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. grein a fate of nature: if that is th cafe, thenj it esa only, be PrOpst. ta fe.
“note? The ‘advantages, e the ftate are, that it will be to her honour to ‘take *
of PENNSYLVANTAL
have’ te ido! “with: it—thou sah doublets T fhonld not’ “objet to waiting.a 2 few
“days. to hear their opinion, - This has been done even until now, which i is fo’
- near ‘the -clofe of our feffion, as to make. a longer delay,’ ‘imprope!—therefore, a
- waiting their recommendation is no argument ‘for prolonging the confideration
of the fubjee before us.. Burt there is certainly ftrong reafons, why we flionld 5:
call up a and determine ‘the queition, whether a convention theuld be'calied or”
‘the jead i in adopting fo wife 2'plan, and it< will be’an inducement’ for other |
_flates to follow. We no ea remember the influence the example of ‘Vir-”
‘ginta and Pennfylvania t had in getting a-general delegation appointed, | and that”
‘example’ will’no doubt as generally be followed in adopting the refult—for it °°.
is-every: where {ally aad fenfibly. felt, that an slteration in the federal go-"
vernment is ‘requifite—and I think there can be little hefitation in sgreeing to, *
the refolution for calling a convention. "As for the day of ele€tion, thati is “pat.
a fecondary confideration, and may. be determined: when it comes before us.” ,
“We furely fhall unanimoutfly « agree.to the firft refolytion at this ime—for, de-" :
lay would argue a Jukewarmnefs, that muf be injurious to the canfe. Ev ery |
perfon who fhould hear we had the fubje@ ten days before ‘us, agd_ notwith= |.
. ftanding avoided entering ‘upon it, muft-conclude we are, unfriendly to its, -and*
it will be caufe of triumph to our ‘enemies, who w ait only to fee us refute that’
government, which alone €an fave us from their mac ninations. . .
“As itis fully in our power to appoint the mode: and: manner of calling the ®
: convention, I hope gentlemen. will turn ‘their thoughts, and fay what isthe ©. > +
proper time: for if it is delayed until the next Houfe, it will be forme time
far advanced into another year, before a convention can fet to ratify the plan.
for our: future government; by which means the force of: example would be
for de lay, and a meafure fo extremely neceffary. would Le left expofedor
"perhaps neglected, unlefs the ardour of our citizens fliould induce them to do |.
what our timidity would decline. The influence which this ftate may ac-
quire by decifion will be loft and| many | ‘of the ‘adveateges. leffened by an
. ‘aneceflary delay.) : : :
Mr. Findley I do not intend to reply to the, arguments ufed i in favour. of oS
the prefent meafure—but only examine the’ growad on which we fland.—>
When the queftion was on poftponement, J did not think it right, “that gentle, Pe
_men fhould have introduced the. obfervations Which they: ‘did, nor that the
“manner of {peaking,” which fome ufed, was proper. It was only addrefied to
‘the paffions, andin my reply do not mean to jaftify fuch‘ language, by ufing
what may be fimilar. No, Sir, Lintend to. addrefs ‘the judgment, and not os
‘the paffions of.any man. Ihave, no doubt, but a Convention might be calied,
and sill be-called: That it eught te be called, axd will be celled, is-feen fo
clearly, that I fhall add nothing to enforce it—therefore, I take it—that the
Propriety of calling a convention is not the queftion before us. After declaring’
“my fentiments fo. far; I -fhall : proceed——Sir, now to examine the ground
on which we ftand—I believe we ftand on federal ground; therefore, we are
not ina ftate of. nature, «If, we were in a ftate of neture, all the argumente:
produced,’ for haftening this. befinefs, would apply—but as we are not, L.
would obferve, that the : moft deliberate manner of; proceeding, is the bed a
manner—But the manner,in which: this’ ‘fabje&. has been introduced, is. 4
/ “Ynde liberate manner, and feems to argue, that weare not on feederal ground. oes
‘The defign of. carrying this through, I fay, Sir, sca prefumption, that” we, s
| this,