Notes of William Paterson in the Federal Convention of 1787, IV NOTES FOR SPEECHES, A Notes For Speech Of June 9

¹³This document is in the possession of Miss Emily K. Paterson.1. The Plan.

2. The words national and federal.

3. Collection of Sentiment-Object, to take under Consideration the State of the American Union-

Consider the Nature and Construction of this Assembly. Formed under the act of Congress passed in

Conformity with one of the Articles of the Confedn.

See the Comn. ¹⁴Commission. from Massts.

The Comn. measures our Power-to revise the Confedn. to report to Congress and the several Legs.

-must not go beyond our Powers-

Self-constituted and self-ordained Body.

The Coms. give the political Complexion of the several States-not ripe-we must follow the People;

the People will not follow us-The Plan must be accommodated to the public Mind-consult the

Genius, the Temper, the Habits, the Prejudices of the People.

A little practicable Virtue to be preferred to Theory.

Not to sport Opinions of my own-not to say wt. is the best Govt. or what ought to be done-but

what can be done-wt. can we do consistently with our Powers; wt. can we do that will meet with

the Approbation of the People-their Will must guide-

Insurrections-So there are in every Govt. -even in England-it may shew, that our particular

Systems are wrong-that our Instns. are too pure-not sufficiently removed from a State of Nature

to answer the Purposes of a State of Society-it will not militate agt. the democratick Principle

when properly regulated and modified-

The democratick Spirit beats high-

Not half wrong enough to have a good Govt. -

2. The Plan proposed-The 1st. Propn. withdrawn ¹⁵Evidently referring to Randolph's first proposition as contradicting the second. The first resolution of Randolph is distinctly like the first of Paterson's as the Paterson plan appears in Madison's notes, Doc. Hist., III. 125. Paterson was here contending that Randolph's original first proposition was constitutionally sound, i.e. in conformity with the Articles.-it was incompatible with the 2d. The

Principles were gradually unfolded-

The 1 Propn. accords with the Spirit of the Constn.

Each State is sovereign, free, and independt. etc. Sovereignty includes Equality-

If then the States in Union are as States still to con tinue in Union, they must be considered as

Equals-

13 sovereign and independent States can never constitute one Nation, and at the same Time be

States-they may by Treaty make one confederated Body-

Mr. Randolph-We ought to be one Nation-etc. The States as States must be cut up, and destroyed-

This is the way to form us into a Nation ¹⁶Apparently a reference to the ideal later embodied in the resolution in III. B. See above also Paterson's speech of June 9.-It has Equality-it will not break in upon the

Rights of any Citizen-it will destroy State Politicks and Attachmts. Will it be acceded to, etc.

G. Morris-Every Citizen should enjoy a rateable Proportion of Sovereignty-

The Mind of Man is fond of Power-

Enlarge his Prospects, you increase his Desires- Proportion of Votes-State- Politicks,

State-Attachments, State-Influence, State-Passions-Districts-

Great Britain and America-Suppose Representn. from the latter before the Revolutn. according to

the Quantum of Property or Number of Souls-Wt. the Consequence-

3 Article ¹⁷Referring to the third article of the Articles of the Confederation.-Com. Defence, Security of Liberty, mutual and general Welfare.

A national Govt. to operate individually upon the People in the first Instance, and not upon the

States- and therefore a Representation from the People at large and not from the States-

Will the Operation of the natl. Govt. depend upon the Mode of Representn. - No-it depends upon

the Quantum of Power lodged in the leg. ex. and judy. Departments-it will operate individually in

the one Case as well as in the other-

Why not operate upon the States-if they are coerced they will in Turn coerce each individual-

Let the People elect the State-Legr. -The State-Legr. elect the federal Legr. -assign to the

State Legr. its Duty-the same to the federal-they will be Checks upon each other, and the best

Checks that can be formed-Cong. the Sun of our political System-

Why a Representation from the People at large-to equalize Representn. Majr. Butler-Representn.

-Property-People-

Mr. Wilson-Majority of the States sufficient. This in Opposition to Mr. King-

2 Views. 1. Under the Confedn. -13th. Article-Rhode-Island. 2. As forming an original Combinn. or

Confederacy-can bind the contracting Parties only-

The large States can agree upon a Reform only upon the Principle of an equal Representn. ¹⁸So the original plainly says. Possibly Paterson meant to write unequal; or by "equal" he meant just or proportional.

11 Propn. ¹⁹Referring to the eleventh proposition of the Virginia plan: "Resd., that a Republican Government and the territory of each State, except in the instance of a voluntary injunction of Government and territory, ought to be guaranteed by the United States to each State.

If the lesser States form a Junction of Govt. and Territory, the Gy. ²⁰Guaranty. ceases to operate as to

them-This will prevent a Consolidn. of Govt. and Territory-

The People will likewise prevent any new State from being taken from the old-

Vermont-Kentucky-several in Embryo-Republicks-Monarchies-large Frontiers.