Tempest at Dawn (32 page)

“
I shall punish him for broaching the
subject.”

“
How?”

“
All part of the ruse,” Franklin said.
“We want Alex in New York to keep an eye on Clinton and, if
necessary, to act as an emissary to Congress.”

“
Excellent. Clinton must be watched,”
Madison said. “Who came up with that idea?”

“
Not important,” Washington said with
a dismissive air. “I trust Alex, and the need for an emissary may
arise. In any case, Yates and Lansing outvote him.”

“
How can we get leverage on
Clinton?”

“
Whatever leverage exists lies in the
western lands,” Morris said. “Greed consumes the man.”

“
When will Alex present his
proposal?”

“
Monday,” Washington said. “I’ll
instruct him to make it long and exhausting.”

“
May I suggest yet another
complexity?” Madison asked.

“
That’s why you’re here, my boy,”
Franklin said.

“
Rufus King has been silent to this
point. Although he votes with us, he’s highly suspicious of a
strong central government.”

“
If he’s won over, how do you propose
to use him?” Morris asked.

“
King is a great speaker. We need a
strong orator that can appeal to emotion.”

“
My dear boy,” said Franklin, “so
quick to abandon your precious logic?”

Madison smiled. “I’m ready to try
anything.”

“
What do you suggest?” Washington
asked.

“
Alex and Rufus are friends. Hamilton
can be very persuasive when he sets his mind to it. Give Alex the
assignment to win Rufus over, and then we can propel him on
stage.”

“
Excellent,” Washington said.
“Anything else?”

“
What about Pinckney?”

“
We’ll have to give him voice again,”
Washington said. “The question is, when?”

“
Delay him,” Franklin suggested. “Too
many cooks spoil the pot.”

“
Agreed. Tell him we’ll schedule him
Monday after next,” Washington instructed.

“
Very well,” Madison said,

“
Did you enjoy your port?” Morris
asked.

Madison looked at the glass sitting on the
side table. He had never touched it. He picked it up by the stem
and took an appreciative sip. “Excellent. I’ll have to come by more
often.”

“
A bright lad like yourself is always
welcome,” Morris said with a smile. “You enliven conversation and
stimulate the intrigue.”

“
We do seem to be in the thick of
it.”

Sherman caught Baldwin’s eye and motioned with his
head toward the door. Sherman rose and walked across the back of
the chamber, out the door, and past the ever-present sentry. He
waited under one of the three arches leading to the Judicial
Chamber. A trial was in full progress, with about twenty people in
the chamber. Three red-robed judges peered down from the bench at
the defendant standing in a cagelike dock in the middle of the
room. Lawyers garbed in black robes hovered around paper-strewn
tables, and a jury sat inside a paneled partition. After a few
minutes observing the trial, Sherman guessed that the unlucky
defendant would soon spend a few years in the debtors’ prison
behind the State House yard.

Baldwin escaped from the chamber and softly closed
the door behind him. The rules required their attendance, but
delegates discreetly entered and exited the chamber
continuously.

Baldwin wandered over to the arch and stood
beside Sherman. After a few moments, he asked, “Did you call me out
to observe this trial?”

Sherman said, “I thought you might need to
use the privy.”

“
That’s what I like about you, Roger,
always considerate.”

“
Always that. Let’s go.”

Sherman turned and walked toward the rear
exit that led to the yard. The men turned left toward the privy
strategically placed about forty feet behind the east wing. Both
men entered the two-holer and unbuttoned.

“
Is this your idea of a private
meeting?” Baldwin asked.

“
Something’s up. This makes no
sense.”

“
Surprises you, does it, Roger? I can
understand at your age.”

“
I’m talking about the
convention.”

“
So we
are
having a meeting.”

Sherman couldn’t help but laugh. “Come on,
button up and we’ll take a walk.” They proceeded through the
arcade, nodded at another sentry, and walked into the street.

“
Hamilton recites the entire history
of Western civilization,” Sherman said. “Two hours, and he hasn’t
broached his plan.”

“
A stall?”

“
To what purpose?”

“
To bore us into
submission?”

“
If that’s their intent, I’ll set
Luther Martin on them,” Sherman said with a smile.

Baldwin threw his hands up. “Please, I
relent! I’ll do anything that would stop that torture.”

“
Seriously, this lecture has a
purpose. What do you think?”

“
Hum, his plan, once he gets around to
it, will support a far stronger central government than anything
presented to date. As for the verbosity, I do think they mean to
wear down the opposition.”

“
I believe you’re right on both
counts. They mean to lay out an extreme plan that makes theirs look
reasonable.”

“
And your reaction?” Baldwin
asked.

“
Silence.”

“
Silence?”

“
They want to draw us into a debate on
Hamilton’s plan. Discussion will lend it legitimacy.”

“
And the Virginia Plan becomes the
rational middle ground?”

“
Exactly. No matter how they provoke
us, we’ll not rise to the challenge. We’ll ignore it. I’ll tell New
Jersey; you inform Maryland.”

“
Roger, that’s presumptuous. I may
play truant with you, but I’m a Georgia delegate.”

Baldwin’s response gave Sherman a start. He
had unconsciously signaled his friend to leave the chamber with him
because they’d been compatriots in New Haven and often thrashed out
political puzzles together. “Sorry, my error. I was trying to
accommodate your fondness for intrigue.”

“
You devil. Very well, I’ll inform the
cantankerous Luther Martin.”

Sherman felt relief. “Do you think the other
New York delegates support Hamilton?”

“
They want to tar and feather the
scoundrel and then bludgeon him until his arrogance
withers.”

Sherman feigned shock. “All that in the City
of Brotherly Love.”

