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June 11, 1787
_Motion for Prayers in the Convention_
MR. PRESIDENT,
The small Progress we have made, after 4 or 5 Weeks' close
Attendance and continual Reasonings with each other, our different
Sentiments on almost every Question, several of the last producing as
many _Noes_ as _Ayes_, is, methinks, a melancholy Proof of the
Imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to _feel_
our own want of political Wisdom, since we have been running all
about in Search of it. We have gone back to ancient History for
Models of Government, and examin'd the different Forms of those
Republics, which, having been originally form'd with the Seeds of
their own Dissolution, now no longer exist; and we have view'd modern
States all round Europe, but find none of their Constitutions
suitable to our Circumstances.
In this Situation of this Assembly, groping, as it were, in the
dark to find Political Truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when
presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto
once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illuminate
our Understandings? In the Beginning of the Contest with Britain,
when we were sensible of Danger, we had daily Prayers in this Room
for the Divine Protection.
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