berality of temper. Governor Hancock presided, gorgeous in crimson
velvet and finest laces, while about the room sat many browned and
weather-beaten farmers, among whom were at least eighteen who hardly a
year ago had marched over the pine-clad mountain ridges of Petersham,
under the banner of the rebel Shays. It was a wholesome no less than a
generous policy that let these men come in and freely speak their minds.
The air was thus the sooner cleared of discontent; the disease was thus
the more likely to heal itself. In all there were three hundred and
fifty-five delegates present,--a much larger number than took part in
any of the other state conventions. The people of all parts of
Massachusetts were very thoroughly represented, as befitted the state
which was preeminent in the active political life of its town meetings,
and the work done here was in some respects decisive in its effect upon
the adoption of the Constitution.

[Sidenote: Debates in the Massachusetts convention.]

The convention began by overhauling that document from beginning to end,
discussing it clause by clause with somewhat wearisome minuteness. Some
of the objections seem odd to us at this time, with our larger
experience. It was several days before the minds of the country members
could be reconciled to the election of representatives for so long a
period as two years. They had not been wont to delegate power to anybody
for so long a time, not even to their selectmen, whom they had always
under their eyes. How much more dangerous was it likely to prove if
delegated authority were to be exercised for so long a period at some
distant federal city, such as the Constitution contemplated! There was a
vague dread that in some indescribable way the new Congress might
contrive to make its sittings perpetual, and thus become a tyrannical
oligarchy, which might tax the people without their consent. And then as
to this federal city, there were some who did not like the idea. A
district ten miles square! Was not that a great space to give up to the
uncontrolled discretion of the federal government, wherein it could
wreak its tyrannical will without let or hindrance? One of the delegates
thought he could be reconciled to the new Constitution if this district
could only be narrowed down to one mile square. And then there was the
power granted to Congress to maintain a standing army, of which the
president was to be _ex officio_ commander-in-chief. Did not this