Charles Pinckney Father
UtAmerican Constitution
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September 17, 1787, the delegates he pointed but that tW paper upon
:u the constitutional convention final- which it was written bore a watei
iv affixed their signatures to the mark of 1797, ten years after the con- i
istorlc document. Four South Caro- stitution was written, and that the li
:nians signed the celebrated original: draft submitted by Pinckney con
> ohn Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth tained provisions contrary to his ex
^inckney. Pierce Butler and Charles pressed views on the convention floor.
It is only fair to say here, however,
Hnckney.
During the convention, ChgrlQs that more than one-third of the pro
Pinckney submitted a complete plan visions of our constitution as finally
for a constitution which, according adopted embraced the identical ideas
10 an investigation conducted by the advanced by the bold and brilliant
i'>c»l writers' project. WPA, was de- : young Southerner, who is not named
nonstrably the true basis of the con- ', by some historians in describing the
work of the convention"
sfltution as finally adopted.
Charles Pinckney (1757-1824) muit
Though all the proceedings of th*
convention were in the hands of men not be confused with his second
of the highest integrity, and though cousin, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney,
all related papers were placed under who was also a delegate to the con
seal for a stipulated time, it was stitutional convention of 1787. Both
found, when the seal was broken, that were members of the Charleston aristhe Pinckney draft had disappeared. tocrasy; both were cultured gentle
men, wealthy in lands and slaves;
It has never been discovered..*
Ten years after the convention. but the brilliant Charles, 11 years
Charles Pinckney supplied
copy of younger than his sound but less dy
his plans; but in 1819. Ex-president namic cousin, eventually adopted such
Madison denied the authenticity of liberal and democratic views that he
the second copy for reasons which he was considered a traitor to his class.
Since Charles was only 29 years old
believed sufficient. Historians deferred
to the great Madison, and Pinckney's when he attended the convention,
tremendous contribution was for though already broadly recognized
by his profound learning and bril
many years ignored.
Later historians actually confuse liance, the elder members little rel
Charles and his cousin. Charles Cotes ished his audacity in submitting a
worth, attributing the plan to the complete and detailed plan. Tney
1 alter when they do mention it. ignored his plan in debates, while in
'thers ignore th« plan altogether. The j contrast the committee of detail must
drawn heavily upon it.
eminent Charles A. Beard takes little i
younger Pinckney has been de
if any notice of Charles Pinckney. and
gives no mention of hU plan. Even fended by Judge Charles A, Nott.
the highly publicized Henrik Van whose illuminating book on the
Loon in his book "America," is un Pinckney draft precipitated the mod
ern discussion of the subject; Dr.
aware of him.
With the passing years* and with J- F. Jameson. chief of the manu
more scrupulous scholarship, the veil script division of the Library of Con
of obscurity began to lift from gress, who substantiates the Pinck
Charles Pinckney. Where formerly ney draft almost completely; A. C.
even histories of the constitution McLaughlin of the University of Chi
itself /ailed to mention him, or ig cago, who established the fact of
nored hb plan, now H. W. Elson con Charles Pinckney's >rge contribution
cedes that "A more elaborate plan to the constitution.
Judge Nott suggests that the Pinck
was offered by Charles Pinckney of
South Carolina. It was not seriously ney draft was considered so complete
considered; but.. -it contained many by the committee of detail that it
excellent points that later were em was merely revised in hand and
bodied in our constitution." And turned over to the printer as copy for
'N* W. Stepheruon. in a footnote of printing the document in its final
13 American History, admits that form. After the printing was proofed,
Still a third complete schenfe was the printer presumably destroyed
the Pinckney plan, drawn up by Pinckney's draft.
Though Pinckney drew on several
rhaxie* Pinckney of South Carolina.
he original manuscript has been sources for articles in his consti
h>st, but it seems to have anticipated tution, at least 19 of them were en
many of the features at last agreed tirely without precedent. His draft
F. T. Wilson, in contained 31 or 32 provisions of th*
finished constitution, and it* is now
his book, "Our Constitution and its conceded that he had a larger share
Makers" (1937), concede* almost half than any other individual in the de
the truth;
termination of the form and content
"Pinckney now also presented a offtfee constitution.
Justice was finally done, «t least
. .an of his own, the exact terms of
J which are not known, but which in from the viewpoint of South Caro
its main outline duplicated in many lina, when, in 1936, a large bronze
tablet was unveiled in th« State
ways the plan presented by Gov
House bearing the legend: To honor
ernor Rutledge.
