Tempest at Dawn (17 page)

“
The humor escapes me,” Hamilton said. “The
Calibans of the world threaten liberty.”

“
Alex, it is but a play,” Washington
said.

“
With a timely message.”

“
Alex, my good man, you must learn to relax,”
Morris said. “Wonderful music, elaborate sets, an intriguing
story.”

“
Mr. Morris, I’ll relax when—”

Applause suddenly erupted from the orchestra seats.
Madison looked down to see the audience standing with faces
uplifted toward their box. Intermission had erupted into a
spontaneous demonstration.

Washington stood, stepped toward the rail, and
acknowledged the accolade with a series of nods. His response
spurred the audience to louder applause, so the general shifted to
a more animated wave. With a kind expression, he held up both
hands, palms out, to signal that he wished the tribute to end. The
clapping gradually subsided as people took their seats or walked up
the aisle toward the lobby. Looking relieved, Washington stepped
back from the rail and scooted his chair into the recesses of the
box.

“
The people regale me now, but in the dark
moments of the war, I felt abandoned.”

“
They shift with the tide, while you anchor
steadfast on solid shoals,” Hamilton said.

“
Alex, you make stubbornness sound like a
virtue.”

“
Stubbornness is a virtue when you’re in the
right. You adhere to principle when the people veer to
expediency.”

“
Fame is merely landing on the side of
victory.”

Morris laughed. “A fickle populace does follow
triumph. May I get you an ale, General?”

“
No, I’ll venture down on my own.”

“
Surely not. That audience will turn into a
mob,” Hamilton said.

“
Mr. Hamilton, I’m not a deity.” He turned to
Morris. “Will you join me, Gouverneur?”

“
Of course. I need to stretch my leg,” Morris
said, giving a sharp rap to his wooden leg.

After the two men had left, Hamilton asked, “What’s
the theme of the play?”

“
Power and usurpation,” Madison
answered.

“
No, it’s the folly of democracy.”

“
I disagree. The play illustrates our need to
protect against unshackled demigods.”

“
The theme is the credulity of the masses.
Caliban represents the ignorant that swallow a tyrant’s false
promises. Democracy is the monster.”

“
That’s but a subplot. Shakespeare means to
warn us to guard against the corrupting quest for
power.”

“
Finally, we agree. But the lust for power is
not restricted to the elite; the masses also contend. Which is more
dangerous?”

“
Tell me.”

“
The masses. You saw the adulation directed
toward the general, but given power, they’ll choose Stephano, the
drunken butler, as their leader.”

Madison shrugged. “Stephano would be inept, not
evil.”

Hamilton made a deprecating noise. “He’s already
evil. He incites rebellion. Murder. You mean his ineptness would
mitigate malfeasance.”

“
I suppose I do. Competence combined with evil
presents a greater danger.”

“
Jemmy, democracies devour
themselves.”

Washington and Morris entered the box in a raucous
mood. Washington had enjoyed his sojourn into an adoring crowd, and
Morris enjoyed everything. Madison suddenly realized that the
intermission had gone exceptionally long. Looking toward the stage,
he saw a head jerk back after observing the general take his seat.
The curtain lifted and the play resumed.

The four men walked in pairs down Market Street.
Washington and Morris took the lead, while the two disciples
followed in their footsteps. Philadelphia spring evenings retained
a nip, but it felt good to be outdoors in clean air.

After the play, it had taken more than half an hour
to break away from the well-wishers in front of the Opera House.
Madison noticed that groups followed on either side of the street,
no doubt anxious to discover which tavern the general would choose.
Madison had heard that there were one hundred and seventeen taverns
in the city. No wonder the theater crowd felt obligated to follow
them. The street reverberated good cheer as it echoed the voices of
happy people, punctuated by the tap, tap, tapping of Morris’s
leg.

Madison had enjoyed the play, but he thought it
troubling. Life didn’t always end on a merry note.

“
What’s on your mind, Jemmy?”

