recluded from making allusion to anything that had occurred
during the proceedings of the Convention. But the secrecy then covering
those proceedings has long since been removed. The manuscript journal,
which was intrusted to the keeping of General Washington, President of
the Convention, was deposited by him, nine years afterward, among the
archives of the State Department. It has since been published, and we
can trace for ourselves the origin, and ascertain the exact
significance, of that expression, "We, the people," on which Patrick
Henry thought the fate of America might depend, and which has been so
grossly perverted in later years from its true intent.

The original language of the preamble, reported to the Convention by a
committee of five appointed to prepare the Constitution, as we find it
in the proceedings of August 6, 1787, was as follows:

"We, the people of the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, do ordain, declare, and
establish, the following Constitution for the government of
ourselves and our posterity."

There can be no question here what was meant: it was "_the people of the
States_," designated by name, that were to "ordain, declare, and
establish" the compact of union for themselves and their posterity.
There is no ambiguity nor uncertainty in the language; nor was there any
difference in the Convention as to the use of it. The preamble, as
perfected, was submitted to vote on the next day, and, as the journal
informs us, "it passed _unanimously_ in the affirmative."

There was no subsequent change of opinion on the subject. The reason for
the modification afterward made in the language is obvious. It was found
that unanimous ratification of all the States could not be expected, and
it was determined, as we have already seen, that the consent of _nine_
States should suffice for the establishment of the new compact "between
the States so ratifying the same." _Any_ nine would be sufficient to put
the proposed government in operation as to them, thus leaving the
remainder of the thirteen to pursue such course as might be to each
preferable. When this conclusion was reached, it became manifestly
impracticable to designate beforehand the consenting States by name.
Hence, in the final revision, the specific enum