The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

.1972 MAKING THE CONSTITUTION 689quent plea to get those who wereholding out to sign what they hadhelped to make. In a speech, readby James Wilson, Franklin said,among other things:I confess that there ~re severalparts of this constitution which Ido not at present approve, but I amnot sure I shall never approve them:For having lived long, I have experiencedmany instances of beingobliged by better information, orfuller consideration, to change opinionseven on important subjects,which I once thought right, butfound to be otherwise. It is thereforethat the older I grow, the moreapt I am to doubt my own judgment,and to pay more respect to thejudgment of others....On the whole, Sir, I can not helpexpressing a wish that every memberof the Convention who may stillhave objections to it, would withme, on this occasion doubt a littleof his own infallibility, and to makemanifest our unanimity, put hisname to this instrument. 6His advanced age may have increasedthe influence of his spiritof accommodation, but he hadbeen adept at the arts of politicsand diplomacy long before the contentionsof young men tired him.Though the convention was nota large body, a few men did mostof the speaking and a great dealof the other work of hamm"eringout the Constitution. The leadersincluded: Madison, Mason andRandolph of Virginia,. GouverneurMorris and Wilson of Pennsylvania,Charles Pinckney andRutledge of South Carolina, Ellsworthand Sherman of Connecticut,King and Gerry of Massachusetts,and, perhaps, Patersonof New Jersey. According to onetabulation, Gouverneur Morrisspoke on 173 different occasions;Wilson, 168; Madison, 161; Sherman,138; Mason, 136; and Gerry,119. 7 .James MadisonJ ames Madison has frequentlybeen described as the Father ofthe Constitution. Certainly, he wasone of its principal architects. Hewas not impressive to look at;judging by his appearance it wouldhave been easy to have mistakenhim for a clerk. He was quiteshort and thin, "Little J emmy,"they called him, "no bigger thana half cake of soap." Nor was hean orator; he spoke in such a lowvoice that those keeping journalsoften missed a part of what hesaid. He made up for these shortcomings,however, with intellectualacuity, sharp insight, and tenacityin the pursuit of his object.Moreover, he had prepared himselffor the task of making a new constitution.Much of his time in themonths before the convention hadbeen spent in reading, and mas-