The question, What kind of a Constitution did its framers intend to make?
"Slavery and the Constitution"
William Ingersoll Bowditch
In the Pennsylvania Convention, James Wilson, another of the framers, said, referring to the resolve of the Continental Congress passed in 1783:- It was not carried into effect, but it was adopted by no fewer than eleven out of thirteen States; and it cannot but be matter of surprise to hear gentlemen, who agreed to this very mode of expression at that time, come forward, and state it as an objection on the present occasion.
"Slavery and the Constitution"
William Ingersoll Bowditch
The framers of our Constitution established a Union instead of a League-to be sovereign and independent within its sphere, acting upon persons through its own laws and courts, instead of acting on communities through persuasion or force.
"Thomas Hart Benton"
Theodore Roosevelt