APPENDIX. A. The following are the resolutions passed at the Green Dragon, alluded to on page 161 of this work: "Boston, January 7, 1788. "Agreeably to an advertisement inserted in the papers of this day, the tradesmen of this town met at Mason's Hall, Green Dragon, at 6 o'clock, P. M. when John Lucas, Esq. was chosen moderator; and, after some discussion, the moderator, Paul Revere, Esq. and Mr. Benjamin Russell, were chosen to draft certain resolutions expressive of the sense of this body. The committee, after having retired, returned, and reported the following, which, being read, was unanimously accepted, and voted to be printed in the several public papers, namely: "Whereas some persons, intending to injure the reputation of the tradesmen of this town, have asserted that they were unfriendly and adverse to the adoption of the Constitution of the United States of America, as proposed on the 17th of September last, by the convention of the United States assembled in Philadelphia, therefore, to manifest the falsehood of such assertions, and to discover to the world our sentiments of the proposed frame of government, "Be it resolved, - 1. That such assertions are false and groundless, and it is the sense of this body, that all those who propagate such reports have no other view than the injury of our reputation, or the attainment of their own wicked purposes, on base and false ground. "2. That, in the judgment of this body, the proposed frame of government is well calculated to secure the liberties, protect the property, and guard the rights, of the citizens of America; and it is our warmest wish and prayer that the same should be adopted by the commonwealth. "3. That it is our opinion, if said Constitution should be adopted by the United States of America, trade and navigation will revive and increase, employment and subsistence will be afforded to many of our townsmen who are now suffering from want of the necessaries of life; that it will promote industry and morality, render us respectable as a nation, and procure us all the blessings to which we are entitled from the natural wealth of our country, our freedom, and independence. "4. That it is the sense of this body, that, if the proposed frame of government should be rejected, the small remains of commerce yet left us will be annihilated; the various trades and handicrafts dependent thereon must decay; our poor will be increased, and many of our worthy and skilful mechanics compelled to seek employment and subsistence in strange lands. "5. That, in the late election of delegates to represent this town in convention, it was our design, and, in the opinion of this body, the design of every good man in town, to elect such men, and such only, as would exert their utmost ability to promote the adoption of the proposed frame of government in all its parts, without any conditions, pretended amendments, or alterations whatever; and that such, and such only, will truly represent the feelings, wishes, and desires, of their con stituents; and if any of the delegates of this town should oppose the adoption of said frame of government in gross, or under pretence of making amendments, or alterations, of any kind, or of annexing conditions to their acceptance, such delegate, or delegates, will act contrary to the best interests, the strongest feelings, and the warmest wishes, of the tradesmen of the town of Boston." JOHN LUCAS, per order. The above resolutions being passed, John Lucas, Esq. Mr. Joseph Clark, Paul Revere, Esq. Mr. Rhodes, Mr. Wm. Boardman, Joshua Witherell, Esq. and Capt. David Spear, were appointed a standing committee, to notify a meeting of the tradesmen of this town in future. After which the meeting was dissolved. On the 9th of January, the convention assembled in Boston to take into consideration the adoption of the Constitution. B. DECISION OF THE COURT OF ERROR AND APPEAL IN PENNSYLVANIA. Before the Court of Error and Appeals, of Pennsylvania, composed of a judge specially appointed for that court, and the judges of the Supreme Court, and the presidents of the Court of Common Pleas, nine judges, of whom were present on the trial Benjamin Chew, the judge specially appointed, Edward Shippen, chief justice. Slave vs. Gras berry. Glentworth, the representative for Grasberry; Wm. Lewis, and Wm. Rawle, and Edward Tilman, for the plaintiff; Moses Levy, Joseph B. McKein, and Jasper Moylan, for the defend ant. In this trial the ground was taken by the plaintiff at a suit commenced by the Abolition Society of Pennsylvania, slavery did not exist in that State under the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of that State. Judge Chew, in giving the opinion of the court, said it was their unanimous opinion that slavery did constitutionally exist in that State. My informer, Mr. Isaac T. Hopper, observed that the judge remarked he would not keep the public one moment in suspense, in letting them know such was the opinion of the court, but they would give the reasons for such a decision at some future time; which reasons, however, were never given. On the contrary, Judge Chew, who owned a plantation with slaves in Maryland, and consequently was at the time a holder of slaves, shortly after manumitted them; and, when asked, did not give any reasons for so doing. 9 NY 72 |