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When I came here last September, I decided that

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I would not take the floor at any time on any subject. I

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assure you, however, that this in no way reflected a lack

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of interest in the many provocative, challenging and

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stimulating proposals we have faced during these sessions.

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On the contrary, my interest in every proposal has been

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deep and abiding, and let me say that I have been sorely

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tempted from time to time to enter into the discussions,

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particularly on occasions when the outlook on some

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proposals which I considered to be of special importance

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appeared to be in deep trouble. But in the end, I stuck by

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my original plan feeling, as I did, that my role in creatinq

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this Convention and my activity here might in some way be

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interpreted as being in conflict.

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I would suppose that I have probably spent more

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time in the political arena than anyone else here — more

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than 36 years. I can think of no greater good fortune,

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as I reach these twilight years of my life, than to have

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been able to come here, as I have, and climax this career

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in public life in an endeavor such as this in which we

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have attempted to forge a basic law that will serve