[RATIFICATION OF THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION BY MASSACHUSETTS.]
[The following account of the Ratification of the Constitution of the United States by the Convention of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts convened at Boston on the 9th day of January, 1788, and continued until the 7th of February, was printed in the Massachusetts Gazette of Feb. 8th, 1788, published by John Wincoll Allen of Boston. It is here inserted as a historical document of those times that tried men's souls, which will, we think, be read with deep interest by those of the present generation. In this way, too, it will be preserved, as it should be, for posterity. It is printed as we find it in the Gazette, with only the addition of the names of the towns, in which the individuals of the Convention resided. Of the Convention, John Hancock was President, William Cushing, Vice-President, and George Richards Minot, Secretary.]
With the highest satisfaction we announce to the publick, that the Convention of this commonwealth, on Wednesday last, at five o'clock, P. M. ASSENTED TO the CONSTITUTION, proposed by the late federal Convention. On this pleasing event, WE DO HEARTILY congratulate the publick, and do express our sincere wishes, that the general joy which it has diffused through all ranks of citizens, may be an auspicious omen of the superiour advantages which will undoubtedly result from the establishment of such a federal government as this constitution provides.
Immediately on the news of this joyful decision being announced, the bells in every publick building in this metropolis began to ring, and continued to sound the glad tydings for two hours. At sun set the Convention adjourned: after which, a multitude of people, from all quarters, moved into State-Street, where they manifested the joy they felt from this event, by incessant tokens of approbation, and loud huzzas. The bells of the North church continued to chime harmonious peals of gratulations the whole night, and part of the next day. Illuminations were made and other insignia of joy exhibited.
The yeas and nays, on the question of adoption, being taken, agreeably to the orders of the day, were as follows, viz.
YEAS.
His Excellency JOHN HANCOCK, Esq. President, Hon. James Bowdoin, hon. Sam. Adams, hon. William Phillips, hon. Caleb Davis, Charles Jarvis, esq. John C. Jones, esq. John Winthrop, esq. Thomas Dawes, jun. esq. rev. Samuel Stillman, Thomas Russell, esq. Christopher Gore, esq. Boston, hon. William Heath, hon. Increase Sumner, Roxbury, James Bowdoin, jun. esq. Ebenezer Wales, esq. Dorchester, rev. Nathaniel Robbins, Milton, hon. Richard Cranch, rev. Anthony Wibird, Braintree, hon. Cotton Tufts, Weymouth, hon. Benjamin Lincoln, rev. David Shute, Hingham, rev. Joseph Jackson, Brookline, rev. Thomas Thacher, Fisher Ames, esq. Dedham, col. William M'Intosh, Needham, capt. John Baxter, jun. Medfield, hon. Elijah Dunbar, esq. Stoughton, mr. Thomas Mann, Wrentham, mr. George Payson, Walpole, hon. J. Fisher, Franklin, mr. Thomas Jones, Hull, rev. Phillips Payson, Chelsea, mr. Ebenezer Warren, Foxborough, Richard Manning, esq. Edward Pulling, esq. mr. William Gray, jun. mr. Francis Cabot, Salem, hon. Michael Farley, J. Choate, esq. Daniel Noyes, esq. col. Jonathan Cogswell, Ipswich, hon. Tristram Dalton, Enoch Sawyer, esq. E. March, esq. Newbury, hon. Rufus King, esq. hon. Benjamin Greenleaf, esq. Theophilus Parsons, esq. hon. Jonathan Titcomb, Newburyport, hon. G. Cabot, mr. Joseph Wood, capt. Israel Thorndike, Beverly, Isaac Mansfield, esq. Jonathan Glover, esq. hon. Azor Orne, John Glover, esq. Marblehead, Daniel Rogers, esq. John Low, esq. capt. W. Pearson, Gloucester, John Carnes, esq. capt. John