The Chief Executive. Wilson of Philadelphia, Dickinson of Delaware. Dr. Franklin Speaks his Mind. June 1-6. Summary and Analysis

Delegates continue to come and go, and the danger that the Convention may dissolve is a real possibility, Bowen writes. On Friday, June 1, the Committee of the Whole considers the seventh of the Virginia Resolves, that a national executive be instated.

James Wilson of Pennsylvania rises to suggest that the national executive be a single person. This worries some members, who imagine the autocratic colonial governors or a monarch. Wilson argues that the executive portion of the government must be "vigorous," and that this trait can best be found in an individual.

Wilson is opposed by some who compare the idea to the British System. Bowen suggests that this comparison comes...