Abstract
James Madison, often called the father of the Constitution, may have been the first to describe the achievements of the federal Convention as a miracle. Writing to Thomas Jefferson soon after the Convention at Philadelphia adjourned, he identified the major issues that had sparked intense debates among the Framers and then observed that it was "impossible to consider the degree of concord which ultimately prevailed as less than a miracle." It is unlikely that Madison meant his statement to be taken literally, for he well understood the very real influences that operated to produce agreement among his colleagues. Nevertheless, from that time to the present, we, as a nation, have continued to regard the Framers' handiwork with awe and even with reverence. If the event was indeed miraculous there would be no point in examining it, for a miracle by definition defies one's understanding. We shall assume, then, that it was a product of human genius and try to comprehend it in those terms.
Recommended Citation
McCormick, Richard P.
(1987)
"The Miracle at Philadelphia,"
Utah Law Review: Vol. 1987:
No.
4, Article 4.
Available at:
https://dc.law.utah.edu/ulr/vol1987/iss4/4