"The plan apparently discussed from and commemorate the four signers
of the constitution of the United
, the start was the Virginia plan. Pinck
ney's seems to have been ignored, States from South Carolina with spe
and was later lost by the committee cial recognition of Charles Pinckney
on detail to which both plans were whose handiwork is found in more
submitted. In 1819 a lively dispute than 30 provisions of the constitu
M. REVELISE,
was to arise over the precise terms tion."
Federal Writers' Project.
of Pinckney's plan when the journal
of the convention's proceedings wa«
first published and Pinckney sent in
what he claimed was a copy of the
original copy of his plan. Ex-presi
dent Madison, then living in retire
ment, denied the authenticity of
'Inckney'n plan " *^*n presented;
Charles Pinckney Gets
More Credit With Years
i South Carolinian, One of Pour to Be Honored by D.
A. B. With Tablet to Constitution Signers, Rises in
Importancg As More Is Brought Out About His
Work. *
The South Carolina Daughters of
the American Revolution have under
taken as a main objective this year
the placing of a bronze tablet in the
State House to honor the four signers
of the constitution from South Caro
lina, namely, John Rutledge, Charles
Cotesworth, Pinckaey. Charles Pinck
ney and Pierce Butler. The commit
tee appointed by the state regent. Mrs.
Theo. J. Mauldin. will report at the
state conference meeting in Orangeburg March 11. 12 and 13 and the fol
lowing article by John P. Thomas on
Charles Pinckney therefore is of pe
culiar interest at this time:
Charles Pinckney.
The four South Carolinians who
represented tiiis state in the conven
tion which framed the constitution of
the United States in 1787 were John
Rutledge. Charles Cotesworth Pinck
ney Pierce Butler and Charles Pinck
ney. Comparatively recent historical
research has established the fact that
Charles Pinckney is entitled to more
credit than has heretofore been ac
corded to him in the framing of the
constitution. The very prominent and
influential part taken by him in the
constitutional convention is most re
markable when it is remembered that
he was but 29 years of age when
elected as one of the four.delegates
from this state. Even before the meet
ing of the convention Charles Pinck
ney had entered upon a distinguished
career. He was a member of the conti
nental congress in 1777-78 and again
from 1784 to 1787. He was but 20 year's
of age when first e!f*cted to the conti
nental congress and when elected to
the constitutional convention he was
! next to the youngest member of that
body.
As a member of the continental con
gress he was impressed with the
necessity of a stronger central govern
ment. As early as February 15. 1786.
he was one of a committee of congress
recommending changes in the Articles
of Confederation to bring about a
stronger union of the states, August 7,
1786. a sub-committee of congress
headed by the youthful Pinckney re1 ported a set of proposed amendments
to the Articles of Confederation. Thus
it is seen that prior to the convening
of the convention of 1787 Charles
Pinckney had been working out in his
own mind a plan of government for
the country. His private library of
some 20,000 volumes was one of the
largest collection of books on govern
ment in Amcrjfii. When the conven
tion convened May 14, 1787, Charles
Pinckney at once took a leading part
in its deliberation. The journal of the
convention disclcres that May 29, 1787,
Pinckney submitted a draft of a con
stitution which he read stating that
"he had reduced his ideas of a new
government to a system." This draft
was referred to th? committee of the
whole but unfortunately for Pinck
ney's fame it was not recorded in the
journal nor was it debated It was.
however, referred to th« committee on
dctjil who appear to have made use
of it as extracts frcm it have been
identified by the historian. Prof. J.
Franklin Jameson. In addition an out
line of it has recently been discovered
by Prof. Andrew C. McLaughlin
among papers in the handwriting of
James Wilson, deposited with the
Pennsylvania Historical society. This
James Wilson was one of the members
of the convention. Recent investiga
tions based upon documentery evi
dence conclusively establish the fact
thai of the 84 provisions of the original
constitution as adopted no less than
32 were incorporated from the plan
that Pinckney presented to the con
vention. Judgs O'Neal ?aid of him
that "he has always botn considered
as entitled to the high and honorable
designation of the father of the con
stitution." Charles Warren in his re
cent book on "The Making of the
Constitution" says of the speech made
by Pinckney June 27, 1787, that it was
a powerful, eloquent and brilliant
contribution to the work of the con
vention. In his own day and time
Pinckney was honored by his coun
trymen. He was elected four times,
governor of South Carolina and s*nt|
as ambassador to represent his coun
try in Spain. If Gladstone was right,
when he said of the constitution ofj
the United States that it was "the
greatest work ever struck off at any
time by the mind and purpose of
man," then surely Charles Pinckney
is entitled to pro-eminent credit for
the part Ite took in framing that doc
ument. If there is any man that ever
lived in the history of our common
wealth that deserves to be honored
that man is Charles Pinckney.
JOHN P. THOMAS. JR.