Tempest at Dawn (38 page)

Gouverneur Morris and Madison
exchanged a quick glance, but Morris offered no support. Evidently,
the general’s fulminations could dampen his spirit.

Madison decided he had to proceed,
even if alone. “General, I know how disappointed you are,
but

”

“
No, Jemmy, you
do
not
.”

“
Please, excuse
me, sir, but

”

This time Washington cut him off
with an uplifted finger because a servant had entered. “General,
sir, Roger Sherman requests to see you,” the servant
said.

Washington paused a long second and then said, “Show
him to another room and ask him to wait.”

Washington sat for several minutes
before slowly rising. “If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen.” He looked
down at the letter he had been writing. With a slight shrug, he
walked over and handed it to Madison. “Here, Jemmy, you may read my
correspondence while I talk to my guest.”

Madison quickly scanned the
letter, hoping to find out what this was all about. Instead he got
a glimpse into the general’s heart.

Everybody expects something from this convention;
but what will be the final result? I am persuaded that the primary
cause of our disorder lies in the different state governments and
the tenacity with which they grip power. Independent sovereignty is
ardently contended for, whilst separate interests refuse to yield
to a more enlarged scale of politics. Disrespect for a general
government renders this great country weak at home and disgraceful
abroad.

I have no more ardent wish than to know what kind of
government is best for us. No doubt there will be diversity on this
important subject and it is necessary to hear all the arguments. To
please all is impossible and to attempt it would be in vain. The
only way is to form a government as good as we can and then trust
the good sense of the people to carry it into effect.

Chapter 23

Sherman hastily stood when he heard the door open.
Washington turned his back to Sherman, sliding the pocket doors
together until they met with a light clap. “Mr. Paterson is your
charge.” Washington turned to glare at Sherman.

“
I apologize for his intemperate
remarks.”

“
Intemperate?” The general looked tired and
dejected. “That man may have destroyed my country.”

Sherman didn’t know how to respond, so he simply
asked, “Has Alex left?”

“
Mr. Sherman, I thought if I acquiesced to
your intrigue, we could salvage this convention.”

“
General, with all due respect, you did more
than acquiesce. The design is now as much yours as
mine.”

“
Can you not control your people?”

“
My people know nothing of our
doings.”

“
Only a weak commander gains allegiance by
disclosing private discussions with his superior.”

“
You’re correct; that was a poor excuse.”
Sherman noticed that no tea had been offered, so he went directly
back to his question. “Sir, did Alex leave?”

Washington glowered a moment, then simply said,
“Yesterday.”

“
I believe we must proceed as if nothing
untoward has happened.”

“
You do, do you? Well, I disagree.”

“
General, the plan can still work. Hamilton’s
on his way. Give it a chance.”

“
We shall, but we won’t pretend nothing
untoward
has happened.” Washington stretched to his full
height. “Mr. Sherman, I expect you to proceed immediately to Mr.
Paterson and upbraid that firebrand to within an inch of his life.
Another outburst like that, and I’ll personally ride to Trenton and
get the man disbarred. You have vital tasks in this intrigue—do not
misstep. Last, I’ll hold you to your promise to keep the small
states at this convention. Good day.”

With that, Washington marched toward the doors,
flung them aside, whirled around in the central hall, and snapped
them together like a clap of thunder.

“
It had to be said.”

Sherman shook his head. “No, William, it did
not.”

“
Especially not in such harsh words,”
Dickinson added.

Sherman, Ellsworth, Dickinson, and Paterson
sat in a private room at the City Tavern. Sherman had arranged the
meeting immediately after his truncated appointment with
Washington.

Ellsworth snapped his snuffbox against the table.
“You went overboard.”

“
I told the truth. Damn their
so-called Southern manners.”

“
You said you’d find a foreign ally
and that the sword would decide this controversy.” Dickinson’s
voice conveyed contempt. “You went far beyond violating Southern
manners.”

Paterson leaped to his feet and shoved the
chair away with so much force that it tipped over and clattered
across the floor. “The bastards plot treason!” Paterson spat.

Sherman strained to remain calm. “William,
sit down. Get control of yourself.”

“
Treason, control? Those words don’t
go together.”

Sherman took a deep breath. “William, it’s
not treason to replace a government that’s already lifeless.”

“
Our Revolution is not
dead!”

“
I’m talking about the Confederation.
Our ideals can survive if we rekindle the flame, but you threaten
to douse the few remaining embers.”

“
The Virginians, not I, threaten
hearth and home.”

“
Sit. You’re too excited. Sometimes a
frontal assault isn’t the best way.”

“
Brave men face villains squarely.
They don’t

”

“
William, I’m trying to be patient,
but you push too hard.”

“
I’ll push even harder. I’ll not rest
until

”

“
You leave only rubble?” Sherman
inserted a quiet pause, then said in a conciliatory tone, “William,
please sit. Let’s talk sensibly.”

“
Roger, do not placate me. I’m not in
the mood.”

Sherman flew out of his chair, walked around
the table in two quick strides, picked Paterson’s chair off the
floor, and slammed it down square on all four legs. “William, you
wear your mood with far too much pride. Now sit!”

Paterson stood a moment and then sat without
a murmur.

Everyone sat in silence, eyes averted, as
they studied their hands or seemed to find something unexpected in
their tankard. Sherman realized that this rare exhibit of temper
had caught them by surprise. So be it. He took a deep breath and
tried to regain his composure. “William, in a week or so, I could
have broken this convention open. Now, you may have wrecked my
plans—and your career.”

“
What are you talking
about?”

“
I’ve been instructed to flog you into
submission—or else. Powerful forces want you disbarred.” Sherman
retook his seat and spoke quietly. “William, they can do
it.”

