The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

692 THE FREEMAN Novemberolder declaiming: "Experiencemust be our only guide. Reasonmay mislead US."9; and of J onathanDayton, the youngest manthere, rising to second what hadnot clearly been a motion byGouverneur Morris on the evils ofslavery and saying: "He did it ...that his sentiments on the subjectmight appear whatever mightbe the fate of the amendment."loAmong the MissingThough the convention wascomposed of as impressive an ~ssemblageof men as could havebeen got together at any time, therewere some prominent Americansnot there. John Adams was out ofthe country, doing his best to representthe Congress before theroyal court in London. Adams hadlately published a book which surveyedthe constitutional arrangementsof various countries, a bookwhose influence might have beengreater if its author had beenpresent at the convention. ThomasJefferson was in Paris as Ministerto France. Any gathering withouthim was missing one of theAmerican luminaries. Several ofthe firebrands of the Revolutionwere missing, if not missed, forthey were better known for heatthan light. Among them were:Samuel Adams who was not chosen,Richard Henry Lee and PatrickHenry who did not choose toattend, and Thomas Paine whowas in Europe trying to promote aproject for steel bridges in theinterlude between revolutions.Probably if some of these men hadbeen there they would have givensuch vociferous support to theidea of including a bill of rightsthat it would have been done, thusremoving what turned out to bethe major objection to the Constitution.Rules of OrderThe convention was organizedso as to proceed about its businesswithout interference from outsidersor without inhibiting fulldiscussion. The sessions were heldbehind closed doors; no record ofwhat was said or being consideredthere was to be released withoutthe approval of the convention.There were no galleries to beplayed to, no press to be placated.Strict rules governing the behaviorof members were adopted.For example:Every member rising to speak,shall address the President; andwhilst he shall be speaking, noneshall pass .between them, or holddiscourse with another, or read abook, pamphlet or paper....A member shall not speak oftenerthan twice, without special leave,upon the same question; and not thesecond time, before every other, whohad been silent, shall have beenheard, if he wish to speak. ll