The Efficacy of Paper to Govern: Thoughts by John Francis Mercer at the Constitutional Convention, 1787.
The paper will only mark out the mode and the form. Men are the substance, and must do the business.
The Constitutional Convention debates are interesting reading . . . for those who like reading such things. The Framers argued almost every point from several points of view. Many interesting opinions, consequently, emerged.
This post highlights one such opinion from Maryland delegate, John Mercer, who observed that it was corruption and mutability of the legislative councils of the states that led to the convention itself. This mutability and corruption must be solved.
From this point of view, he offered some thoughts about "the paper we are to propose."
August Glen-James, editor
It is a great mistake to suppose that the paper we are to propose will govern the United States. It is the men whom it will bring into the government, and interest in maintaining it, that are to govern them. The paper will only mark out the mode and the form. Men are the substance, and must do the business. All government must be by force or influence. It is not the king of France, but 200,000 janizaries of power, that govern that kingdom. There will be no such force here; influence, then, must be substituted. . . .
Elliot, Jonathan, Debates, 1845, Volume 5, pg. 340