Home  |  Washington Island, Wisconsin  |  The Island Observer  |  Features  |  Subscribe

Home
The Island
The Observer
Featured Series
Subscribe

The Delegates Arrive

Second of a Series by Bob Toerpe

The Revolutionary War had been won.  The constitution had been written, eight states had approved it, one more was required.  If there was to be a United States of America, Virginia must approve the Constitution as written.

On June 2, 1788, 168 delegates and over 100 spectators crowded into Richmond's capitol building.  The weather was hot, unseasonably dry and very dusty.

The delegates included those who believed that without a strong central government the country would slide into chaos and then anarchy.  They were certain a country could be both powerful and free.  There were also many delegates who had important positions in state government and were reluctant to give up their advantages.  Then there were men like George Mason and James Monroe who were opposed to the Constitution because it didn't have a bill of rights.  They feared a central government which could run roughshod over its citizens.

John Marshall, 33 years old, a resident of Richmond and a delegate to the convention, possessed one of the great analytical minds in history.  He also knew all of the major players to be involved in the Great Debate.  The two most notable, Patrick Henry, 52, and James Madison, 37, were friends, whom Marshall admired greatly.

In describing James Madison he said, "He is a master at orchestrating a presentation of ideas to a legislative body...he has the greatest power to convince of any man I have ever met."

Patrick Henry, on the other hand, was, "An accurate thinker, profound reasoner and America's most renowned orator."  He possessed, "the greatest power to persuade..."  Were delegates ready to be convinced...or persuaded?

In essence when Patrick Henry was in the room and in opposition to a set of ideas, no opponent could be assured of victory.  At the same time, with Madison in charge of the legislative strategy oratory itself wouldn't do him in.  Henry and Madison had both prepared to battle for the minds and hearts of the 168 delegates, each would be satisfied with 85 of the 168.

Thanks to Madison the federalists had their strategy planned.  When the convention was called to order, the chief judge of Charlotte County, immediately nominated Edmund Pendleton, 67, to be the convention's president.  He was highly regarded for having presided over Virginia's legislature during the war years.  The anti-federalists decided that opposition to such a popular politician would be counter-productive so Pendleton was unanimously elected.  He wasted no time. Pre-empting Patrick Henry was his goal. 
 

« Previous  |  Top  |  Next »