648 RECORDS OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION Monday MADISON September Mr. King suggested that the Journals of the Convention should be either destroyed, or deposited in the custody of the President. He thought if suffered to be made public, a bad use would be made of them by those who would wish to prevent the adoption of the Constitution --to Mr Wilson prefered the second expedient. he had at one time liked the first best; but as false suggestions may be propagated it should not be made impossible to contradict them-- A question was then put on depositing the Journals and other papers of the Convention in the hands of the President, On which, N-- H-- ay. Mtts air. Ct. ay-- N.J. ay. Pena. a 7. Del. ay. Md.* no. Va. ay. N. C. ay--S. C. ay. Geo. ay. [Ayes xo; noes- I.] The President having asked what the Convention meant should be done with the Journals &c, whether copies were to be allowed to the members if applied for. It was Resolved nero: con: "that he retain the Journal and other papers, sub- ject to the order of Congress, if ever formed under the Con- stitution. u The members then proceeded to sign the instrument. Whilst the last members were signing it Doctr. Franklin looking towards the Presidents Chair, at the back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, observed to a few mem- bers near hlm, that Painters had found it difficult to distin- guish in their art a rising from a setting sun. I have, said he, often and often in the course of the Session, and the vicis- situdes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that behind the President without being able to tell whether .it was rising or setting: But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting Sun. The Constitution being signed by all the Members except
- Thls negative of Maryland was oeca81oned by the language of the instructions
to the Deputies of that State, which required them to report to the State, the pro- ceeding$ of the Convention. l0 See further appendix A, CX, CXI, CCCXX. it For the subsequent history o4 these papers, see Introduction.
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