Untitled - the Digital Library of Georgia

348 GEOBGIA AND GEORGIANS
any rate, it was not until nine days later that a quorum of states could
be counted for the transaction of business. Accordingly, on May 25,
1787, the regular sittings of the convention began, to continue for a
period of four months. "Washington was elected its president. There
were fifty-five members enrolled, and of these fifty-one took part in the
debates, including Washington himself. These men were America's fore
most intellects, among them Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, Jay
and Adams. Some of the delegates, however, were obstructionists, not
in sympathy with the convention's work. This is evidenced by the fact
that when the final draft of the Constitution was completed it was signed
by only thirty-nine members. But so finished was the product wrought
by these pioneers of government that in the years which have since
elapsed only fifteen amendments thereto have been adopted, not one of
which is at variance with its original genius and spirit.
William Few was the only delegate present from Georgia when the
convention opened. As we have already seen, two delegates were needed
to give the state official representation. Georgia, therefore, was without
a vote until Mr. Pierce arrived one week later. Mr. Houstouii reached
Philadelphia on June 7th and Mr. Baldwin 011 June llth; but if either
Mr. Walton or Mr. Pendleton attended the convention no disclosure of
this fact is made by the records.* We have been taught to reverence our
ancestors. But this is a bad showing, especially when we consider the
vast importance of this body's Avork, in its bearing upon the whole future
history of our nation. Such remissness at the present time would not
be condoned. Perhaps there were obstacles in the way of which we are
ignorant. At any rate, let us be lenient.
Despite the existing inequality between the states as regards both
population and area, the voting power of all the states was made equal.
In other words, each state was entitled to one vote, a principle of repre
sentation borrowed from the Continental Congress. Georgia at a subse
quent period was to take a bold stand for State Sovereignty and even as
early as 1823, when Troup was governor, she was to defy successfully
the power of the United States. But in the Constitutional Convention
of 1787 she used her vote constantly in advocating a strong central
government.! Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Pierce both made speeches, ad
dressing the convention to this effect on. the same day. Neither was an
extremist. Each realized the dangers of centralization if pressed too
far, but maintained the paramount wisdom of such a system if pro
vided with proper safeguards and restraints. We are. not surprised to
find that Mr. Baldwin was the most influential member of the delega
tion. He was the first man in Georgia to grasp the state's great educa
tional needs and to realize the part which an educated electorate was
to play in the building of a great conmionwealth. Accordingly, in
1784, he had drafted a charter for the University of Georgia, the oldest
state university in America.
From an old newspaper of the period, we learn that in the main
there were three propositions for the convention to consider: (1) to
combine the original thirteen states into three distinct republics, leagued
* '' Debates on the Constitution,'' Jonathan Elliott.
t '' Georgia and State Eights," U. B. Phillips.