John Lansing

The convention spent Saturday, June 16th, arguing about which one to build.

John Lansing of New York, Governor Clinton's man, the Albany mayor, opened for the New Jersey side and aimed at the Virginia plan's deepest nerve.

The states never feel a sufficient confidence in a general government to give it a negative on their laws.

The scheme is itself totally novel.

Major Pierce noted mildly that some of his enemies say he is an anti-federal man.

And John Lansing, the mayor of Albany, who took his seat June 2nd.

Governor Clinton's men, both of them, chosen for exactly one purpose.

New York voted as a state.

It would have greatly mitigated the evils of the time, but would perhaps by that very fact have postponed the more complete union of the states, which was to come under the Constitution of 1789. this was only one of the many projects germinating in the fertile mind of hamilton in a letter to washington march seventeenth seventeen eighty three he wrote we have made considerable progress in a plan to be recommended to the several states for funding all the public debts including those of the army which is certainly the only way to restore public credit and enable us to continue the war by borrowing abroad if it should be necessary to continue it that it might be necessary to continue the war hamilton seriously feared in spite of the fact that the provisional treaty of peace with great britain was then before congress a grave question had arisen whether faith had been kept with france in the negotiation of this treaty congress had resolved unanimously october fourth seventeen eighty two that they will not enter into any discussion of overtures of pacification but in confidence and in concert with his most christian majesty the king of france adams and jay against the advice of franklin negotiated secretly with great britain and only the moderation of virgin's french minister of foreign affairs prevented serious friction between the allies hamilton though far from being a partisan of france believed in acting towards her with the most scrupulous good faith he advocated a middle course between subserviency to great britain and implicit confidence in the disinterestedness of france he declared on march eighteenth seventeen eighty three when the peace preliminaries were considered that it was not improbable that it had been the policy of france to procrastinate the definite acknowledgment of our independence on the part of great britain in order to keep us more knit to herself and until her own interests could be negotiated notwithstanding this caution regarding french purposes he disapproved highly of the conduct of our ministers in not showing the preliminary articles to our ally before they signed them and still more so of their agreeing to the separate article his own view was expressed in some resolutions which he offered and which congress adopted may second seventeen eighty three asking a further loan from the french king and that his majesty might be informed that congress will consider his compliance in this instance as a new and valuable proof of his friendship peculiarly interesting in the present conjuncture of the affairs of the united states chapter one part two

chapter two of alexander hamilton THE FIGHT FOR THE CONSTITUTION PART ONE hamilton was not a conspicuous national figure during the four years which elapsed between the termination of his term in congress and his appearance in the federal convention of seventeen eighty seven he was working none the less earnestly and persistently however in favor of a stronger union movements towards this union took form almost simultaneously in different parts of the country under the impulse of a common need the wise and thoughtful words of washington in his circular letter to the governor of each state on surrendering the command of the army june eighth seventeen eighty three sank into many hearts and did much to soften local prejudices against giving more power to the central government the state of virginia in december seventeen eighty three ceded her northwestern territory to congress and granted a general impost significance was given to the act by the policy of the governor in communicating it to the executive authority of the other states with the suggestion that they do likewise jefferson was as cordial a supporter as madison at that time of the project of a federal union as a member of congress he prepared a plan for intercourse with the powers of europe and the barbary states in which he described the united states as one nation upon the principles of the federal constitution only two states rhode island and connecticut voted to substitute weaker words in describing the union it was voted by eight states to two march twenty sixth seventeen eighty four that in treaties and in all cases arising under them the united states formed one nation the need for uniform rules for the regulation of commerce on the potomac and the creation of roads and canals led to a number of conferences during the next two years between virginia and maryland in one of which washington played the part of referee the legislature of maryland finally took a step which shot a bright ray of light through the darkness surrounding the prospects of a permanent union in a letter to the legislature of virginia december seventeen eighty five it proposed that commissioners from all the states should be invited to meet and regulate the restrictions on commerce for the whole madison in virginia gave cordial welcome to the invitation he had already gone beyond the sentiment of his state in his zeal for union but at his instigation a meeting of delegates from the states was called by virginia at annapolis md for september seventeen eighty six hamilton snatched at the opportunity which this invitation presented several of his friends were elected to the legislature of new york and made the appointment of delegates to annapolis their paramount object in spite of much hostility they succeeded in wresting authority from the legislature for a commission of five hamilton and benson were the only two of these delegates who appeared at annapolis they found only four other states represented there it was determined that the best that could be done by the little gathering was to urge upon the states a general convention to meet at philadelphia on the second monday of the next may to consider the situation of the united states and devise such further provisions as should appear necessary to render the constitution of the federal government adequate to the exigencies of the union hamilton was not a member of the committee appointed to prepare the report but it was his draft which with some modifications to meet the sensibilities of the virginians was accepted and adopted a path was now blazed in which those who favored a stronger union could walk in harmony hamilton returned to new york with the intention of exerting his whole strength in behalf of the convention he secured an election to the legislature and at once took the lead of the members opposed to the separatist policy of governor clinton he assailed the governor on the question of granting an impost to congress in a practicable form but was beaten by the solid vote of the party in power he succeeded better with his resolution for the appointment of five delegates to the convention at philadelphia the senate cut down the number to three and two of them chief justice robert yates and john lansing jr were resolute supporters of the governor But Hamilton carried the vital point that New York should be represented in the federal convention, and he was himself one of the delegates.

It was not until late in February 1787 that this action was taken, little more than three months before the meeting of the convention.

And it was a few days later when formal approval was given to the project by the federal Congress.

But what they could do is smother his influence by appointing two delegates who opposed strengthening the national government.

And those men were Albany Mayor John Lansing Jr. and New York Supreme Court Judge Robert Yates.

And what this means is that Hamilton is being sent to Philadelphia with two men who oppose him.

Whenever Yates and Lansing disagreed with Hamilton, they could outvote him.

Convention rules were set so that each vote was counted on a state-by-state basis, which meant the composition of New York's delegates were a serious limitation on Hamilton's ability to influence the Constitutional Convention.

The delegates would meet in the Pennsylvania State House.

And for the first time, Hamilton finally had the single American Union he had spent years calling for.

It was flawed, certainly, but it existed, so why not give it a shot? Now, each state is going to have to ratify the new constitution and their own separate ratifying convention, and no state is going to prove more troublesome for Hamilton than his own.

He succeeded better with his resolution for the appointment of five delegates to the convention at Philadelphia.

The Senate cut down the number to three, and two of them, Chief Justice Robert Yates and John Lansing Jr., were resolute supporters of the governor.

But Hamilton carried the vital point that New York should be represented in the federal convention, and he was himself one of the delegates.

It was not until late in February 1787 that this action was taken, little more than three months before the meeting of the convention.

On June 29th, 1787, Alexander Hamilton leaves the convention temporarily to attend to personal affairs back home in New York.

But his two fellow New Yorkers, Robert Yates and John Lansing Jr., leave permanently on July 10th, utterly disgusted by the Virginia Plan's proposed national government.

Two Maryland delegates, including high-functioning alcoholic Luther Martin, will eventually leave for the same reason.

This means the Empire State is currently unrepresented.