“ [96] and inhabitants of the State of North Carolina,” to “adopt and ratify” the Constitution.
In Rhode Island the proposed Constitution was at first submitted to a direct vote of the people, who rejected it by an overwhelming majority. Subsequently—that is, on May 29, 1790, when the reorganized government had been in operation for nearly fifteen months, and when it had become reasonably certain that the amendments thought necessary would be adopted—a convention of the people of Rhode Island acceded to the new Union, and ratified the Constitution, though even then by a majority of only two votes in sixty-six—34 to 32. The ratification was expressed in substantially the same language as that which has now been so repeatedly cited:
We, the delegates of the people of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, duly elected and met in convention, . . . in the name and behalf of the people of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, do, by these presents, assent to and ratify the said Constitution.
It is particularly to be noted that, during the intervals between the organization of the federal government under the new Constitution and the ratification of that Constitution by North Carolina and Rhode Island respectively, those states were absolutely independent and unconnected with any other political community, unless they be considered as still representing the “United States of America,” which by the Articles of Confederation had been declared a “perpetual union.” The other states had seceded from the former union—not in a body, but separately, each for itself—and had formed a new association, leaving these two states in the attitude of foreign though friendly powers. There was no claim of any right to control their action, as if they had been mere geographical or political divisions of one great consolidated community or “nation.” Their accession to the Union was desired, but their freedom of choice in the matter was never questioned. And then it is to be noted, on their part, that, like the house of Judah, they refrained from any attempt to force the seceding sisters to return.
As illustrative of the relations existing during this period between the United States and Rhode Island, it may not be uninstructive to refer to a letter sent by the government of the latter to the President and Congress, and transmitted by the President to the Senate, with the following note:
