that you were
mistaken, and wish to correct it. _It will then be the constitution of our
country, and entitled to defence._ If Congress should chuse to avail
themselves of a popular commotion to continue in being, as the fourth
section justifies, and as the British parliament has repeatedly done, the
only answer will be, that it is the constitution of our country, and the
people chose it. It is therefore necessary to be exceedingly critical.
Whatsoever way shall be chosen to secure our rights, the same resolve
ought to contain the whole system of amendment. If it is rejected, the
resolve should contain the amendations of the old system; and if accepted,
it should contain the corrections of the new one.

AGRIPPA.

-------------------------------------

_A writer in the Gazette of 29th January, under the signature of Captain
M__c__Daniel, having with civility and apparent candour, called for an
explanation of what was said in one of my former papers, I have chosen to
mention him with respect, as the only one of my reviewers who deserves an
answer._

REPLIES TO THE STRICTURES OF A LANDHOLDER, BY ELBRIDGE GERRY.

Printed In The Massachusetts Centinel,
And
The American Herald,
January-April 1788.

Note.

The refusal of Gerry to sign or support the Constitution, being the only
northern member of the federal convention to do so, made him the general
target of attack by the federal writers of New England. To most of these
Gerry paid no attention, but the charges of "A Landholder" were so
positive, and so evidently written by a fellow member of the federal
convention, that an answer was necessary.

To neither of the two pieces here printed did Gerry put his name, but the
subject and internal evidence are both conclusive that they were written
by him. Not being able to find a copy of the _American Herald_, I have
been compelled to reprint the second article from the _New York Journal_.
For more on this subject see the letters of A Landholder and of Luther
Martin in this collection.

Reply To A Landholder, I.

The Massachusetts Centinel, (Number 32 of Volume VIII)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1788.

MR. RUSSELL:

You are desired to inform the publick from good authority, that Mr. GERRY,
by giving his dissent to the proposed Constitution, could have no motives
for preserving an office, for he holds none under the United States, or
any of them; that he has not, as has been ass