A Critical Thinker who wasn't Paralyzed by his Critical Thinking

In his recommendation to ratify the newly-written Constitution (see "crazy hippy kids"), September 17, 1787, Ben Franklin writes:

...I believe that... [the new constitutional form of government] can only end in Despotism as other Forms have done before it, when the People shall become so corrupted as to need Despotic Government, being incapable of any other...

On the whole, Sir, I can not help expressing a Wish, that every Member of the Convention, who may still have Objections to it, would with me on this occasion doubt a little of his own Infallibility, and to make manifest our Unanimity, put his Name to this Instrument.