On Friday, November 7, Professor Derek Webb of Catholic Law delivered the Pi Sigma Alpha Lecture and keynote address at the Northeastern Political Science Association (NPSA) annual meeting in Philadelphia. The event brought together political science professors, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students at the Warwick Hotel in Rittenhouse Square.

Professor Webb, who holds a Ph.D. in political science and previously participated in NPSA as a graduate student, was invited to serve as the keynote speaker for the evening. His lecture, titled "The Spirit of Amity: The Constitution’s Lost and Forgotten Cover Letter and the Original Meaning of Civility," explored a little-known yet significant document from the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. This letter, read aloud and voted on by the Convention, was signed by George Washington and intended to accompany the Constitution during its ratification process. It was widely published in the first printings of the Constitution and cited more frequently than the Federalist Papers at the time. However, the letter was physically lost in the late 19th century and largely forgotten by the 20th century.

In his lecture, Webb emphasized that the Constitution, as described in this forgotten letter, was not merely “a machine that would go of itself.” Instead, its success depended on an active and engaged citizenry.

The letter, Webb explained, extolled a “spirit of amity” as indispensable to the Constitution’s creation and legitimacy. It called for citizens to reason with one another and occasionally compromise across significant differences without descending into personal abuse or violence. Webb argued that this document enriches our understanding of the Constitution’s origins, highlighting the collaborative spirit and human effort required to sustain the new government.

Webb conducted research for his lecture during a fellowship at Mount Vernon’s George Washington Presidential Library over the summer. His findings will be featured in a forthcoming book under contract with Cambridge University Press.