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The most influential speech in support of the Constitution...
The most influential speech in support of the Constitution...
Item # 703647
November 22, 1787
THE LONDON CHRONICLE, England, Nov. 22, 1787
* James Wilson - State House Yard speech
* Support for the newly drafted U.S. Constitution
* One of the first public defenses after signing
As soon as the Constitution was presented to the public it was met with an onslaught of criticism that its defenders would need to counter. It initially fell to the Constitution's champions based in Pennsylvania, where the Constitutional Convention was held, to devise a response. None proved more influential than the speech delivered on October 6 by James Wilson at the Pennsylvania State House Yard.
This speech, found in its entirety on pages 1 and 2, was reprinted in over 30 newspapers within the next two months. It is prefaced with, in part: "...It is the first authoritative explanation of the principles of the NEW FEDERAL CONSTITUTION, and as it may serve to obviate some objections, which have been raised to that system, we consider it sufficiently interesting for publication in the present form...".
The speech ends with: "...Regarding it then, in every point of view, with a candid & disinterested mind, I am told to assert that it is the best form of government which has ever been offered to the world."
It is followed with commentary on the speech, including: "Mr. Wilson's speech was frequently interrupted with loud and unanimous testimonies of approbation & the applause which was reiterated at the conclusion, evinced the general sense of its excellence...".
According to historian Bernard Bailyn, "Wilson's speech proved to be the single most influential and most frequently cited document in the entire ratification debate."
Complete in 8 pages, 9 by 12 inches with never-trimmed margins, very nice condition.
background: In his influential October 6, 1787 speech in Philadelphia, James Wilson delivered a powerful defense of the newly proposed U.S. Constitution, articulating its principles with clarity and foresight. Speaking just weeks after the Constitution’s signing, Wilson addressed public concerns about centralized power by emphasizing that the Constitution established a federal government grounded in popular sovereignty, where authority ultimately resided with the people. He argued that the new government’s powers were limited and enumerated, reducing the risk of tyranny, and that its separation of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches would ensure a system of checks and balances. Wilson also asserted that a Bill of Rights was unnecessary, since the Constitution did not grant the federal government the authority to infringe upon individual liberties in the first place—a point that would later spark significant debate. Importantly, he contrasted the Constitution with historical forms of government imposed by force or accident, declaring that for the first time, Americans had the opportunity to deliberately and peacefully choose their system of governance. His speech helped shift public opinion in favor of ratification, particularly in Pennsylvania, and marked one of the earliest and most eloquent endorsements of the Constitution’s democratic ideals.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
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