on of
the blunder of submitting to Congress a Constitution before it had
been passed upon by the people. There was no serious opposition to the
course outlined by the Assembly, for a large majority of the people
were now anxious to see the matter of State organization carried to a
successful conclusion.

Owing to the absence of vital issues, the canvass preceding the
election of delegates was not what would be called an enthusiastic
campaign. There was of course a party struggle between the Whigs and
the Democrats for the seats in the Convention. But the Whigs, "aware
of their hopeless minority," advocated a "non-partisan election." They
clamored for a "no-party Constitution,"--one free from party
principles--for they did not want to see the Constitution of the State
of Iowa made the reservoir of party creeds. They contended, therefore,
that the delegates to the Convention should be chosen without
reference to party affiliations.

The Democrats, however, were not misled by the seductive cry of the
Whigs. They proceeded to capture as many seats as possible. Everywhere
they instructed their candidates to vote against banks. When the
returns were all in it was found that they had elected more than
two-thirds of the whole number of delegates.

Of the thirty-two delegates who were elected to seats in the
Convention of 1846, ten were Whigs and twenty-two were Democrats.
Fifteen of the members were born in the South, eight in the New
England States, four in the Middle States, and five in Ohio. Of those
born in the South six were from Kentucky, four from Virginia, three
from North Carolina, one from Alabama, and one from Maryland. The
eight members born in New England were four from Vermont and four from
Connecticut. The oldest member of the Convention was sixty-seven, the
youngest twenty three; while the average age of all was about
thirty-seven years. As to occupation, there were thirteen farmers,
seven lawyers, four merchants, four physicians, one mechanic, one
plasterer, one smelter, and one trader.

It was on the morning of May 4, 1846, that the second Constitutional
Convention met in the rooms of the Old Stone Capitol at Iowa City.
Thirty names were entered on the roll. James Grant, a delegate from
Scott county who had served in the first Convention, called the
members to order. William Thompson (not a member) was appointed
Secretary _pro tem_. Such was the temporary organization. It lasted
but a few minutes; for, i