Gouverneur Morris the author of the U.S. Constitution:
Richard Brookhiser titled his biography of Gouverneur Morris, the Gentleman Revolutionary, but the subtitle might have been more accurate: the Rake Who Wrote the Constitution. He was a character. For example, he lost a leg in a carriage accident, but reveled in telling strangers that he lost it jumping from a lady’s balcony. William Pierce, another delegate, wrote, “Mr. G. Morris is one of those genius’s in whom every species of talents combine to render him conspicuous and flourishing in public debate: he winds through all the mazes of rhetoric and throws around him such a glare that he charms, captivates, and leads away the senses of all who hear him.”Just a reminder.
Perhaps his speaking prowess was one reason why he spoke (173 times) more than any other delegate at the convention. The other reason was that he was a man of firm opinions.
He was a strong proponent of separation of powers, with effective checks and balances. “[T]o minimize potential for corruption, power had to be divided between the president and the Senate. As the president was to nominate … and as the Senate was to concur, there would be security.”
He was an ally of James Madison and fought against splintered nations and for a strong, unified national government. Only Alexander Hamilton may have been a stronger nationalist.
He supported gun ownership. “Americans need never fear their government because of the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation.”
