Nature of the Constitution

[JohnTaylor]

ET, yes, the quotes could well be seen as evidence of an irrevocable decision to join the Union by ratifying, but there are other ways to view the quotes. If North Carolina joined the imperfect Union, one without a Bill of Rights, or one with a Constitution that bore some other flaw, the future generations would be effected. Or, if North Carolina failed to join at all, the future of millions yet unborn would be effected. Regardless of how one saw the Federal powers, or the revocability of the decision to join, the future of millions yet unborn would be effected.
In the end, however, both Spencer and Lancaster voted against the ratifying Constitution on August 1st, 1788. So even if Spencer and Lancaster did view ratification as being irrevocable, they must have voted against ratifying the Constitution on that basis.
As for the Lansing quote, I am not looking at anything beyiond the record in Elliot's debated. The operatiuve words were "a certain number of years." That leads me to the belief that Lansing had a specific period in mind, at the end of which, if no Federal Bill of Rights were forthcoming, NY would withdraw.
The proceedings of the NY Convention were published in contemporary newspapers, and at the very end of the NY Convention, Elliot becomes less exact than he was before that (see Elliot's reading Hamilton's speech on July 24th. I am not sure why. At any rate, I would like to see what exactly Lansing said in defense of his proposal.
Respectfully,
John Taylor