Published in the Pennsylvania Mercury and General Advertiser, April 29, 1788, under the pseudonym Fabius:
“Such untired industry to serve their country, did the delegates to the federal convention exert, that they not only laboured to form the best plan they could, but, provided for making at any time amendments on the authority of the people, without shaking the stability of the government.”
Regarding Article V:
“It moreover equably enables the general and the state governments to originate the amendment of errors as they may be pointed out by the experience on one side or on the other.”
But, of course the state governments are not treated equably by the language of Article V. Congress needs a simple majority for a quorum and a 2/3 majority to propose. But the states need 2/3 for a quorum. If it was truly equitable in practice, as well as theory, how is it that Congress has proposed 33 amendments, and the states have produced none?
The market is rocking right along this morning. The problem with putting money in this market is the Tweeter-in-Chief. No one knows what comes next.
Trump is a demagogue, and tweeting is an aspect of his unpresidential populist appeal. It’s policy by tweet. The Framers would be appalled.
He’s a one term President. You read it here first. The system devised by the Framers was designed to deal with demagogues. And it will deal with Trump.
John Stevens Jr. was prominent in New Jersey commerce and politics, and was elected Vice-President of Council when New Jersey adopted its first state constitution. The seventh of his letters to the Daily Advertiser (New York), under the pseudonym “Americanus”, appeared on January 21, 1788.
“If there really are any ambiguous expressions contained in this Constitution, I am persuaded, the good sense of my fellow countrymen, will dictate to them the necessity of expunging them, the moment they shall feel the least inconvenience arising from them. The full discovery of these inaccuracies must necessarily be left to time.”
From his grave, Americanus calls out, “What are you waiting for?”
Joseph Barrell was a Boston merchant whose fleet of ships were converted to privateers during the Revolutionary War. And he was an American patriot.
In a December 20, 1787 letter to his brother Nathaniel concerning the proposed Constitution, he wrote, “. . . I think this one consideration alone will induce you to adopt it, vizt. because the present Confederation cannot be altered, unless all the 13 States agree and I was going to say Heaven and Earth may pass away before that event will take place! While the Constitution now proposed may be alterd when ever Nine States shall require it, Is it not therefore better to adopt this Constitution (even as it was not the best) which may be alterd rather than to retain the present Wretched System wch. never can? –
From The Debate on the Constitution, Part One, p. 588. The great American historian Bernard Bailyn selected the contents and wrote the headings and notes for this volume, copyright 1993 by Literary Classics of the United States, New York, N. Y.
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