Burnham, Lynn and Lynnfield, mr. William Symmes, jun. Andover, Bailey Bartlett, esq. capt. Nathaniel Marsh, Haverhill, mr. Israel Clark, Topsfield, dr. Samuel Nye, mr. Enoch Jackman, Salisbury, capt. Benjamin Lurvey, mr. Willis Patten, Amesbury, Daniel Thurston, esq. Bradford, mr. Jacob Herrick, Wenham, mr. Simeon Miller, Manchester, hon. Francis Dana, esq. Stephen Dana, esq. Cambridge, hon. Nathaniel Gorham, esq. Charlestown, hon. Joseph Hosmer, Concord, hon. Abraham Fuller, Newtown, capt. Lawson Buckminster, Framingham, Benjamin Brown, esq. Lexington, Daniel Whitney, esq. Sherburne, capt. Asahel Wheeler, Sudbury, capt. Benjamin Blaney, Malden, capt. Abraham Bigelow, Weston, maj. gen. John Brooks, Medford, dr. Charles Whitman, Stow, Leonard Williams, esq. Waltham, hon. J. B. Varnum, Dracut, hon. J. Pitts, Dunstable, hon. E. Brooks, Lincoln, W. Pynchon, esq. Springfield, hon. C. Strong, mr. Benjamin Sheldon, Northampton and Easthampton, capt. Lemuel Pomeroy, Southampton, brig. gen. Elisha Porter, Hadley, hon. Noah Goodman, South Hadley, hon. J. Hastings, Hatfield, John Ingersol, esq. Westfield, mr. Ebenezer James, Northfield, Abner Morgan, esq. Brimfield, capt. David Shepard, Chester, mr. Jesse Reed, Charlemont, Nahum Eager, esq. Worthington, col. Benjamin Bonney, Chesterfield, major Thomas J. Douglass, Northwick, mr. Aaron Fisher, Westhampton, mr. Edmund Lazell, Cummington and Plainfield, capt. Thomas Maxwell, Buckland, mr. Elihu Colton, Longmeadow, Joshua Thomas, esq. mr. Thomas Davis, mr. John Davis, Plymouth, hon. William Cushing, hon. Nathan Cushing, hon. Charles Turner, Scituate, hon. George Partridge, Duxbury, rev. William Shaw, Marshfield, Daniel Howard, esq. mr. Hezekiah Hooper, capt. Elisha Mitchel, mr. Daniel Howard, jun. Bridgewater, rev. Isaac Backus, Isaac Thompson, esq. Middleboro', capt. John Turner, mr. Josiah Smith, Pembroke, William Sever, jun. esq. Kingston, hon. Joseph Cushing, Hanover, rev. Samuel Niles, Abington, mr. Freeman Waterman, Halifax, col. Israel Fearing, Wareham, Shearjashaub Bourn, esq. Barnstable, David Thacher, esq. capt. Jonathan Howes, Yarmouth, hon. Solomon Freeman, capt. Kimball Clark, Harwich, rev. Levi Whitman, Wellfleet, capt. Joseph Palmer, Falmouth, James Williams, esq. Taunton, hon. Elisha May, capt. Moses Willmarth, Attleboro', col. Sylvester Richmond, hon. William Baylies, Dighton, hon. Thomas Durfee, Israel Washburne, esq. Freetown, hon. Walter Spooner, rev. Samuel West, New Bedford, mr. William Almy, Westport, Nathaniel Barrel, esq. York, rev. Moses Hemmenway, hon. Nathaniel Wells, Wells, Thomas Cutts, esq. Pepperelboro', Jacob Bradbury, esq. Buxton, capt. John Low, Coxhall, mr. William Mayhew, Edgartown, mr. Cornelius Dunham, Tisbury, hon. John Sprague, Lancaster, capt. Seth Newton, Southboro', hon. Samuel Baker, Bolton, major David Wilder, Leominster, mr. Matthew Patrick, Western, mr. Josiah Goddard, Athol, capt. Ephraim Wilder, Sterling, John K. Smith, esq. Falmouth, mr. John Fox, capt. Joseph M'Lellan, Portland, David Mitchell, esq. Samuel Merrill, esq. North Yarmouth, William Thompson, esq. Scarboro', capt. John Dunlap, Brunswick, capt. Isaac Snow, Harpswell, mr. Joshua Dyer, Cape Elisabeth, rev. Samuel Perley, Gray, Thomas Rice, esq. mr. David Sylvester, Pownalboro', mr. Nathaniel Wyman, Georgetown, mr. David Gilmore, Woolwich, William M'Cobb, esq. Boothbay, capt. Samuel Grant, Vassalboro', Moses Davis, esq. Edgecomb, David Fales, esq. Thomaston, Dummer Sewall, esq. Bath, John Ashley, jun. esq. Sheffield and Mount Washington, hon. Elijah Dwight, Great Barrington, hon. T. Sedgwick, Stockbridge, hon. Jonathan Smith, Lanesboro', hon. T. J. Skinner, Williamstown, mr. Elisha Carpenter, Becket, capt. D. Taylor, New Marlboro'. Total Yeas 187.