“
They’re New York simpletons,
unschooled in the piety of Philadelphia.”

“
First Martin, now our esteemed
delegates from New York.” Sherman shook his head in mock alarm.
“Must you disparage all my allies?”

“
That’s why I prefer my side. I
comport with full-grown men.”

Sherman looked at Baldwin. “Then why do you
meet with me?”

“
I want to see if David can slay
Goliath.”

“
A severe wound might be
sufficient.”

“
New Yorkers believe politics is a
mortal contest,” Baldwin said.

“
I prefer to beguile.”

“
So, are we walking all the way to the
Delaware River, or do we return to hear Hamilton’s
plan?”

Sherman stopped. They had walked nearly six
blocks from the State House. Carriages, horses, and wagons choked
the street, chattering people surrounded them, and he became
conscious of the banging and clatter of construction. As Sherman
shook his head in wonderment, he caught the first whiff of a dank
rot that hovered around the harbor side. The city vibrated with
unrestrained energy, but Sherman had been oblivious to all.

“
I suppose we should return,” Sherman said,
reversing direction. “There may yet be surprises.”

“
Early adjournment?”

“
No. I’m afraid our friends may have cooked up
a more complex plot.”

“
Impossible. Who could be so
fiendish?”

“
Dr. Franklin, for one. Anyone who can pry
money and arms out of the French deserves to be watched
closely.”

“
He seems harmless.”

“
An act, my friend, an act. He’s a confidant
of Robert Morris and Gen. Washington. The richest man in the
country and the most popular man in the country.”

“
Washington and Morris have remained
silent.”

“
Only in the chamber. Hamilton would never
have joined this brawl without the general’s
permission.”

“
Goliath looks more forbidding with
each step we take toward the State House.”

Sherman was making his way along the back of the
chamber when Hamilton’s words caught his attention.

“
Gentlemen, I’m unfriendly to both the
New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan. Both deliver mere pork with
different sauces. Neither considers the amazing turbulence of the
democratic spirit. When a popular passion seizes people, it spreads
like wildfire. In every society, there’ll be a division of people
into the few and the many. Give all power to the many and they
oppress the few. Give all power to the few and they oppress the
many. We’re now watching uncontrolled passion destroy this great
country. The union is dissolving—in truth, it has already
dissolved.”

Hamilton stared intently at his audience.
“Gentlemen, let me assure you, the evils which breed in the states
will cure the people of their fondness for democracy.”

Sherman found his seat and pulled
Ellsworth’s notes over for a quick scan. It seemed that Hamilton
had lectured on the Amphictyonic Council, the German Confederacy,
Swiss cantons, Roman emperors, and every modern European state.
Sherman pushed the notes back to Ellsworth and wrote a short
directive to not challenge Hamilton. He stood, casually stretched,
and walked over to drop the note in front of Paterson. Sherman saw
Baldwin follow his example with Martin.

Returning to his table, Sherman saw that
Hamilton had let his notes drop to his side. “Gentlemen, I see no
reason to keep the states. They’re not necessary for commerce,
revenue, or agriculture. Avarice, ambition, and corruption will
continue as long as they exist.”

Hamilton raised his notes, took a minute to
find his place, and continued. “The British system is the best in
the world. The House of Lords is a noble institution. Having
nothing to gain from change—and owning great property—the lords
form a permanent barrier against pernicious passions, whether
advocated by the crown or the commons.

“
You might ask, can a government based
on the British model be republican? Yes—if all the officials are
appointed by the people.”

Sherman didn’t normally take notes. He
believed the distraction caused him to miss nuances and the larger
canvas But in this instance, he pulled a piece of paper forward and
scribbled a summary of the Hamilton plan. As Hamilton presented an
emotional appeal for support, Sherman reviewed the design. The
concept was bold, and, as suggested beforehand, similar to the
British system. The executive, judiciary, and Senate held power for
life, unless they did something so outlandish as to be
impeached.

Hamilton finished his exhortation to sparse
applause that quickly tapered off to a deathly silence. After an
embarrassing interval, someone made a motion to adjourn, which
raised an appreciative second and unanimous concurrence.

Sherman stuffed his meager notes into a battered
valise and walked with Ellsworth across the back of the chamber
toward the door. “Let’s meet for a short discussion. My room?”

“
Certainly, unless you’re open to a different
venue.”

Sherman stopped before reaching the chamber
door. “Where?”

“
An adventure. We won’t leave the
State House and it’s private.”

“
Lead on,” Sherman said, his uplifted
palm pointed toward the door.

“
First, let’s drop our valises back at
the table so we won’t have to lug them.”

“
You’re taking me to the
tower.”

“
You’ve been there before?”

“
Oliver, with all the time I’ve spent
in this building, do you think I never ventured up the tower?” At
Ellsworth’s crestfallen look, Sherman quickly added, “But it’s a
splendid idea. I haven’t been up this trip and it’s a glorious
day.”

With Ellsworth’s excitement rekindled, the
two men disposed of their cases and headed toward the tower Stair
Hall. As they reached the Palladian window landing, Sherman found
it ironic that he and Washington had discussed right here the
issues he needed to explain to Ellsworth.

They continued across the landing and
climbed to the second floor. The two floors of the State House had
differing layouts. The grand Central Hall divided the first floor
into two equal chambers, one for the Pennsylvania supreme court and
another for the assembly. The assembly was in recess, so the
convention used this room for its sessions. The second floor was
arranged with three unequally sized rooms. The Stair Hall opened
onto the Long Gallery, which extended the entire width of the front
of the building. The gallery, which was used for banquets, balls,
and public events, gave access to the Governor’s Council Chamber
and a large committee room.