“I know we must seduce some small states to support the plan. My guess is at least three to gain credibility. Without that, we’ll surely suffer disharmony, possibly war. I also know that logic and reason have gotten us nowhere.”
“You do understand. What you don’t know is that New Hampshire may send a delegation.”
Madison froze. New Hampshire’s attendance boded disaster. The six large states would be pitted against five small states, plus possibly New York. Governor Clinton could control the convention by causing a deadlock, then demanding an enormous price to switch over to the large state side.
“Rhode Island?”
“Thankfully, no,” Morris said.
“Are you sure?”
“I have sources,” Morris said. “The Rhode Island legislature is so corrupt, it’s easy to buy information. If need be, I can buy obstruction.”
“Jemmy, we have to negotiate a middle ground,” Washington said. “But a choice halfway between the two plans looks appalling. We need a third plan.”
“Not Pinckney’s?”
“Oh, goodness no,” Franklin said, “I’d forgotten about that one.”
“He hasn’t,” Madison said. “He demanded to present it again, just this morning.”
“It is on the wrong side of the Virginia Plan,” Franklin said. “We need something on the other side.”
“The other side?”
“A limited monarchy,” Franklin said with his twinkle.
“A monarchy? That would be discarded with contempt.”
“We need something that makes our plan look prudent,” Franklin said.
“Who would propose such a thing?” The silence of the three men answered the question. “Does Alex know?”
Washington said, “We’ll have dinner together.”
“He may refuse.”
“He’d never refuse me.”
“There are risks,” Madison said.
“Yes, horrible risks,” Washington said in mock terror. “I could be made king.”
“Seriously, people might assume that he speaks in your behalf.”
“I shall punish him for broaching the subject.”
“How?”
“All part of the ruse,” Franklin said. “We want Alex in New York to keep an eye on Clinton and, if necessary, to act as an emissary to Congress.”
“Excellent. Clinton must be watched,” Madison said. “Who came up with that idea?”
“Not important,” Washington said with a dismissive air. “I trust Alex, and the need for an emissary may arise. In any case, Yates and Lansing outvote him.”
“How can we get leverage on Clinton?”
“Whatever leverage exists lies in the western lands,” Morris said. “Greed consumes the man.”
“When will Alex present his proposal?”
“Monday,” Washington said. “I’ll instruct him to make it long and exhausting.”
“May I suggest yet another complexity?” Madison asked.
“That’s why you’re here, my boy,” Franklin said.
“Rufus King has been silent to this point. Although he votes with us, he’s highly suspicious of a strong central government.”
“If he’s won over, how do you propose to use him?” Morris asked.
“King is a great speaker. We need a strong orator that can appeal to emotion.”
“My dear boy,” said Franklin, “so quick to abandon your precious logic?”
Madison smiled. “I’m ready to try anything.”
“What do you suggest?” Washington asked.
“Alex and Rufus are friends. Hamilton can be very persuasive when he sets his mind to it. Give Alex the assignment to win Rufus over, and then we can propel him on stage.”
“Excellent,” Washington said. “Anything else?”
“What about Pinckney?”
“We’ll have to give him voice again,” Washington said. “The question is, when?”
“Delay him,” Franklin suggested. “Too many cooks spoil the pot.”
“Agreed. Tell him we’ll schedule him Monday after next,” Washington instructed.
“Very well,” Madison said,
“Did you enjoy your port?” Morris asked.
Madison looked at the glass sitting on the side table. He had never touched it. He picked it up by the stem and took an appreciative sip. “Excellent. I’ll have to come by more often.”
“A bright lad like yourself is always welcome,” Morris said with a smile. “You enliven conversation and stimulate the intrigue.”
“We do seem to be in the thick of it.”
Chapter 19
Monday, June 18, 1787
Sherman caught Baldwin’s eye and motioned with his head toward the door. Sherman rose and walked across the back of the chamber, out the door, and past the ever-present sentry. He waited under one of the three arches leading to the Judicial Chamber. A trial was in full progress, with about twenty people in the chamber. Three red-robed judges peered down from the bench at the defendant standing in a cagelike dock in the middle of the room. Lawyers garbed in black robes hovered around paper-strewn tables, and a jury sat inside a paneled partition. After a few minutes observing the trial, Sherman guessed that the unlucky defendant would soon spend a few years in the debtors’ prison behind the State House yard.
Baldwin escaped from the chamber and softly closed the door behind him. The rules required their attendance, but delegates discreetly entered and exited the chamber continuously.
Baldwin wandered over to the arch and stood beside Sherman. After a few moments, he asked, “Did you call me out to observe this trial?”
Sherman said, “I thought you might need to use the privy.”
“That’s what I like about you, Roger, always considerate.”
“Always that. Let’s go.”
Sherman turned and walked toward the rear exit that led to the yard. The men turned left toward the privy strategically placed about forty feet behind the east wing. Both men entered the two-holer and unbuttoned.
“Is this your idea of a private meeting?” Baldwin asked.
“Something’s up. This makes no sense.”
