APPENDIX D
THE PINCKNEY PLAN
On May 29, after Randolph had presented the Virginia Plan to the Convention, “Mr. Charles Pinckney … laid before the House for their consideration, the draught of a fœderal government to be agreed upon between the free and independent States of America.” This plan was referred to the Committee of the Whole House, which was to take the Virginia Plan into consideration. Nothing more is recorded of it, except that on July 24 the Committee of the Whole was formally discharged from further consideration of it and it was referred to the Committee of Detail which was appointed to draft a constitution upon the basis of the proceedings of the Convention at that date.
When John Quincy Adams was preparing the Journal for publication, the Pinckney Plan was not to be found among the secretary’s papers, and Pinckney himself was appealed to for a copy of the missing document.[1] In response Pinckney stated:
“I have already informed you I have several rough draughts of the Constitution I proposed & that they are all substantially the same differing only in words & the arrangement of the Articles—at the distance of nearly thirty two Years it is impossible for me now to say which of the 4 or 5 draughts I have was the one but enclosed I send you the one I believe was it—I repeat however that they are substantially the same differing only in form & unessentials——”[2].
Adams accepted this statement and printed the following document:—
We the People of the States of New Hampshire Massachusetts
Rhode Island & Providence Plantations —Connecticut New York
New Jersey Pennyslvania Delaware Maryland Virginia North Caroline
South Carolina & Georgia do ordain, declare & establish the
following Constitution for the Government of Ourselves & Posterity.
Article 1:
The Stile of This Government shall be The United States of America & The Government shall consist of supreme legislative Executive and judicial Powers—
- ↑ Appendix A, ⅭⅭⅭⅩⅩⅧ.
- ↑ Appendix A, ⅭⅭⅭⅩⅩⅥ.
