honor of his
arrival. On the pressing invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Morris, he
took lodgings with them; and as soon as the dust of travel could be
removed, he called upon Doctor Franklin, who was at that time president
of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The following day was the time
appointed for the assembling of the convention.

[Illustration: WASHINGTON PRESIDING IN THE CONVENTION. 1787]

CHAPTER VI.

THE CONVENTION OF STATES--WASHINGTON CHOSEN PRESIDENT OF THE
CONVENTION--RANDOLPH'S SPEECH AND RESOLUTIONS--NUMBER AND NAMES OF
DELEGATES--NOTICE OF SOME OF THEM--FRANKLIN IN THE CONVENTION OF
1754--THE LEADING SPEAKERS IN THE CONVENTION--POSITION OF THE
MEMBERS IN REGARD TO PRECEDENTS--SYNOPSIS OF RANDOLPH'S
PLAN--PINCKNEY'S SKETCH--NATIONAL AND STATE-RIGHTS MEN--PATTERSON'S
PLAN--VIRGINIA AND NEW JERSEY PLANS--HAMILTON DISSENTS FROM
BOTH--HIS CHARACTER, SPEECH, AND SCHEME--ALL PLANS AND AMENDMENTS
REFERRED TO A COMMITTEE FOR REVISION--A CONSTITUTION REPORTED AND
ADOPTED--CRITICAL PERIODS IN THE CONVENTION--SUBJECTS FOR
DIFFERENCES--WASHINGTON'S APPREHENSIONS AND VIEWS--PATRIOTISM OF
HAMILTON--THE CONSTITUTION SIGNED--REMARKS BY WASHINGTON AND
FRANKLIN--CLOSE OF THE CONVENTION.

On Monday, the fourteenth day of May, 1787, those delegates to the
convention called to revise the Articles of Confederation who were then
in Philadelphia, assembled in the large room in the statehouse, since
known as Independence hall; but it was not until Friday, the
twenty-fifth, that seven states, the number required by Congress to form
a quorum, were represented, and the convention was organized. On that
day, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, and North
and South Carolina, were represented by an aggregate number of
twenty-seven delegates; and on the nomination of Robert Morris, in
behalf of the state of Pennsylvania, Washington was, by unanimous vote,
elected president of the convention. William Jackson was chosen
secretary; and on Monday, the twenty-eighth, Edmund Randolph, of
Virginia, at the request of his colleagues, opened the business of the
convention by an elaborate speech, in which he showed the defects of the
Articles of Confederation, illustrated their utter inadequacy to secure
the peace and safety of the republic, and the absolute necessity of a
more energetic government. When he closed his remarks, he offered for
the consideration of