“Surprises you, does it, Roger? I can understand at your age.”
“I’m talking about the convention.”
“So we are having a meeting.”
Sherman couldn’t help but laugh. “Come on, button up and we’ll take a walk.” They proceeded through the arcade, nodded at another sentry, and walked into the street.
“Hamilton recites the entire history of Western civilization,” Sherman said. “Two hours, and he hasn’t broached his plan.”
“A stall?”
“To what purpose?”
“To bore us into submission?”
“If that’s their intent, I’ll set Luther Martin on them,” Sherman said with a smile.
Baldwin threw his hands up. “Please, I relent! I’ll do anything that would stop that torture.”
“Seriously, this lecture has a purpose. What do you think?”
“Hum, his plan, once he gets around to it, will support a far stronger central government than anything presented to date. As for the verbosity, I do think they mean to wear down the opposition.”
“I believe you’re right on both counts. They mean to lay out an extreme plan that makes theirs look reasonable.”
“And your reaction?” Baldwin asked.
“Silence.”
“Silence?”
“They want to draw us into a debate on Hamilton’s plan. Discussion will lend it legitimacy.”
“And the Virginia Plan becomes the rational middle ground?”
“Exactly. No matter how they provoke us, we’ll not rise to the challenge. We’ll ignore it. I’ll tell New Jersey; you inform Maryland.”
“Roger, that’s presumptuous. I may play truant with you, but I’m a Georgia delegate.”
Baldwin’s response gave Sherman a start. He had unconsciously signaled his friend to leave the chambe
r with him because they’d been compatriots in New Haven and often thrashed out political puzzles together. “Sorry, my error. I was trying to accommodate your fondness for intrigue.”
“You devil. Very well, I’ll inform the cantankerous Luther Martin.”
Sherman felt relief. “Do you think the other New York delegates support Hamilton?”
“They want to tar and feather the scoundrel and then bludgeon him until his arrogance withers.”
Sherman feigned shock. “All that in the City of Brotherly Love.”
“They’re New York simpletons, unschooled in the piety of Philadelphia.”
“First Martin, now our esteemed delegates from New York.” Sherman shook his head in mock alarm. “Must you disparage all my allies?”
“That’s why I prefer my side. I comport with full-grown men.”
Sherman looked at Baldwin. “Then why do you meet with me?”
“I want to see if David can slay Goliath.”
“A severe wound might be sufficient.”
“New Yorkers believe politics is a mortal contest,” Baldwin said.
“I prefer to beguile.”
“So, are we walking all the way to the Delaware River, or do we return to hear Hamilton’s plan?”
Sherman stopped. They had walked nearly six blocks from the State House. Carriages, horses, and wagons choked the street, chattering people surrounded them, and he became conscious of the banging and clatter of construction. As Sherman shook his head in wonderment, he caught the first whiff of a dank rot that hovered around the harbor side. The city vibrated with unrestrained energy, but Sherman had been oblivious to all.
“I suppose we should return,” Sherman said, reversing direction. “There may yet be surprises.”
“Early adjournment?”
“No. I’m afraid our friends may have cooked up a more complex plot.”
“Impossible. Who could be so fiendish?”
“Dr. Franklin, for one. Anyone who can pry money and arms out of the French deserves to be watched closely.”
“He seems harmless.”
“An act, my friend, an act. He’s a confidant of Robert Morris and Gen. Washington. The richest man in the country and the most popular man in the country.”
“Washington and Morris have remained silent.”
“Only in the chamber. Hamilton would never have joined this brawl without the general’s permission.”
“Goliath looks more forbidding with each step we take toward the State House.”
Sherman was making his way along the back of the chamber when Hamilton’s words caught his attention.
“Gentlemen, I’m unfriendly to both the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan. Both deliver mere pork with different sauces. Neither considers the amazing turbulence of the democratic spirit. When a popular passion seizes people, it spreads like wildfire. In every society, there’ll be a division of people into the few and the many. Give all power to the many and they oppress the few. Give all power to the few and they oppress the many. We’re now watching uncontrolled passion destroy this great country. The union is dissolving—in truth, it has already dissolved.”
Hamilton stared intently at his audience. “Gentlemen, let me assure you, the evils which breed in the states will cure the people of their fondness for democracy.”
Sherman found his seat and pulled Ellsworth’s notes over for a quick scan. It seemed that Hamilton had lectured on the Amphictyonic Council, the German Confederacy, Swiss cantons, Roman emperors, and every modern European state. Sherman pushed the notes back to Ellsworth and wrote a short directive to not challenge Hamilton. He stood, casually stretched, and walked over to drop the note in front of Paterson. Sherman saw Baldwin follow his example with Martin.
Returning to his table, Sherman saw that Hamilton had let his notes drop to his side. “Gentlemen, I see no reason to keep the states. They’re not necessary for commerce, revenue, or agriculture. Avarice, ambition, and corruption will continue as long as they exist.”
