Chapter 5 4. Glory and power

The May 25 meeting actually did just one thing—elect Gen. George Washington, a 55-year-old Virginia representative and former commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, as chairman of the convention. We Chinese are all too familiar with the name of George Washington.In our view, he is a well-deserved chairman of the General Assembly.In fact, this proposal was unanimously endorsed by seven delegations.Washington was elected unanimously.It should be noted, however, that this nomination is still a special courtesy.Because it came from the Pennsylvania delegation, and it was proposed by Benjamin Franklin and nominated by Robert Morris.

Pennsylvania is the second largest state after Virginia, with the second largest population and the fifth largest by land area.Her delegation also has a strong lineup, the largest number, a total of 8 people (the second is Virginia, 7 people).At least four of them were of considerable importance: Robert Morris, Gouveno Morris, James Wilson, and Benjamin Franklin. Robert Morris, 53, was the man who signed all three of these great documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Federal Constitution.There were only two such people, he and Roger Sherman of Connecticut. Guweno Morris, 35, was the delegate who spoke the most during the straight session with 173 speeches.Moreover, because of his finesse and delicacy of writing, he was largely responsible for finalizing the text of the Constitution. The 45-year-old James Wilson ranked second with more than 160 speeches (in this case, Virginia Representative James Madison, more than 150 times), and many of his specific proposals became the flesh and blood of the "Virginia Plan", which was finally incorporated into the Union constitution.If the ranking is based on the number of speeches, the champion and runner-up are both in the Pennsylvania delegation.What's more, the two who spoke the most were not ordinary people.Gouveno Maurice was a son of a noble family, but he himself "gathered all talents in one body" and spoke eloquently.James Wilson was an expert on American constitutional issues at the time.He knows the situation of various political systems in the world like the back of his hand.It is also one of the first six Supreme Court justices appointed after the entry into force of the Federal Constitution.There were three representatives of the Constituent Assembly who later became justices.One was him (appointed 1789), and the other was William Paterson of New Jersey (appointed 1793).There were two people who became president later, Washington and Madison.Both are Virginians.Virginia and Pennsylvania are the two final states.

In fact, this meeting was also dominated by Virginia and Pennsylvania.The opinions of these two delegations represent the mainstream direction of the meeting.The fact that Virginia was nominated by the Pennsylvania delegation for the presidency of the convention was extraordinary, not to mention the fact that the nomination came from Benjamin Franklin. This is another name we are very familiar with.We grew up hearing about him flying a kite in a storm to prove that lightning was not the wrath of God, about his invention of the lightning rod, about the many honors he received in his life (such as the Copley Medal from the Royal Society, Harvard and Yale) honorary degree, member of the Royal Society, foreign academician of the French Academy of Sciences, foreign academician of the Peterborough Academy of Sciences, etc.).We also know that because of his poor family, he dropped out of school after only two years to become a printer.Relying on hard self-study and hard work, he not only made himself a learned scholar, but also founded the first public library in North America in Philadelphia and the College of Philadelphia (later the University of Pennsylvania).Of course we also know that he was not only a scientist, but also a politician, and an enlightened thinker.It was he who proposed the first "Albany Plan of 1754" that united the people of the North American colonies.It also made a representative of the Second Continental Congress and one of the drafting members of the Declaration of Independence, and traveled across the ocean to France, winning the support of the French and European people for the North American War of Independence.When he came to the Constitutional Convention this time, he was the executive officer of Pennsylvania.Franklin has a high prestige in the eyes of the American people, and is called "Mr. America" ​​and "the most American American" by historians. When he died in 1790, the people of Philadelphia mourned for him for one month, and the funeral procession reached 20,000 people.Although his tombstone is only engraved with the words "Franklin the Printer", the French economist Turgot wrote this praise for him: "He took thunder and lightning from heaven, and civil rights from tyrants."

If such a person is described by the four words "virtuous and respected", it is really appropriate.What's more, he was 81 years old when he participated in the constitutional convention, and he was the real elder and elder in the constitutional convention.If he is nominated as chairman, I am afraid he will be elected unanimously.In fact, Franklin and Washington played an extremely important role in the final adoption of the Federal Constitution.Washington's prestige inspires confidence, and Franklin's wisdom inspires.And the high character and integrity of the two of them played a role model.Franklin's nomination of Washington as chairman was really a good start for the meeting.

After Robert Morris nominated, South Carolina Representative John Rutledge seconded. The 48-year-old John Rutledge is also an "old revolutionary" who participated in the "Anti-Stamp Act Congress" in 1765 and two Continental Congresses.After Rutledge seconded, a written vote was taken. 7 states voted in favour.So Robert Morris and John Rutledge ushered Washington into the chair.Washington solemnly thanked the delegates at the meeting for bestowing on him such an honor.He reminded the delegates that he was apprehensive about the tasks he was about to perform and hoped that the meeting would forgive him if there were deficiencies.

