December.
They had then had no cold weather. All things relative to our new
constitution were going on well. Federal senators are; New Hampshire,
President Langdon and Bartlett. Massachusetts, Strong and Dalton.
Connecticut, Dr. Johnson and Ellsworth. New Jersey, Patterson and
Ellmer. Pennsylvania, Robert Morris and M'Clay. Delaware, Reed and
Bassett. Virginia, Richard Henry Lee and Grayson. Maryland, Charles
Carroll, of Carrolton, and John Henry. All of these are federalists,
except those of Virginia; so that a majority of federalists are secured
in the Senate, and expected in the House of Representives. General
Washington will be President, and probably Mr. Adams Vice-President. So
that the constitution will be put under way by those who will give it a
fair trial. It does not seem probable that the attempt of New York,
to have another convention to make amendments, will succeed, though
Virginia concurs in it. It is tolerably certain that Congress will
propose amendments to the Assemblies, as even the friends of the
constitution are willing to make amendments; some from a conviction they
are necessary, others, from a spirit of conciliation. The addition of
a bill of rights will, probably, be the most essential change. A vast
majority of anti-federalists have got into the Assembly of Virginia,
so that Mr. Henry is omnipotent there. Mr. Madison was left out as a
senator by eight or nine votes; and Henry has so modeled the districts
for representatives, as to tack Orange to counties where himself has
great influence, that Madison may not be elected into the lower federal
House, which was the place he had wished to serve in, and not the
Senate. Henry pronounced a philippic against Madison in open
Assembly, Madison being then at Philadelphia. Mifflin is President
of Pennsylvania, and Peters, Speaker. Colonel Howard is Governor of
Maryland. Beverly Randolph, Governor of Virginia; (this last is said
by a passenger only, and he seems not very sure.) Colonel Humphreys is
attacked in the papers for his French airs, for bad poetry, bad prose,
vanity, &c. It is said his dress, in so gay a style, gives general
disgust against him. I have received a letter from him. He seems fixed
with General Washington. Mayo's bridge, at Richmond, was completed, and
carried away in a few weeks. While up, it was so profitable that he
had great offers for it. A turnpike is established at Alexandria, and
succeeds. Rhode Island has again refused to cal