State Documents on Federal Relations/39
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 States, which shall contain provisions, subjecting the militia or other citizens to forcible drafts, conscriptions, or impressments, not authorized by the Constitution of the United States.
Resolved, That it be and hereby is recommended to the said Legislatures, to authorize an immediate and earnest application to be made to the Government of the United States, requesting their consent to some arrangement, whereby the said States may, separately or in concert, be empowered to assume upon themselves the defence of their territory against the enemy; and a reasonable portion of the taxes, collected within said States, may be paid into the respective treasuries thereof, and appropriated to the payment of the balance due said States, and to the future defence of the same. The amount so paid into the said treasuries to be credited, and the disbursements made as aforesaid to be charged to the United States.
Resolved, That it be, and it hereby is, recommended to the Legislatures of the aforesaid States, to pass laws (where it has not already been done) authorizing the Governours or Commanders in Chief of their militia to make detachments from the same, or to form voluntary corps, as shall be most convenient and conformable to their Constitutions, and to cause the same to be well armed, equipped and disciplined, and held in readiness for service; and upon the request of the Governour of either of the other States, to employ the whole of such detachment or corps, as well as the regular forces of the State, or such part thereof as may be required and can be spared consistently with the safety of the State, in assisting the State, making such request to repel any invasion thereof which shall be made or attempted by the publick enemy.
Resolved, That the following amendments of the Constitution of the United States, be recommended to the States represented as aforesaid, to be proposed by them for adoption by the State Legislatures, and in such cases as may be deemed expedient, by a Convention chosen by the people of each State.
And it is further recommended, that the said States shall persevere in their efforts to obtain such amendments, until the same shall be effected.
First. Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within the union, according to their respective numbers of free persons, including those bound to serve for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, and all other persons.
Second. No new State shall be admitted into the union by Congress in virtue of the power granted by the Constitution, without the concurrence of two thirds of both Houses.
Third. Congress shall not have power to lay any embargo on the ships or vessels of the citizens of the United States, in the ports or harbors thereof, for more than sixty days.
Fourth. Congress shall not have power, without the concurrence of two thirds of both Houses, to interdict the commercial intercourse between the United States and any foreign nation or the dependencies thereof.
Fifth. Congress shall not make or declare war, or authorize acts of hostility against any foreign nation, without the concurrence of two thirds of both Houses, except such acts of hostility be in defence of the territories of the United States, when actually invaded.
Sixth. No person who shall hereafter be naturalized, shall be eligible as a member of the Senate or House of Representatives of the United States, nor capable of holding any civil office under the authority of the United States.
Seventh. The same person shall not be elected President of the United States a second time; nor shall the President be elected from the same State two terms in succession.
Resolved, That if the application of these States to the government of the United States, recommended in a foregoing Resolution, should be unsuccessful, and peace should not be concluded, and the defence of these States should be neglected, as it has been since the commencement of the war, it will in the opinion of this Convention be expedient for the Legislatures of the several States to appoint Delegates to another Convention, to meet at Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, on the third Thursday of June next, with such powers and instructions as the exigency of a crisis so momentous may require.
Resolved, That the Hon. George Cabot, the Hon. Chauncey Goodrich, and the Hon. Daniel Lyman, or any two of them, be authorized to call another meeting of this Convention, to be holden in Boston, at any time before new Delegates shall be chosen, as recommended in the above Resolutions, if in their judgment the situation of the Country shall urgently require it.[1]
[Proceedings of a Convention of Delegates, etc., convened at Hartford, December 15, 1814, 25–27. Hartford, 1815.]
- ↑ Signatures of the Delegates omitted.