In fact, Washington was very humble, cautious and low-key throughout the meeting. On May 29, the General Assembly decided to take the form of a committee of the whole to discuss the status quo of the Confederacy and the proposal proposed by the Virginia delegation to amend the Articles of Confederation (the "Virginia Plan"). On May 30, the convention elected Nathaniel Gorham of Massachusetts as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole.Since then, Washington has only taken the chair at the meeting and closing meeting every day, as the etiquette at the beginning and end of the meeting.The rest of the time he sat at the table of the Virginia delegation, discussing and voting as an ordinary delegate.He spoke a total of three times at the meeting.The first time was on the first day, with a short speech of thanks after the election of the Chair.The third time was on the last day, asking what to do with the minutes kept by him.The second, and last day, seconded a motion by Gorham.In his only substantive remarks, Washington said his circumstances limited him from speaking his mind and expressing his emotions.But now he thinks that the suggestion just now should be adopted.Washington kept his promise, and Gorham's motion was passed unanimously.

Washington's low profile has superficial reasons as well as deep reasons.He became the founder (father) of the United States not only because he "did something", but also because he "didn't do something".The so-called "doing something" naturally means that he led the War of Independence, participated in the Constitutional Convention, and served as the first president of the United States.The so-called "doing nothing" means that as the commander-in-chief holding military power, he took the initiative to return military power to Congress after the victory of the War of Independence; At the end of his second presidential term, he solemnly expressed to the people of the whole country his desire to retire and return to his hometown, setting a precedent for the US president to serve no more than two terms.If Washington does something, the American nation will be independent; if Washington does nothing, the American people will not be harmed.It is precisely because of these two reasons that he became the father of the United States. The word Father, in addition to "father", also means "founder" and "builder".In the past, we all called Washington the "father of the nation" of the United States, which is actually inaccurate and does not conform to the facts.Understanding the "founder of the United States" (or "founder") as the "father of the nation" is a typical imperial and autocratic thinking (calling the emperor "father").Washington did not consider him the father of the American people, but only considered himself the son of the people.

As the founder of the United States, Washington is actually a very ordinary and even a little mediocre person.When he was young, he had neither the idea of ​​"he can replace him", nor the spirit of "asking the vast land who is in charge of ups and downs". His greatest wish was to own more land and find a position in the British colonial standing army.He might have spent his life on his Virginia farm if it hadn't been for how times make heroes.There was nothing superhuman about her intellect, nor was her image particularly attractive.He was fluent but lacking in literary grace, sincere but rigid in his dealings with others, and dinner with him was "serious as a funeral".History and the people chose him mainly because of his character.His honesty is impeccable, his impartiality is consistent from beginning to end, and his conscience makes his decision-making unaffected by factors such as personal interests, kinship, likes and dislikes, not to mention that he has another kind of personality that is closely related to honesty, justice and conscience. Virtue—Prudence.This convinced everyone that it was safe to hand over the country to him.

However, in the face of the sudden influx of admiration and honors, Washington felt terrified and repeatedly retreated.After surrendering the "sword of defeating the enemy" in his hand and returning to farming on his Virginia farm, he was very reluctant to re-enter the political arena.This kind of thinking made him accept the presidency in 1789, even with the same mood as "a condemned prisoner stepped into the execution ground".He didn't want to participate in this constitutional meeting.It was only after repeated pleas from all sides that he agreed to resign himself to being Virginia's representative.This is the underlying reason for his silence at the meeting.Of course, as the chairman, too many statements will affect the free speech of the representatives, and Washington, who is noble and self-disciplined, certainly knows this.

However, this does not mean that Washington has nothing to do at the meeting, nor does it mean that he is dispensable to this meeting.In fact, before the Constitutional Convention, he and the "Father of the American Constitution" Madison alley information to discuss the major policy of the founding of the country and constitution.Madison showed Washington the outline of the new system he had drafted.Therefore, some people think that the new constitution and the constitutional convention are actually the products of Washington and Madison's conspiracy.Although Washington was reluctant to attend the meeting in person, once he participated, he devoted himself to it.What's more, if there is no frame for him to sit at the meeting as a symbol of the unity of the American nation, the meeting will really break up if it is not done properly.Instead, by virtue of his presence and presidency, the purpose of the Convention was linked to the theme of the American Revolution.This is the spiritual basis of the meeting.As we will see in the following descriptions, it is precisely because of such a foundation that the red sun finally burst out.