HKB
"DEAR COL.
"We are here & I believe every where all Impatience to know something of your conventional Deliberations. If you cannot tell us what you are doing, you might at least give us some Information of what you are not doing. This w^d afford food for political conjecture, and perhaps be sufficient to satisfy present Impatience. I hope you have already discovered the means of preserving the American Empire united--& that the scheme of a Disunion has been found pregnant with y^e greatest Evils--But we are not at this distance able to judge with any accuracy upon subjects so truly important & interesting as those w^{ch} must engage you at present--We can only hope, that you will all resemble Cæsar, at least in one particular: 'nil actum reputans si quid superesset agendum';--& that your Exertions will be commensurate to y^e great Expectations w^{ch} have been formed... "J. MADISON."[A]
[A] President of William and Mary College, and the first Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Virginia. He was a second cousin of James Madison, of Orange. (Mad. MSS.)
"RICHMOND Aug^t 5. 87.
"DEAR SIR,
"I am much obliged to you for your communication of the proceedings of y^e Convention, since I left them; for I feel that anxiety about y^e result, which it's Importance must give to every honest citizen. If I thought that my return could contribute in the smallest degree to it's Improvement, nothing should Keep me away. But as I know that the talents, knowledge, & well-established character, of our present delegates have justly inspired the country with y^e most entire confidence in their determinations; & that my vote could only operate to produce a division, & so destroy y^e vote of y^e State, I think that my attendance now would certainly be useless, perhaps injurious.
"I am credibly inform'd that M^r Henry has openly express'd his disapprobation of the circular letter of Congress, respecting y^e payment of British debts; & that he has declared his opinion that y^e Interests of this state cannot safely be trusted with that body. The doctrine of three confederacies, or great Republics, has its advocates here. I have heard Hervie support it, along with y^e extinction of State Legislatures within each great Department. The necessity of some independent power to controul the Assembly by a negative, seems now to be admitted by y^e most zealous republicans--they only differ about y^e mode of constituting such a power. B. Randolph seems to think that a magistrate annually elected by y^e people might exercise such a controul as independently as y^e King of G. B. I hope that our representative, Marshall, will be a powerful aid to Mason in the next Assembly. He has observ'd the actual depravation of mens manners, under y^e corrupting Influence of our Legislature; and is convinc'd that nothing but y^e adoption of some efficient plan from y^e Convention can prevent anarchy first, & civil convulsions afterwards. M^r H----y has certainly converted a majority of Prince Edward, formerly y^e most averse to paper money, to y^e patronage of it....
"Your friend & humble serv^t. "JAMES MCCLURG." (Mad. MSS.)
MONDAY AUGUST 6^{TH}. IN CONVENTION
M^r John Francis Mercer from Maryland took his seat.
M^r Rutlidge delivered in the Report of the Committee of detail as follows: a printed copy being at the same time furnished to each member[16]: