It was moved & agreed to strike out "other States" and insert "two
distinct States of the Union."
It was moved & agreed to postpone the consideration of the Resolution 9,
relating to the Judiciary:
The Com^e then rose & the House Adjourned.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 13.[82] IN COMMITTEE OF THE
WHOLE
[82] Edward Carrington wrote to Madison from New York, June 13,
1787:
"The public mind is now on the point of a favourable turn to
the objects of your meeting, and, being fairly met with the
result, will, I am persuaded, eventually embrace it--being
calculated for the permanent fitness, and not the momentary
habits of the country, it may at first be viewed with
hesitation, but derived and patronized as it will be, its
influence must extend into an adoption as the present fabric
gives way--the work once well done will be done forever, but
patched up in accommodation to the whim of the day, it will
soon require the hand of the cobbler again, and in every
unfortunate experiment the materials are rendered the less
fit for that monument of civil liberty which we wish to
erect.--Constitute a federal Government, invigorate & check
it well--give it then independent powers over the Trade the
Revenues, and force of the Union, and all things that
involve any relationship to foreign powers--give it also the
revisal of all State acts--unless it possesses a compleat
controul over the State Governments, the constant effort
will be to resume the delegated powers,--nor do I see what
inducement the federal sovereignty can have to negative an
innocent act of a State--Constitute it in such shape that,
its first principles being preserved, it will be a good
republic--I wish to see that system have a fair
experiment--but let the liability to encroachment be rather
from the federal, than the State, governments--in the first
case we shall insensibly glide into a monarchy: in the
latter nothing but anarchy can be the consequence.
"Some Gentlemen think of a total surrender of the State
Sovereignty--I see not the necessity of that measure for
giving us national stability in consequence--the negative of
the federal sovereignty will effectually prevent the
existence of any licentious or inconsiderate act--and I
believe that even under a new monarchy it would be found
necessary thus to continue the local administration--general
Laws would operate many particular [undecipherable] and a
general legislature would be found incompetent to the
formation of local ones--the interest of the United States
may be well combined for the common good--but the affairs of
so extensive a country are not to be thrown into one
mass--an attempt to confederate upon terms materially
opposed to the particular Interests would in all probability
occasion a dismemberment, and in that event, within a long
time yet to come, the prospects of commerce will be at an
end as to any degree of national importance, let her fate be
what it may as to freedom or vassalage."--_Mad. MSS._