the case in a sister state;(13) and should take upon themselves to appoint
a place for choosing delegates to send to Congress; which place might be
the most inconvenient in the whole state; and for that reason be appointed
by the legislature, in order to create a disgust in the minds of the
people against the federal government, if they themselves should dislike
it. The weakness of their arguments on this head, must therefore be
obvious to every attentive mind.

There is one thing, however, which I might mention, as a reason why the
opposition junto dread the clause aforementioned--they may suppose, that
Congress, when the people are assembled for the choice of their rulers, in
the place they have appointed, will send their terrible standing army
(which I shall speak of in its place) and, Cesar Borgia like, massacre the
whole, in order to render themselves absolute. This is so similar to many
of the apprehensions they have expressed, that I could not pass it by
unnoticed. Indeed the chief of their productions abound with
improbabilities and absurdities of the like kind; for having nothing
reasonable to alledge against a government founded on the principles of
staunch republicanism, and which, if well supported, will establish the
glory and happiness of our country. They resort to things the most strange
and fallacious, in order to blind the eyes of the unsuspecting and
misinformed.

CASSIUS.

(_To be continued._)

Cassius, IX.

The Massachusetts Gazette, (Number 392)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1787.

For the Massachusetts Gazette.

TO THE INHABITANTS OF THIS STATE.

(_Continued from our last._)

Section 5, of the new constitution, says, Each house shall be a judge of
the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members--a majority
shall constitute a quorum, and be authorized to compel the attendance of
absent members, in such manner and under such penalties as the law may
provide. Each house shall determine the rules of its proceedings--punish
its members for disorderly behaviour--and with the consent of two-thirds,
expel a member. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and
from time to time publish the same, &c. No one, who professes to be
governed by reason, will dispute the propriety of any assembly's being the
judge of the qualifications requisite to constitute a member of their own
body. That part of the fifth section which says a majority shall
constitute a quorum, has been