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COMMENTARIES, 20 SEPTEMBER
tion, the degree of unanimity attained in the Convention is a circum-
stance as fortunate, as the very respectable dissent on the part of
Virginia is a subject of regret. The double object of blending a proper
stability & energy in the Government with the essential characters of
the republican Form and of tracing a proper line of demarkation
between the national and State authorities was necessarily found to be
as difficult as it was desireable, and to admit of an infinite diversity
concerning the means among those who were unanimously agreed
concerning the end.
I find by a letter from my father that he & my unkle Erasmus have
lately paid their respects to Edmundsbury. I infer from his silence as
to your health that no unfavorable change had happened in it. That
this may find it perfectly re-established is the sincere and affecte. wish
of
1. RC, Madison Papers, DLC.
2. Pendleton's copy of the Dunlap and Claypoole printing of the Constitution, with
his annotations, is in the Andrew Jackson Donelson Papers at the Library of Congress
(Mfm:Va.).
3. "Edmundsbury" was Pendleton's plantation in Caroline County.
Robert Milligan to William Tilghman
Philadelphia, 20 September'
The Visitors & myself have agreed to submit our case to you & Mr
Hands only during the sitting of your october court-
The convention is at last risen-their plan of Foederal government
is applauded here for its moderation, & we have no doubt of its being
adopted-I shall deliver a copy to the post for you-When all was ready
for signing-three of the members, flew off-Randolph & Mason from
Virginia, & Geary2 from Boston.-the last mentiond is a mere insect,
without any sort of consequence,-Mason has not been cordial in any
part of the business; Randolph has been one of the most active persons
in Convention, & much was expected from his support in Virginia, all
at once he became an apostate; he is said to be afraid of the democracy
& Patrick Henry. be this as it will, he has completely blasted himself
here-We entertain hopes that New York will be the only refusing
state-
[P.S.] It is said that Genl Washington has given assurances, that he
will serve as President.
1. RC, Tilghman Papers, PHi. The place is not indicated, but presumably the letter
was written in Philadelphia, where Milligan (c. 1754-1806) practiced law. Tilghman
(1756-1827), a Chestertown, Md., lawyer, represented Kent County in the Maryland
Convention, where he voted to ratify the Constitution in April 1788.
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