After a moment of silence, Sherman saw the
defiance in Paterson’s face before he heard the words. “I’ll
apologize or do whatever else is necessary.” Paterson’s eyes swept
those of everyone in the room. “But I want you to know, Roger, I’ll
humiliate myself only to stay in the fight.”

Sherman didn’t think this fulfilled
Washington’s directive, but their elaborate plan required New
Jersey’s vote. He poured Madeira into Paterson’s half-filled glass.
“I think that wise, William.” Sherman set the bottle down. “Can you
give me a week—no more attacks?”

Paterson looked at his refilled glass and
then met Sherman’s eyes. “I’ll hold my tongue for one week. After
that, I must do my duty.”

Sherman lifted his glass and raised it in a
salute. “Excellent. Could I have gotten a fortnight?”

Paterson returned the gesture, but before
taking a sip, he said, “Roger, you know my tongue could never
remain tied for that long.”

The laughter told Sherman that they had
circumvented the matter for the time being. He could only hope that
events in the next few days would relegate this episode to distant
memory.

Sherman left the City Tavern to rendezvous with
Baldwin. When he stepped into the glare, he wondered if nature had
decided to punish the guilty with insufferable heat. He walked
slowly to keep from perspiring too much, but before he got halfway
to the wharf area, he was so sticky that he resumed his normal
pace. He told himself that if he had hired a carriage, he’d still
feel like a lathered horse.

He had selected the same out-of-the-way
coffeehouse where he had clandestinely met with Baldwin several
weeks ago. When Sherman entered the commercial district tavern, he
saw that his friend had already arrived. He felt relief walking
into the dark recesses and quickly dropped his valise and shrugged
off his coat. A great advantage of a place by the docks was that no
one paid attention to the gentlemen’s code requiring a man to wear
a coat on in public.

“
You ol’ reprobate, how’d you pull
this off?”

Sherman slid into the tall hardwood booth.
“And good morning to you.”

“
Oh, pleasantries is it? You make me
trudge to this workingman’s tavern for chitchat?”

“
I picked this place because I thought
you’d feel at home with the clientele.”

“
I do.” Baldwin waved his arm around. “These
are honest seafaring men. They have a lot in common with my Wilkes
County constituents: hardworking, unpretentious, and eager to be
left alone.” With a nod in Sherman’s direction, Baldwin added,
“You, on the other hand, sully the place. For our next meeting,
I’ll locate a pirate’s den.”

“
Mr. Baldwin, what in the world has
you so worked up?”

“
Why did Pierce and Few board a coach
for New York?”

“
Perhaps we should talk about
that.”

“
Indeed, we should. Two of my state’s
delegation just up and grab a coach to New York like a plague had
suddenly hit Philadelphia.”

“
They’re members of Congress,
returning to do their duty.”

“
Don’t play innocent. They left with
William Blount.”

“
Blount’s also a
congressman.”

“
Blount’s a crook!”

“
Tsk, tsk, Mr. Baldwin, you mustn’t defame the
honorable delegate from North Carolina.”

“
Roger, that man defames himself. He lies,
steals, and cheats. He’s obsessed by money. How can you use such a
man?”

“
When you use money as bait, you catch the
greedy.”

“
Pierce and Few are honest men. Why’re they
sharing a coach with the only member of this convention I would
decline to dine with?”

“
Perhaps they’re not as judgmental as
you.”

“
Roger, quit being evasive.”

“
Abe, we’re old friends. I merely

”

“
I’m looking for a new friend.”

“
With four Georgia delegates, your
vote

”

“
You assume I’d vote with you. That’s
amazingly presumptuous.”

“
Abe, we need your vote to hold this
convention together. I had to reduce the number of Georgia
delegates to make your vote count.”

“
So you took it upon yourself to alter the
sovereign state of Georgia’s delegation to the Federal Convention.
Roger, at times you’re aggressively insolent.”

Sherman gave a dismissive shrug. “Nobody’s perfect.
If you’re through twaddling, would you like to hear the plan?”

Baldwin looked Sherman in the eye for a long moment.
“If you’ll quit being oblique, I’ll listen. But it had better be
good. I’m still angry.”

“
I’ll explain everything because I need your
vote.” Sherman settled back into the recesses of the bench seat.
“The North controls Congress, eight states to five, but fifteen
members are here, so there’s no quorum. When Blount, Few, and
Pierce arrive in New York, there’ll be a quorum, and the South will
hold a temporary majority.”

“
Too bad Congress has no power.”

“
Congress isn’t completely powerless. Jay is
negotiating a trade bill in Europe, and the North is giving away
navigation rights on the Mississippi to get access to Caribbean
trade.”

“
Damn.” Baldwin thought that through. “A
Southern majority can reverse Jay’s instructions.”

“
Exactly. Your charming state claims all land
west to the Mississippi, so Pierce and Few saw an opportunity to
safeguard your state’s interests.”

Baldwin leaned toward Sherman. “Blount?”

“
With no way to reach the sea, the value of
his western lands will collapse. A treaty consistent with Jay’s
instructions would be sweet for the North, a threat to Georgia, but
a catastrophe for our ever-enterprising Mr. Blount. He’s bought
vast tracts along the Mississippi.”

“
Swindled, you mean. That man wouldn’t pay a
fair price for his mother’s funeral.”

“
Mr. Baldwin, you must pray for tolerance. The
weak depend on the forbearance of others.”

“
I shall make a note of it.” Baldwin sat back
and laced his fingers around his cup. “No wonder Blount took off
like a spooked mare.” Looking into Sherman’s eyes, he asked,
“Roger, why do you care about our western lands?”