ndous! What a triumph for our enemies to verify their predictions!
What a triumph for the advocates of despotism to find that we are
incapable of governing ourselves, and that systems founded on the basis
of equal liberty are merely ideal and fallacious!"

When the news reached Washington of the disorders in New England, he was
greatly troubled. "What stronger evidence can be given," he asked, "of
the want of energy in our government than these disorders? If there is
not a power in it to check them, what security has a man for his life,
liberty, or property? The consequences of a bad or inefficient
government are too obvious to be dwelt upon. Thirteen sovereigns pulling
against one another, and all tugging at the federal head, will soon
bring ruin on the whole; whereas, a liberal and energetic constitution,
well checked and well watched to prevent encroachments, might restore
us to that degree of respectability and consequence to which we had the
fairest prospect of attaining."

THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION OF 1787.

Washington was placed at the head of the delegation from Virginia.
Although he hoped that he would be permitted to spend the rest of his
days in the domestic quiet of Mount Vernon, his patriotism would not
permit him to decline, even though he saw the certainty that the action
would bring him forward once more into public affairs. Only a part of
the delegates met in Philadelphia, May 14, 1787, and an adjournment was
had from day to day until the 25th, when, a majority being present, the
convention organized and unanimously chose Washington as chairman. For
four months it sat with closed doors, meeting in the same room in
Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and
where the chair is still preserved in which Washington sat.

[Illustration: SENATE CHAMBER.]

What an assemblage of great and noble men, all of whose names have
become historical! With the peerless Washington at the head, there were
James Madison, afterward President of the United States; Benjamin
Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin West, Edmund Randolph, Robert
Morris, Gouverneur Morris, Sherman, Clymer, Read, and Dickinson. It may
well be imagined that among those men the discussions, which were
continued several hours daily, were of the most interesting nature.
Inevitably there was a diversity of views, and the arguments at times
grew warm, but with such an aggregation of statesmanship and wisdom, the
best