The conduct of our fellow citizens on the late glorious occasion of solemnly proclaiming to the people the Ratification and adoption of the proposed new Constitution, by the Convention of this state does them no honor; for, notwithstanding due notice having been given by our friends in the Convention and Council, to the members of Council, judges, justices, and other state officers, the faculty of the university, militia officers, and citizens, of the order and time of the procession; yet few of any of these attended. The citizens and militia officers in particular were uncommonly scarce. They should at least have given their countenance to this very important business; it is not very unaccountable that more officers of government did not come forth, but that more of the professors, etc. in the university, the militia officers, and citizens did not appear to celebrate this grand affair which concerns them all, so materially, is wonderful.
And the common people, I observed, were as inattentive as the others. They did not seem to show any attention to a fine little batteau (dressed off with colors) that was industriously carried on a cart through some of the back streets, as an emblem of our future commerce; although the sailors, etc. who conducted it, used all their generous endeavors to excite admiration. They huzzaed at the comers, had the sweet music of a fiddle, etc. I followed them many squares, and could not find any but children with them. 0 strange behavior! the people do not seem to know what grandeur is preparing for them and their posterity.
But to come to the point; our friends, the majority, after dining together, enjoyed much happiness, in the pleasures of the social bottle till late at night, when our worthy Chief st ce, that great patron and protector of the press, was a little affected by the working of small beer, and so retired.
Some of the toasts that were drank were middling, but most of them were not to the purpose; for we should now forget our past national transactions; and it will be ridiculous to give 13 toasts hereafter, as we are all to be united and bound together into 1. For the same reason it was wrong to fire 13 guns, one great gun ought only to have been fired; and we must immediately alter our flags and remove the 13 stripes and stars, and in their places insert the spread eagle, or some other great monster, emblematical of our future Unison.
I think the conduct of our people in the majority in Convention was from the beginning a true emblem of our future unanimity and grandeur. They were from the first united in and under J W n, Esquire, without whose direction nothing was done or said; in short, none of our party attempted to argue except him, and he deserves much credit for his industry and ingenuity on the occasion; to be sure, he had the best right to defend it, for it was framed by him and our worthy friend Mr. Gr Ms in the Federal Convention. I think, Mr. Oswald, that if we had not put him in our Convention, the business would have been lost. The yellow: whigs were so arch, and upon the whole, they both deserve great promotion and the highest offices. I am sure they shall have the vote of A UNITARIAN.