Hamilton raised his notes, took a minute to find his place, and continued. “The British system is the best in the world. The House of Lords is a noble institution. Having nothing to gain from change—and owning great property—the lords form a permanent barrier against pernicious passions, whether advocated by the crown or the commons.
“You might ask, can a government based on the British model be republican? Yes—if all the officials are appointed by the people.”
Sherman didn’t normally take notes. He believed the distraction caused him to miss nuances and the larger canvas But in this instance, he pulled a piece of paper forward and scribbled a summary of the Hamilton plan. As Hamilton presented an emotional appeal for support, Sherman reviewed the design. The concept was bold, and, as suggested beforehand, similar to the British system. The executive, judiciary, and Senate held power for life, unless they did something so outlandish as to be impeached.
Hamilton finished his exhortation to sparse applause that quickly tapered off to a deathly silence. After an embarrassing interval, someone made a motion to adjourn, which raised an appreciative second and unanimous concurrence.
Sherman stuffed his meager notes into a battered valise and walked with Ellsworth across the back of the chamber toward the door. “Let’s meet for a short discussion. My room?”
“Certainly, unless you’re open to a different venue.”
Sherman stopped before reaching the chamber door. “Where?”
“An adventure. We won’t leave the State House and it’s private.”
“Lead on,” Sherman said, his uplifted palm pointed toward the door.
“First, let’s drop our valises back at the table so we won’t have to lug them.”
“You’re taking me to the tower.”
“You’ve been there before?”
“Oliver, with all the time I’ve spent in this building, do you think I never ventured up the tower?” At Ellsworth’s crestfallen look, Sherman quickly added, “But it’s a splendid idea. I haven’t been up this trip and it’s a glorious day.”
With Ellsworth’s excitement rekindled, the two men disposed of their cases and headed toward the tower Stair Hall. As they reached the Palladian window landing, Sherman found it ironic that he and Washington had discussed right here the issues he needed to explain to Ellsworth.
They continued across the landing and climbed to the second floor. The two floors of the State House had differing layouts. The grand Central Hall divided the first floor into two equal chambers, one for the Pennsylvania supreme court and another for the assembly. The assembly was in recess, so the convention used this room for its sessions. The second floor was arranged with three unequally sized rooms. The Stair Hall opened onto the Long Gallery, which extended the entire width of the front of the building. The gallery, which was used for banquets, balls, and public events, gave access to the Governor’s Council Chamber and a large committee room.
The tower sat at the rear of the building and extended upward an additional three stories. At the third-floor level, they encountered an unfinished room used for storage. From this point, the staircase lost its formal appearance and became a rough-hewn narrow access to the belfry. As they neared the top, Sherman’s labored breathing reminded him that he was no longer a young man. Ellsworth threw open the door to the observation deck, and fresh air chased a musty smell back into the recesses below.
Sherman ducked his head and passed through a miniature door to the tiny deck that circumvented the tower just below the bell. A finely carved banister provided a convenient handhold that helped Sherman control his fear of falling.
“Spectacular,” Sherman said.
“You can see forever. I can’t wait to go up in a balloon.”
“You and Madison.”
Ellsworth looked puzzled but evidently decided not to pursue the matter. “Roger, if the days stay nice, you’ll have a tough time keeping me in that stuffy chamber.”
“Then I’ll make a motion
for inclement weather.”
“I’ll not second.”
Sherman laughed. “Take me on the tour.”
“Yes, sir, but I insist on a halfpence.”
“With pleasure. This is the best bargain I’ve encountered in all of Philadelphia.”
The terrace was so narrow that the two men had to sidestep single file. They could see the entire city. As they moved to the left, Sherman spotted Mrs. Marshall’s house. Along the Delaware River frontage, countless ship masts serrated the horizon, and Sherman could see the roof of the coffeehouse where he had met Baldwin. The city had expanded from the river, so buildings clogged most of the space between the water’s edge and the State House. As they continued to circle, they looked directly down on Franklin’s courtyard. Further to the left, beyond the Robert Morris house, trees began to dominate the scattered structures to the north and west.
As they returned to their starting point and looked over the yard, Sherman said, “Oliver, Connecticut must vote for the Virginia Plan in committee.”
“You’ll get no argument from me.”
Sherman tested the strength of the handrail. “Our vote was the price of presenting the New Jersey Plan.”
“You made the trade in advance? To whom?”
“Gen. Washington.”
“I see.” Ellsworth flicked a bird dropping off the banister rail. “Actually, I don’t see. What did we gain from such a trade?”
“We got to present our views and argue our points, and we retained the leadership of the small states.”
Ellsworth looked annoyed. “You mean, you retained leadership of the small states?”
“We work together.”
“Evidently not all the time.”
Sherman winced. “Oliver, I didn’t know what price would be demanded, or I would have consulted you. Presenting the plan was important. Now we can incorporate some of our ideas into the final design.”
“Not if we don’t garner more votes. The convention alignment seems fixed.”
“Nothing in politics is fixed.”
Ellsworth raised an eyebrow. “Who’re you seducing?”
Tempest at Dawn Page 23
