George Mason / Edmund Randolph

George Mason

  
The process of developing a constitution that would meet the needs and expectations of the Founding Fathers from all the colonies was a laborious one. Fifty-five men spent the hottest days of the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia trying to meet all the desires of the states.

  

George Mason: I fear that our efforts thus far have been a disappointing waste of  time. Rather than serious preparation, we see a total disregard for process.

Edmund Randolph: It is hard to believe that the disregard was for the personal bill of rights. What kind of constitution can be agreed to without first assuring that the rights of all people are fully articulated?

Edmund Randolph

Mason: Here we are at the end of our proceedings in Philadelphia and we find that the vote has gone against us. The majority of the delegates would rather run than first learn to walk. This is a lesson that the power of personalities can dominate ideas. And how do they answer us? They say that personal guarantees of liberty are “understood” in the Constitution. Fiddlesticks! Of the number of attorneys represented here, you can be certain that nothing should be taken for granted. To assume that liberties are understood is to allow the silver tongues of our opponents to erase what was “understood” and replace it with “never agreed upon” whenever it should so suit them to do so.

Randolph: The delegates are weary of talk. The declamations of Patrick Henry have not served us well. Madison has cut through his oratory with the sharp scalpel of a surgeon, leaving Henry discouraged and exhausted. For a man who refused to be a delegate, he certainly took considerable time outlining his arguments. He was so adamant about opposing the Constitution that he let emotion get in his way.

Mason: Yes we are all exhausted and eager to return to our homes. Our suggestion to have a second Constitutional Convention to address the bill of rights was also voted down. I even offered to write the entire bill myself, goodness knows I have enough experience. We must face the reality that our concerns have been ignored.

Randolph: Dickenson made a salient point. He argued that since all state constitutions contain clauses to protect the rights of the people, so should the national government have similar clauses.

Mason: Madison repeated to me what he had written in The Federalist - that since men were not angels, government was necessary. When I told him that a national government would become corrupt and that internal controls on government would be necessary, he grew angry and told me I did not understand.

Edmund Randolph's experience made him one of the most valuable members of the delegation:

• Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1776-1786
• Mayor of Williamsburg, 1776 – 1777; Justice of the Peace for James City County, 1777
• Clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates, 1778 – 1779
• Delegate to the Continental Congress, 1779, 1781 –1786
• Governor of Virginia, 1786 – 1788

George Mason would spend most of his time calling for a bill of rights. He was a good public speaker and was witty about serious matters. When John Jay suggested that they approve the closing of the Mississippi to navigation whenever the Spanish decided to do it, he scoffed at Jay and made him look ridiculous. James Madison told the delegates that Mason was outrageous in his crusade to quash the Constitution.