39. Resolutions Adopted by the Hartford Convention.
January 4, 1815.
On December 15, 1814, twenty-six delegates from the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, the counties of Cheshire and Grafton in the State of New Hampshire, and the county of Windham in the State of Vermont, assembled in convention at Hartford. They continued in secret session until January 5, 1815. The result of their deliberations was embodied in a Report and Resolutions, which were immediately published. The Resolutions are given below. The General Court of Massachusetts, Jan. 27, 1815, passed resolutions approving of the proceedings of the Convention and for appointing Commissioners to proceed to the seat of the National Government to enter into negotiations with the Federal Authorities. (Resolves of Mass. (1812–1814), 590–592.) On Feb. 10, 1815, the General Court also adopted resolutions recommending the same amendments to the Federal Constitution as had been proposed by the Hartford Convention. (Ibid., 615–617.) Similar action was also taken by Connecticut, and the resolutions of both States were presented to Congress. (Ames, Proposed Amendments, 46, 126, 180, 244, 264, 265, note, 269, 331, 332.) For reply of other States, see post, pp. 42–44. The news of peace rendered the mission of the Commissioners untimely, and discredited the whole movement. (Report of the Commissioners of Mass. to Washington, May 15, 1815, MS. in Mass. Archives, No. 5032/7.)
References: Text of Report and Resolutions in The Proceedings of a Convention of Delegates, etc., convened at Hartford, December 15, 1814. (Hartford, 1815.) A copy of this imprint, with the autograph signatures of the members, is in the Massachusetts Archives. The text is also found as follows: Pamphlet with same title, 3d ed. (Boston, 1815.) Appx. to Resolves of Mass., 1812–15; Dwight, 352–379; Niles, VII, 305–313. The Journal is in Dwight, 383–398. The letter of Senator Pickering, and others, of March 3, 1815, in regard to laying the Amendments before Congress is in Mass. Archives, No. 5032/9. General References: Adams, VIII, ch. XI; Adams, New England Federalism, 81–90, 251–329; Hildreth, VI, 545–554; Lalor, I, 624–626; Lodge, Cabot, chs. XI–XIII; McMaster, IV, 248–252; Niles,VII (cf. Index); XXXIX, 434, 435; Quincy, Quincy, 356–358; Schouler, II, 425–429; Von Holst, I, 263–272. For additional bibliography, cf. Channing and Hart, Guide, § 173; MacDonald, Documents, 198.
Therefore Resolved,
That it be and hereby is recommended to the Legislatures of the several States represented in this Convention, to adopt all such measures as may be necessary effectually to protect the citizens of said States from the operation and effects of all acts which have been or may be passed by the Congress of the United
