The Address and Reasons of Dissent
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for the United States, if adopted, will alter and may annihilate the constitution of Pennsylvania; and therefore the legislature had no authority
whatever to recommend the calling of a convention for that purpose.
This proceeding could not be considered as binding on the people of this
commonwealth. The house was formed by violence, some of the members composing it were detained there by force, which alone would have
vitiated any proceedings to which they were otherwise competent; but
had the legislature been legally formed, this business was absolutely without their power.
In this situation of affairs were the subscribers elected members of the
Convention of Pennsylvania—a Convention called by a legislature in direct violation of their duty, and composed in part of members who were
compelled to attend for the purpose, to consider a Constitution proposed
by a Convention of the United States, who were not appointed for the
purpose of framing a new form of government, but whose powers were
expressly confined to altering and amending the present articles of confederation. Therefore the members of the continental Convention in proposing the plan acted as individuals, and not as deputies from Pennsylvania. The assembly who called the State Convention acted as individuals,
and not