State Documents on Federal Relations/37
37. Call of the Convention.
Circular Letter to the Governors of the New England States on a Convention to be holden at Hartford, which his Excellency the Governor is requested to transmit.
17th October, 1814.
Sir,
Your Excellency will herewith receive certain resolutions of the Legislature of Massachusetts, which you are respectfully requested to take the earliest occasion to lay before the Legislature of your State, together with this letter, which is intended as an invitation to them to appoint Delegates, if they shall deem it expedient, to meet such others as may be appointed by this and other States at the time and place expressed in these resolutions.
The general objects of the proposed conference are first, to deliberate upon the dangers to which the Eastern section of the Union is exposed by the course of the war, and which there is too much reason to believe will thicken round them in its progress, and to devise, if practicable, means of security and defence, which may be consistent with the preservation of their resources from total ruin and adapted to their local situation, mutual relations and habits, and not repugnant to their obligations as members of the Union.
When convened for this object, which admits not of delay, it seems also expedient to submit to their consideration, the enquiry, whether the interests of these States demand that persevering endeavours be used by each of them to procure such amendments to be affected in the national constitution as may secure to them equal advantages; and whether, if in their judgment, this should be deemed impracticable under the existing provisions for amending that instrument, an experiment may be made without disadvantage to the nation, for obtaining a Convention from all the States in the Union, or such of them as may approve of the measure, with a view to obtain such amendment.
It cannot be necessary to anticipate objections to the measure which may arise from jealousy or fear. This Legislature is content, for its justification to repose upon the purity of its own motives, and upon the known attachment of its constituents to the national union, and to the rights and independence of their country.[1]
Read and accepted in both Houses, and thereupon
Resolved, That his Excellency the Governor be requested to transmit letters of the foregoing form, signed by the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the several Governors of the States of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Vermont, and also a copy of the resolutions to which it refers, with a request that the same may be laid before the Legislatures of their several States.
[Resolves of Massachusetts, 1814, 570, 571.]
- ↑ Signed by the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House.