s from an attempt to establish a
government over us by force. This fact throws a blaze of light on the
conduct of several members from New York and the eastern States in the
convention of Annapolis, and the grand convention. At that of Annapolis,
several eastern members most vehemently opposed Madison's proposition
for a more general convention, with more general powers. They wished
things to get more and more into confusion, to justify the violent
measure they proposed. The idea of establishing a government by
reasoning and agreement, they publicly ridiculed as an Utopian project,
visionary and unexampled.

February the 6th, 1798. Mr. Baldwin tells me, that in a conversation
yesterday with Goodhue, on the state of our affairs, Goodhue said, 'I'll
tell you what, I have made up my mind on this subject; I would rather
the old ship should go down than not'; (meaning the Union of the
States.) Mr. Hillhouse coming up, 'Well,' says Mr. Baldwin, 'I'll tell
my old friend Hillhouse what you say '; and he told him. 'Well,' says
Goodhue, 'I repeat, that I would rather the old ship should go down,
if we are to be always kept pumping so.' 'Mr. Hillhouse,' says Baldwin,
'you remember when we were learning logic together at school, there was
the case categorical and the case hypothetical. Mr. Goodhue stated it to
me first as the case categorical. I am glad to see that he now changes
it to the case hypothetical, by adding, 'if we are always to be kept
pumping so.' Baldwin went on then to remind Goodhue what an advocate he
had been for our tonnage duty, wanting to make it one dollar instead
of fifty cents; and how impatiently he bore the delays of Congress
in proceeding to retaliate on Great Britain before Mr. Madison's
propositions came on. Goodhue acknowledged that his opinions had changed
since that.

February the 15th, 1798. I dined this day with Mr. Adams, (the
President.) The company was large. After dinner I was sitting next to
him, and our conversation was first on the enormous price of labor,*
house rent, and other things. We both concurred in ascribing it
chiefly to the flood of bank paper now afloat, and in condemning those
institutions. We then got on the constitution; and in the course of our
conversation he said, that no republic could ever last which had not a
Senate, and a Senate deeply and strongly rooted, strong enough to bear
up against all popular storms and passions; that he thought our
Senate as well constitu