s of the proposed article of amendment
to the Constitution were finally adopted on the last day of the
session. It is to be observed, however, that the report as a whole
never received the sanction of the Convention, although the several
sections of the article of amendment were separately approved by a
majority of the States voting; and it may well be doubted whether the
entire article would have been adopted by the Convention.

The first section was adopted by a vote of nine States to eight; four
States--New York, Indiana, Missouri, and Kansas--not voting.

The other sections were approved by larger majorities.

The undersigned declined to vote upon the last section, but the vote
of Massachusetts, with the unanimous consent of its Commissioners, was
given in the negative upon all the others. This course seemed to be
demanded, whether regard was had to the constitution of the
Convention, the circumstances under which it assembled, the nature of
the propositions submitted, the solution of the difficulties in which
the Government and people are involved, or to the character and peace
of the country in the future. The two Pacific States, whose loyalty to
the Constitution and the Union is unquestioned, could not have been
represented in the Convention. Other States failed to appoint
Commissioners. The resolutions of the State of Virginia were passed on
the 19th of January; and it was expected that within sixteen days
thereafter the representatives of this vast country would assemble for
the purpose of devising, maturing, and recommending alterations in the
Constitution of the republic. As a necessary consequence, the people
were not consulted in any of the States. In several, the Commissioners
were appointed by the executive of each without even an opportunity to
confer with the Legislature; in others, the consent of the
representative body was secured, but in no instance were the people
themselves consulted. The measures proposed were comparatively new;
the important ones were innovations upon the established principles of
the Government, and none of them had ever been submitted to public
scrutiny. They related to the institution of slavery; and the
experience of the country justifies the assertion that any proposition
for additional securities to slavery under the flag of the nation,
must be fully discussed and well understood before its adoption, or it
will yield a fearful harvest of woe in dissensions and controversi