The Lincoln Myth(78)

She loved Cotton.

But she’d once loved Josepe, too.

How had she allowed this chaos to gather?

Part of her own arrogance, she assumed. A belief that she could handle whatever life threw her way. Yet she was not as tough as she wanted everyone to think. Her father had been her rock. But he’d been gone a long time. Maybe Josepe was intended to be his replacement, but she’d ended that relationship. Cotton was a little like her father, but also vastly different. He was the first man since Josepe that she’d thought about in terms of permanency.

Yet she’d walked away from Josepe.

And Cotton? What of him? He should go home, but that wasn’t going to happen. Stephanie had now involved him, so he would do his job.

As she should do.

She reached for her phone.

A check-in call with Stephanie was scheduled shortly. No way. Not anymore. She deleted all references to Stephanie from her phone.

Something was wrong here, of that there could be no doubt. Josepe traveled with armed men. Danites? The government, the president in particular, was apparently focused on him—something that also involved a U.S. senator. An American agent was apparently dead.

And Josepe was the prime suspect.

How it all fit together she did not know, but she intended to find out.

With one change.

She would handle it her way.





FORTY-SIX





WASHINGTON, D.C.


Saturday Sepr 15th 1787. In Convention


The main session having adjourned for the day the delegates reassembled after the evening meal for further discussion on a separate point.


Doc. FRANKLIN rose to confess that there are several parts of this constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them. For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise. It is therefore that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect to the judgment of others. Most men indeed as well as most sects in Religion, think themselves in possession of all truth, and that wherever others differ from them it is so far error. Steele a Protestant in a Dedication tells the Pope, that the only difference between our Churches in their opinions of the certainty of their doctrines is, the Church of Rome is infallible and the Church of England is never in the wrong. But though many private persons think almost as highly of their own infallibility as of that of their sect, few express it so naturally as a certain French lady, who in a dispute with her sister, said “I don’t know how it happens, Sister, but I meet with no body but myself that’s always in the right.” In these sentiments, Sir, I agree to this constitution with all its faults, if they are such; because I think a general Government necessary for us, and there is no form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered, and believe farther that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other. But I am not unmindful of the caution that our recent conflict has bred within us all. True, I doubt whether any other Convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better constitution. For when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men, all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views. From such an assembly can a perfect production be expected? So the concerns of those who fear a perpetual, unbending, unbreakable association of States is well taken. We must be mindful that all that is created comes with an end.


Mr. GERRY stated his objections which determined him to withhold his name from the constitution. 1. the duration and re-eligibility of the Senate. 2. the power of the House of Representatives to conceal their journals. 3. the power of Congress over the places of election. 4 the unlimited power of Congress over their own compensation. 5. Massachusetts has not a due share of Representatives allotted to her. 6. 3/5 of the Blacks are to be represented as if they were freemen. 7. Under the power over commerce, monopolies may be established. 8. The vice president being made head of the Senate. He could however he said get over all these, if the rights of the Citizens were not rendered insecure 1. by the general power of the Legislature to make what laws they may please to call necessary and proper. 2. raise armies and money without limit. 3. have a union   to which there be no withdrawal. What say all of you if there comes a time when a State no longer desires to be part of this grand association?