The Address and Reasons of Dissent of the Minority of the Convention of Pennsylvania

The Address is divided into three sections: (I) a description of the events leading up to and concluding the Pennsylvania ratifying convention (3.11.1-2); (2) a list of proposed amendments, many of which found their way into the Bill of Rights (3.11.12-15); and (3) the three general grounds of dissent-(a) that an extensive territory cannot be governed on the principles of freedom, except as a confederation of republics (3.11.16-17), (b) that the government established by the Constitution will be a consolidation based on the destruction of the states (3. I I. 18-30), (c) that the Constitution is deficient (3.11.30-56) in failing to provide I a bill of rights, (ii) adequate representation, (iii) the traditional safeguards of common law, (iv) a due separation of powers, (v) protection against excessive and tyrannical taxation, and (vi) adequate representation for For all of these reasons, the government will lose the people's trust and will be forced to rely on a standing army and a strictly controlled militia, resulting in the suppression of individual liberty as well as high costs.