Newspaper Report 2 of the Massachusetts Ratification Convention (January 31, 1788)

Massachusetts Centinel, 2 February CONCILIATION.

(To gratify the desire of many persons in, and out of the Convention, we have procured copy of the AMENDMENTS submitted to the Convention, by his Excellency the Governour who, on Wednesday last, after t a long and painful indisposition, took the chair as President of that Hon. Body now sitting in this town, and on Thursday in the 'forenoon publickly communicated his intention of making a proposition in the afternoon on the important subject before them.—The house was uncommonly crouded in consequence, and the most profound silence was observed while his Excellency was delivering his short and elegant speech to introduce this important matter—the feeble health of his Excellency the ardent expectation of persons of every description, and the uncertainty prevailing as to the nature of the proposition to be made, conspired to render the scene as interesting and affecting as possible—If we are to estimate the effect by the apparent impression it produced at the moment of its being delivered, we may augur the happiest consequence. May our ardent wishes be realized, and may it contribute to prevent those party dissentions which cannot be too earnestly deprecated, nor too cautiously guarded against, by every real friend to the peace and happiness of his country. The following is the proposition submitted.)