(Excerpted From "West Virginia History Magazine" West Virginia's Contribution to the Federal Constitution by Roy Bird Cook, date___

"Of all the state conventions, that of Virginia was easily the most dramatic. "The martial aspect of the Convention would alone have attracted attention," observes Grigsby," There was hardly a battlefield from the Monongahela and the Kanawha to the Plains of Abraham, from the Great Bridge to Monmouth and from the bloody plains of Eutaw to York that was not illuminated by the valor of some member present." Its delegates ranged from planters along the coast to frontiersmen from back Kentucky who moved on Richmond with arms lest they be set upon en route by prowling Indians.

"Out of the 168 selected for the state, the territory now West Virginia furnished sixteen. A small delegation in number a powerful group as will be seen. With the exception of that part of the state then included in Montgomery County, the entire territory of present West Virginia was embraced in eight counties. Montgomery County, in 1788, took in the territory lying roughly between the New and Great Kanawha Rivers to the Big Sandy. That country sent as its representatives Walter Crockett and Abraham Twigg who voted in the final vote against ratification. Pendleton County was formed in 1788, but did not choose delegates. It appears, therefore, that the Pendleton County region was represented by Hardy County delegates, so while on the records there were presumably nine counties in the western Virginia territory actually only eight delegates.

"On April 28, 1788, in spite of opposition from the great Martin Luther, Maryland approved the Constitution by a vote of 63 to 11. The ratification of one more state was needed, and all eyes turned to Richmond. The date for the convention had been set for June 2, but the Virginia Assembly was scheduled to meet on June 23. It would be a race for time if the convention was to complete its work before the Assembly convened, and those who favored the adoption felt that it was now or never. So the sixteen from the "West" Virginia started on their way over the primitive trails, which later were to become turnpikes; two came from far away Wheeling - a town which in 1863 was to witness the birth of a new state and become the first capital of West Virginia. And who were the delegates?

"Berkeley County sent Adam Stephen and William Darke. Adam Stephen deserves a full length biography and in this small space his life can scarcely be touched upon. In the story of this constitutional convention, he stands forth as the leader of the western delegation.

"The opening days of June found the delegates assembling in Richmond. The coming of summer had made roads passable. All accounts agree that a most unusual following, besides those elected, came to the new capital of Virginia, due to the intense interest in the outcome of the convention.

The boarding places and the few hotels were full of delegates, and of the friends and enemies of the proposed Constitution. In ability and character, the delegates were second only to those in the Convention in Philadelphia. Of Virginia's noted sons, only Washington and Jefferson were absent.

But Washington's friends from "Old Augusta" were there; quiet unswerving men of the hills, they said little, listened well, and moved around in all circles. Jefferson was then Minister to France and wrote that he was both for and against adoption. Washington, from Mt. Vernon, directed the Federalist campaign, opinions having become divided into two camps known as Federalists and Anti-federalists. There also appeared James Madison, who served in Congress, and who is often called the Father of the Constitution.

Patrick Henry, the brill1ant orator, assumed a position of opposition at once. He had been a governor of Virginia, and his son-in-law Spencer Roane, a noted judge left his name in West Virginia in the city of Spencer and the county of Roane. There too, was George Mason, author of the Virginia Bill of Rights, and Edmund Pendleton. Other familiar names among those present were George Wythe, the noted professor of law at William and Mary, John Marshall, a young man destined to later interpret the Constitution; James Monroe; and Henry Lee, the fine looking, able soldier of the Revolution, known as "Light Horse Harry" whose name was borne by Fort Lee, no the city of Charleston.

Monday, June 2, arrived at at 10 A.M., this notable group came to order n what was known as the "old" Capitol, a three story frame building used while the central capitol building still in use in Richmond, was being erected. It stood at the northwest corner of Cary and 14th Streets. For the first time n history, a meting was reported by a shorthand reporter. This did not always produced a perfect record, but it was a marvelous innovation. The first entry of the records reads as follows:

"This being the day recommended by the Legislatures for the meeting of the Convention to take into consideration the proposed plan of a Federal government, a majority of the gentlemen thereto assembled at the Public Building in Richmond, whereupon they proceed to the choice of a secretary when John Beckley was appointed to that office.

