginia Ratification Convention because he feared what he thought was the aristocratic tendency of the Constitution and too much power in the Federal Government. Not even Washington's influence could overcome his bitter prejudice against anything that savored of aristocratic government. The two Pinckneys of South Carolina belonged also to the land-holding class but were ardently for a Democratic form of government."

"Aside from Washington, Franklin was the most conspicuous figure in the Convention, then past eighty, physically feeble but with his wonderful intellect unimpaired. He was the most widely known. man in the colonies. Every one knows his story, how he landed in Philadelphia with two pence in his pocket, became a publisher in a small way, founded a newspaper, became Postmaster General of the colonies under the British government, and gave them the first real postal service they had ever had. He was intensely interested in scientific pursuits, corresponding on intimate terms with the greatest scientists of his day, and was known throughout the civilized world for his scientific discoveries. He was sent as our Ambassador to France during the Revolution and became the fashion in Paris. He was invited everywhere, charmed every one with his wit and philosophy, and it was undoubtedly owing to him that the French aid in money, troops, and ships was granted to the