Prince William County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Biographies.....Grayson, William 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Alice Warner http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00015.html#0003503 April 1, 2008, 1:34 am

Author: Henry Howe


William Grayson died at Dumfries, whither he had come on his way to Congress,
March 12th, 1790, and his remains were deposited in the family cault, and the
Rev. Mr. Spence Grayson's. He was first appointed a member of Congress from
Virginia, in 1784, and continued a number of years. "In June, 1788, he was a
member of the Virginia convention which was called for the purpose of
considering the present constitution of the United States. In this assembly,
rendered illustrious by men of the first talents, he was very conspicuous. His
genius united with the eloquence of Henry, in opposing the adoption of the
consitution. While he acknowledged the evils of the old government, he was
afraid that the proposed government would destroy the liberty of the states. His
principal objections to it were, that it took from the states the sole right of
direct taxation, which was the highest act of sovereignty; that the limits
between the national and state authorities were not sufficiently defined; that
they might clash, in which case the general government would prevail; that there
was no provision against raising such a navy, as was more than sufficient to
protect our trade, and thus would excite the jealousy of European powers, and
lead to war; and that there were no adequate checs against the abuse of power,
especially by the president, who was responsible only to his counsellors and
partners in crime, the members of the senate. After the constitution was
adopted, Mr. Grayson was appointed one of the senators from Virginia, in the
year 1789; his colleague was Richard Henry Lee. His great abilities were united
with unimpeached integrity."

Additional Comments:
from Henry Howe's Historical Collections of Virginia, 1845.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/princewilliam/bios/grayson100gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/vafiles/

File size: 2.3 Kb