The Federal Convention is scheduled to begin this coming Monday, May 14. All of the state legislatures except Rhode Island have appointed delegates. Last September, the General Assembly of Rhode Island sent a letter to the Confederation Congress explaining its refusal to participate. The letter conveyed that “they were actuated by that great principle that hath ever been the characteristics of this State, the love of true constitutional liberty, and the fear we have of making innovations on the rights and liberties of the citizens at large.”
Rhode Island’s action is being criticized in many places. A Boston newspaper has dubbed the state Rogue Island and glibly recommended that it “be dropped out of the Union or apportioned to the different states around her.” Rhode Island’s General Assembly is sensitive to the “many severe and unjust sarcasms propagated against us,” but is holding fast to its decision.
It is certain that we do not expect to see delegates from Rhode Island, but surprisingly neither have we seen delegates from other States, with the exception of several Virginians. General Washington is scheduled to arrive tomorrow and has stirred great excitement in the city. He arrived in Baltimore early Thursday afternoon and dined at The Fountain, one of the finest public houses in the United States, and lodged the night with James McHenry and his family. An immigrant from Ireland, McHenry was a military surgeon and aide to General Washington during the Revolutionary War. After the War he settled in Baltimore and represented Maryland in the Confederation Congress. Recently he was selected as a delegate to the convention.
The delegates from our own State of Pennsylvania were selected by the legislature in December, generally representing the nationalist views of the majority of the legislature elected in October. Concerns about Dr. Franklin’s health prevented them from including him on the list of delegates, but on March 28, buoyed by improved health and stimulated by the discussion and debates at the meetings of the Society for Political Enquiries, he accepted appointment as a delegate.
Our delegation also includes Robert Morris, the “Financier of the Revolution.” In 1734, Morris had emigrated from Liverpool, England with his father, a tobacco merchant. Today he is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country. During the War, he used his considerable skills to mobilize the war effort, especially importing arms and munitions. Representing Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress in 1776, he believed declaring independence was premature and voted against it, but once the issue was settled, he signed the Declaration of Independence without reservation. He is never without controversy, but no one can question his patriotism or his resolve to help his country.
Of Pennsylvania’s eight delegates, three are immigrants. In addition to Morris, are Thomas Fitzsimons and James Wilson. Fitzsimons was elected to the legislature last year as an independent Republican, part of the new majority favoring of a stronger national government. Born in Ireland, he married well and built a lucrative trading business with the West Indies and engaged in early trade with China. He commanded a company of militia during the War and, like many of his fellow delegates, has provided political leadership, including service in the Confederation Congress. He is a generous supporter of St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church and one of only two Catholics to attend the convention.
Eight of the delegates signed the Declaration of Independence, a bold stroke that immediately cast them as traitors and placed a price on their heads. Before he scrawled his own name on the document, Benjamin Franklin is known to have quipped, “We must hang together or most assuredly we will hang separately.” James Wilson was one of those. Born in Scotland and schooled at the universities of St. Andrews, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, he came to America during the turbulent days of opposition to the Stamp Act. While teaching Latin at the College of Philadelphia, he began to study law under John Dickenson, became active in revolutionary politics, and drafted a brilliant tract widely circulated in America and Britain, cementing his burgeoning reputation as an exceptional legal mind. At the moment, he is facing personal financial difficulties.
The only member of the Pennsylvania delegation who does not live in Philadelphia is Thomas Mifflin. Born into a fourth-generation Quaker family, Mifflin enlisted in the cause for independence, including the Continental Army. Consequently, he was expelled by the Quakers. He was criticized by some for his performance of his duties as quartermaster and his involvement in the cabal that had advanced General Horatio Gates to replace Washington as head of the Army. He and Washington later became friends and Mifflin went into politics, including service as President of the Confederacy Congress.
Completing the delegation are George Clymer, Jared Ingersoll, and Gouverneur Morris (no relation to Robert). Morris will most assuredly be a prominent figure at the convention. Brilliant, well-educated with an imposing stature (despite the loss of a leg in a traffic incident seven years ago), he earned his friendship with General Washington during the War, fiercely defending Washington in Congress when Washington was under fire. He had broken with his family to support the American cause and will be a strong voice for a new constitution.