“
Power and usurpation.”

“
Ha, shall we start our debate anew?” Hamilton
asked.

“
It is a debate without resolution, like the
argument between nature and nurture.”

“
Yet another theme. We could use Shakespeare
at our convention. He knew men’s follies.”

“
Man’s follies and nobility. Man can be
enlightened.”

“
All men? I think you napped during part of
the play.”

“
I understand the ambiguity. I believe—I must
believe—that man can be channeled for good.”

“
You’re mistaken. Wisdom cannot be shepherded
by a system of checks and balances.”

Madison turned to look at Hamilton. This last had
not been said in his normal confrontational tone. He sounded
forlorn. As if conscious of the departure, Hamilton rejoined with a
challenge. “Have you deciphered ‘this thing of darkness’?”

“
The uneducated masses? The ones you believe
must be led by an enlightened elite?”

“
Quite. You don’t turn the tiller over to an
idiot.”

“
Your view is too dark.”

“
And far too serious, gentlemen,” Morris
interjected over his shoulder. “Look at the merriment about you.
The street is filled with chattering, happy people. Spring is in
the air. A new beginning that bodes well for our endeavor. Alex,
all is not hopeless.”

“
Mr. Morris, dear sir, a pint shall alter my
dour mood.”

“
Hear! Hear! Let’s find a place to land and
get Alex a dose of elixir.”

Washington laughed and said, “Just around the
corner, gentlemen.”

“
What impressed you, General?” Madison
asked.

“
The skill with which the actors commanded
attention.”

“
This is a coup!” Ellsworth
exclaimed.

Sherman and Ellsworth sat in Sherman’s room
comparing notes on the Virginia Plan. Sherman had meant to spend
the previous evening in a study of the proposal, but he had wasted
the night trying to extinguish Paterson’s temper. Paterson refused
to be mollified. Now, with breakfast behind them, they had only a
short time to prepare for the day’s session.

Sherman shook his head. “The states will
never approve this plan.”

“
I think the fifteenth resolve means
they intend to bypass the states.”

Sherman slapped his notes against the arm of
his chair. “Revolutionaries don’t ask permission. This plan’s like
the Macaroni. Striking in appearance, but so outlandish people will
never follow the fashion.”

Ellsworth laughed at Sherman’s metaphor. The
Macaroni were young fops who wore big wigs, little hats, tiny
shoes, and quaint two-button coats. The popular Revolutionary song,
“Yankee Doodle,” had mocked the erstwhile Macaroni. Turning
serious, Ellsworth said, “The most worrisome part is that it
destroys the equal vote for each state.”

Sherman let his papers dangle over the arm of his
chair. “The core of this plan is the power of the central
government to veto state laws and use force against the states if
they refuse to comply.” Lifting his notes to get the exact words,
he read, “The government can ‘call forth the force of the union
against any member of the union.’” Sherman snapped the papers at
Ellsworth. “They mean to wage war against the states.”

Ellsworth picked up his snuffbox, but before
opening it, he said, “This plan usurps all state authority.”

Sherman spoke almost to himself as he
continued to rifle through his notes. “Only ‘in all cases to which
the states are incompetent.’ I presume the Virginians believe
themselves the only ones competent.” Sherman leaned forward. “Look
at the judiciary. It’s broader than the Atlantic and, like the
ocean, we see only the surface.” Sherman tossed his notes to the
floor and extended his long legs. After a moment, he said quietly,
“Combine an omnipotent judiciary with an absolute executive veto
over state laws, and you nullify the states.” Sherman slowly shook
his head. “The Virginians mean to pitch Connecticut into the ash
heap.”

“
Roger, you’re worrying me. You were
confident until now.”

Sherman used the heels of his hands to rub
his eyes. He turned a bloodshot gaze at Ellsworth. “I looked at the
Virginians’ plot as a challenge to outwit. I’ve been reminded of
the stakes.” Sherman took his hands away from his face. “This is
political war. The weapons are guile, wit, and force. We have ample
quantities of the first two, but the last is in short supply.”

