men," who, by reason of their wealth, their talents,
their education, their families, or the offices they hold, aspire to a
preeminence which the people refuse to grant them; and, although many of
these men have betrayed the interests of their order to gain popularity,
there reigns among them a connection so much the more intimate as they
almost all of them dread the efforts of the people to despoil them of
their possessions, and, moreover, they are creditors, and therefore
interested in strengthening the government, and watching over the
execution of the laws.

"These men generally pay very heavy taxes, while the small proprietors
escape the vigilance of the collectors. The majority of them being
merchants, it is for their interest to establish the credit of the
United States in Europe on a solid foundation by the exact payment of
debts, and to grant to congress powers extensive enough to compel the
people to contribute for this purpose. The attempt, my lord, has been
vain, by pamphlets and other publications, to spread notions of justice
and integrity, and to deprive the people of a freedom which they have so
misused. By proposing a new organization of the federal government all
minds would have been revolted; circumstances ruinous to the commerce of
America have happily arisen to furnish the reformers with a pretext for
introducing innovations.

"They represented to the people that the American name had become
opprobrious among all the nations of Europe; that the flag of the United
States was everywhere exposed to insults and annoyance; the husbandman,
no longer able to export his produce freely, would soon be reduced to
want; it was high time to retaliate, and to convince foreign powers that
the United States would not with impunity suffer such a violation of the
freedom of trade, but that strong measures could be taken only with
the consent of the thirteen states, and that congress, not having the
necessary powers, it was essential to form a general assembly instructed
to present to congress the plan for its adoption, and to point out the
means of carrying it into execution.

"The people, generally discontented with the obstacles in the way of
commerce, and scarcely suspecting the secret motives of their opponents,
ardently embraced this measure, and appointed commissioners, who were to
assemble at Annapolis in the beginning of September.

"The authors of this proposition had no hope, nor even desire, to see
th