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5 O Thomas Rodney to Alexander Hamilton, Poplar Grove
10 February 1791'
It is very True that I was not an advocate for the
Ebederal Government being adopted So Soon altho I was very
Sensible of great defects in the Old confederation, Yet I
was apprehensive it would be dangerous to Our Independance
To Attempt Changing that principle of Government which had
conducted us Safe through the Revolution, because I was
persuaded that the local Attachment of the people to their
State governments would prevent their consenting to a
Regular & Uniform General government and that if a partial
form was Established the peoples local attachment to their
State government would operate Strongly against it so as to
render its Operations weak & in Effectual.
I find in both Instances my apprehensions well founded
The States have deligated great powers to Congress but have
reserved Enough to them selves to keep up their Old local
attachments and indeed to increase them. And we already See
that the State legislatures of Virginia and Pensylvania are
Attempting to control Congress in the Exercise of their
Constitutional powers, and as the local Attachments of the
people will naturlally] incline them to Side with their State