“
A storm’s force can dissipate when it
blows too hard too early,” Ellsworth offered.

“
Don’t underestimate a revolutionary
cloudburst. It can wash away everything in its path—combatants and
bystanders.”

‘
I’m sorry, Roger, but I have a hard
time seeing Madison as a world-shaking radical.”

“
Then you’ve not grasped the essence
of the man.”

Ellsworth shrugged. “We don’t have much
time. What should we do?”

“
There’s no use scouring these notes
any further. We know the peaks and the valleys are of no
consequence. Today’s debate will reveal the extent of their
support.” Sherman threw himself out of the chair. “We should leave.
I want to arrive at the State House early.”

As they entered the State House, Sherman
grabbed Ellsworth’s elbow. “There’s George Read. Go shore up his
confidence. Remind him that we’re in committee. I’ll talk to
Paterson.”

Ellsworth sped toward Read, while Sherman
casually wandered into Paterson’s line of sight.

“
Roger, may I have a word with
you?”

“
Of course, William. Let’s walk the
yard.”

The men walked past a sentry and stepped out
into the bright sunlight. With the vote to hold the proceedings
secret, sentries had arrived in the Central Hall and outside the
building. More bothersome, the chamber windows had been nailed
shut. The convention had progressed to a serious state. This
morning, Sherman noticed that even the cobblestone streets had been
layered with sod to quiet the carriages as they passed.

Looking around, Sherman noticed that several
groups walked the perimeter of the expansive walled State House
yard. It had recently been landscaped with serpentine gravel
walkways, grass plots, and hundreds of elm trees and shrubs. The
slender trees and tiny shrubs gave the yard a barren
appearance.

Buildings were under construction in the two
corners bracketing the State House. To the east, a new county
courthouse employed dozens of tradesmen. Along Fifth, set back
somewhat from the corner, the American Philosophical Society had
laid the foundation for their permanent home. The Society had also
positioned an observatory designed by Dr. Franklin in the center of
the yard. Sherman had been told that this apparatus mapped the
rotation of Venus across the night sky. The Philosophical Society
was yet another Franklin enterprise. The man seemed omnipresent in
Philadelphia.

Despite the yard's lean appearance, Sherman
surmised that it would be a popular respite from the stuffy
chamber. Sherman veered right to follow the pattern set by the
other delegates. Everyone seemed automatically to move in a
counterclockwise direction, and each group kept a respectful
distance from the men in front of them.

“
Thank you for letting me vent my
anger last night.”

“
That’s a friend’s obligation,”
Sherman said.

Paterson rotated his head and flitted his
eyes as if fearful of a flanking attack. “I thought I was prepared
for their worst, but I was shocked to see how much I underestimated
their malice.”

“
Their plan exceeds my fears as
well.”

“
What are we to do?”

Sherman did not answer at first. After they
had taken about six paces, he said, “Our duty is to protect our
respective states and Congress. They seek to disband both.” After a
pause, Sherman added, “I underestimated the importance of
secrecy.”

“
They had the votes. There was nothing
we could do.”

“
You saw the sentries?”

“
Yes.” As they turned a corner,
Paterson looked at Sherman. “Roger, is it treason to remain
silent?”

“
Let’s see today’s
reaction.”

Robert Morris had approached Sherman and
told him confidentially about the threat of a military insurrection
by the Society of the Cincinnati. Sherman doubted that this
intelligence had been shared with Paterson.

“
What about our plan?”

“
Too early. Pinckney’s plan will be
entombed in committee. To avoid the same fate, our timing must be
perfect.”

“
I’ll accept your leadership on
this.”

Sherman almost missed a step. Until now,
Paterson had been fighting Sherman for the leadership of the small
states. Desperation could change a man’s outlook. They had by now
walked the circumference of the yard, and the clock on the State
House wall reminded Sherman that they must reenter the chamber.