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Article: Efforts of Mischievous Morris Backfire on Regional Power Series: THE SUMMER OF '87 Series Number: occ
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- July 6, 1987
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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One evening at a party following a session of the Constitutional
Convention, so the story goes, Alexander Hamilton dared fellow
delegate Gouverneur Morris to approach the always-formal George
Washington, who was 20 years older than either of them, and greet the
Great One with a chummy slap on the back.
Morris did it. As the guests looked on in silence, Washington
peeled Morris' hand off his shoulder, "stepped suddenly back and
fixed his eye on Morris for several minutes with an angry frown."
Morris then "retreated abashed and sought refuge in the crowd."
Of all the Founding Fathers, Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania
was the most outrageous. If a dare was made, he would accept it. If ...