Note 82 — Wednesday June 13.[82] in Committee of the whole

Edward Carrington wrote to Madison from New York, June 13, 1787:

"The public mind is now on the point of a favourable turn to the objects of your meeting, and, being fairly met with the result, will, I am persuaded, eventually embrace it—being calculated for the permanent fitness, and not the momentary habits of the country, it may at first be viewed with hesitation, but derived and patronized as it will be, its influence must extend into an adoption as the present fabric gives way—the work once well done will be done forever, but patched up in accommodation to the whim of the day, it will soon require the hand of the cobbler again, and in every unfortunate experiment the materials are rendered the less fit for that monument of civil liberty which we wish to erect.—Constitute a federal Government, invigorate & check it well—give it then independent powers over the Trade the Revenues, and force of the Union, and all things that involve any relationship to foreign powers—give it also the revisal of all State acts—unless it possesses a compleat controul over the State Governments, the constant effort will be to resume the delegated powers,—nor do I see what inducement the federal sovereignty can have to negative an innocent act of a State—Constitute it in such shape that, its first principles being preserved, it will be a good republic—I wish to see that system have a fair experiment—but let the liability to encroachment be rather from the federal, than the State, governments—in the first case we shall insensibly glide into a monarchy: in the latter nothing but anarchy can be the consequence.

"Some Gentlemen think of a total surrender of the State Sovereignty—I see not the necessity of that measure for giving us national stability in consequence—the negative of the federal sovereignty will effectually prevent the existence of any licentious or inconsiderate act—and I believe that even under a new monarchy it would be found necessary thus to continue the local administration—general Laws would operate many particular [undecipherable] and a general legislature would be found incompetent to the formation of local ones—the interest of the United States may be well combined for the common good—but the affairs of so extensive a country are not to be thrown into one mass—an attempt to confederate upon terms materially opposed to the particular Interests would in all probability occasion a dismemberment, and in that event, within a long time yet to come, the prospects of commerce will be at an end as to any degree of national importance, let her fate be what it may as to freedom or vassalage."—Mad. MSS.