it be good, I suppose it will work its way; if bad, it will recoil on the framers.”  We catch sight here of the old theory that his public life was at an end, and now, when this exceptional duty had been performed, that he would retire once more to remote privacy.  This fancy, as well as the extremely philosophical mood about the fate of the Constitution, apparent in this letter, soon disappeared.  Within a week he wrote to Henry, in whom he probably already suspected the most formidable opponent of the new plan in Virginia:  “I wish the Constitution, which is offered, had been more perfect; but I sincerely believe it is the best that could be obtained at this time, and as a constitutional door is opened for amendments hereafter, the adoption of it under the present circumstances of the Union is, in my opinion, desirable.”  Copies of this letter were sent to Harrison and Nelson, and the correspondence thus started soon increased rapidly.  He wrote to Hamilton and Madison to counsel with them as to the prospects of the Constitution, and to Knox to supply him with arguments and urge him to energetic work.  By January of the new year the tone of indifference and doubt manifested in the letter to Lafayette had quite gone, and we find him writing to Governor Randolph, in reply to that gentleman’s objections:  “There are some things in the new form, I will readily acknowledge, which never did, and I am persuaded never will, obtain my cordial approbation, but I did then conceive and do now most firmly believe that in the aggregate it is the best Constitution that can be obtained at this epoch, and that this or a dissolution of the Union awaits our choice, and is the only alternative before us.  Thus believing, I had not, nor have I now, any hesitation in deciding on which to lean.”

Thus the few letters to a few friends extended to many letters to many friends, and traveled into every State.  They all urged the necessity of adopting the Constitution as the best that could be obtained.  What Washington’s precise objections to the Constitution were is not clear.  In a general way it was not energetic enough to come up to his ideal, but he never particularized in his criticisms.  He may have admitted the existence of defects in order simply to disarm opposition, and doubtless he, like most of the framers, was by no means completely satisfied with his work.  But he brushed all faults aside, and drove steadily forward to the great end in view.  He was as far removed as possible from that highly virtuous and very ineffective class of persons who will not support anything that is not perfect, and who generally contrive to do more harm than all the avowed enemies of sound government.  Washington did not stop to worry over and argue about details, but sought steadily to bring to pass the main object at which he aimed.  As he had labored for the convention, so he now labored for the Constitution, and his letters to his friends not only had great weight in forming a Federal party and directing its movements, but extracts from them were quoted and published, thus exerting a direct and powerful influence on public opinion.