"This was John Beckley who served in this same capacity on other famous occasions. He was the owner of much land in what is now Raleigh County, and his son, General Alfred Beckley, founded the city of Beckley. Edmund Pendleton, known to be a friend of the Constitution, was elected president. The Rev. Abner Waugh, prayed each morning, ot always with good results. The bell rang and the flow of words was off.

"The first speaker was George Nicholas, lawyer-soldier who concluded "that he conceived the Constitution founded on the strictest principles of true policy and liberty and that he was willing to trust his own happiness and that of his posterity to the operation of that system. Nicholas was followed by Patrick henry who for almost the remainder of the day pictured in vivid colors the dangers that were liable to arise if the Constitution were ratified, and deplored the work of the Philadelphia Convention. Governor Edmund Randolph rose to challenged the statements. Many present expected him to continue the opposition, but to the surprise of many he said in part:" I will assent to lopping off this limb (his arm) before I assent to the dissolution of the Union." George Mason was stunned by what he felt was the deserting of the "Antis" by Randolph, and took the floor to deliver blow after blow against the document only to be rebuffed by the very able James Madison, leader of the Federalists.

"Later on June 9th Anti-Federalist William Grayson from Prince William County wrote his friend General John Lamb in New York, saying: "our affairs in the Convention are suspended by a hair." While he hope Randolph's defection caused no great harm, he worried that "there are seven or eight dubious characters whose opinions are not known known and upon whose decisions the fate of the Constitution will ultimately depend."

"On Monday, the 23rdf, Patrick Henry delivered his last blow. Hardly had he taken his seat when Adam Stephen rose to rebuke him:

'Henry means to frighten us by his bugbears of hobgoblins, his sale of lands to pay taxes, Indian purchases, and other horrors that I think I know as much about as he does. . .He added in closing" If the gentleman does not like this government let him go and live among the Indians. I know of several nations that live very happily and I can furnish him a vocabulary of their language.'

In response to a "fierce and uncompromising" follow up speech by John Tyler, Stephen rose again:

" In a voice so low that he could not be distinctly heard, he described in a feeling manner the unhappy situation of the country and the absolute necessity of preventing a dismemberment of the confederacy. 'I was sent hither to adopt the constitution as it is, but such is my regard for my fellow citizens, that I would concur in amendment.

The gentlemen on the other side have adduced to reasons or proofs to convince us that the amendments would become a part of the system before ratification. What reason have we to suspect that persons who are chosen from among ourselves will not agree to the introduction of such amendments as will be desired by the people at large? In all safe and free governments, there ought to be a judicious mixture of three kinds. But the democratic kind preponderates as it ought to do. The members of one branch are immediately chosen by the people and the people also elect in a secondary degree the members of the other two. At present we have no confederate government.

It exists but in name. The honourable gentlemen asked where is the genius of America? What else but that genius has stimulated the people to reform that government, which woeful experience has proven to be totally inefficient. What has produced the unison of sentiments in the states on this subject?

I expected that filial duty and affection would have impelled him to enquire for the genius of Virginia, -that genius which formerly resisted British tyranny and in the language of manly intrepidity and fortitude said to that nation-thus far and no farther shall you proceed. What has become of that genius which spoke that magnanimous language-that genius that produced the Federal Convention?

Yonder she is in mournful attire, her hair dishevelled-distressed in grief and sorrow- supplicating our assistance against gorgons, fiends, and hydras, which are ready to devour her and carry desolution through out her country. She bewails the decay of trade and neglect of agriculture-her farmers discouraged-her ship-carpenters, blacksmiths, and all other tradesmen unemployed. She casts her eyes on these and deplores her inability to relieve them. She sees her eyes on these and the profits of her commerce goes to foreign states. She further bewails that all she can raise by taxation is inadequate to her necessities-She sees religion die by her side, public faith, prostituted and private confidence lost between man and man. Are the hearts of her citizens so deaf to compassion that they will not go to her relief?

If they are so infatuated that dire consequences may be easily forseen.-Expostulations must be made for the defection of Virginia when Congress meets. They will enquire where she has lately discovered so much wisdom-she that gave us an immense tract (Northwest Country) to relieve the general distresses?-Wherein constitutes the superiority to her friends of South Carolina and the respectable state of Massachusetts, who to prevent a dissolution of the Confederacy, adopted the Constitution and proposed such amendments as they thought necessary placing confidence in the other states, that they would accede them?'

After making several other remarks, he concluded that in his opinion, they were about to determine whether we should be one of the United States or not."