This itself completely negatives all idea of league, and compact, and confederation.  Terms could not be chosen more fit to express an intention to establish a national government, and to banish for ever all notion of a compact between sovereign States.

This resolution was adopted on the 30th of May, 1787.  Afterwards, the style was altered, and, instead of being called a national government, it was called the government of the United States; but the substance of this resolution was retained, and was at tha head of that list of resolutions which was afterwards sent to the committee who were to frame the instrument.

It is true, there were gentlemen in the Convention, who were for retaining the Confederation, and amending its Articles; but the majority was against this, and was for a national government.  Mr. Patterson’s propositions, which were for continuing the Articles of Confederation with additional powers, were submitted to the Convention on the 15th of June, and referred to the committee of the whole.  The resolutions forming the basis of a national government, which had once been agreed to in the committee of the whole, and reported, were recommitted to the same committee, on the same day.  The Convention, then, in committee of the whole, on the 19th of June, had both these plans before them; that is to say, the plan of a confederacy, or compact, between States, and the plan of a national government.  Both these plans were considered and debated, and the committee reported, “That they do not agree to the propositions offered by the honorable Mr. Patterson, but that they again submit the resolutions formerly reported.”  If, Sir, any historical fact in the world be plain and undeniable, it is that the Convention deliberated on the expediency of continuing the Confederation, with some amendments, and rejected that scheme, and adopted the plan of a national government, with a legislature, an executive, and a judiciary of its own.  They were asked to preserve the league; they rejected the proposition.  They were asked to continue the existing compact between States; they rejected it.  They rejected compact, league, and confederation, and set themselves about framing the constitution of a national government; and they accomplished what they undertook.

If men will open their eyes fairly to the lights of history, it is impossible to be deceived on this point.  The great object was to supersede the Confederation by a regular government; because, under the Confederation, Congress had power only to make requisitions on States; and if States declined compliance, as they did, there was no remedy but war against such delinquent States.  It would seem, from Mr. Jefferson’s correspondence, in 1786 and 1787, that he was of opinion that even this remedy ought to be tried.  “There will be no money in the treasury,” said he, “till the confederacy shows its teeth”; and he suggests that a single frigate would soon levy, on the commerce