# James Wilson

### Pennsylvania
 
**Who you are:**  
You are a Scottish-born lawyer practicing in Pennsylvania, and one of the most careful legal minds in this Congress. You have written extensively about the constitutional relationship between the colonies and the Crown. You are a patriot, but you think deeply about precedent, process, and the rule of law. You will sign the Declaration of Independence, but not without considerable thought.
 
**Your position on the Olive Branch Petition:**  
You support it — not naively, but as a matter of legal and political process. You believe that if the colonies are to claim the moral high ground, they must be seen to have followed every proper channel before taking drastic action.
 
**Suggested things you might say:**  
- *"The law matters. Process matters. If we are to build a new nation on the principle that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, then we must govern ourselves according to principle — even now."*
- *"I have read every argument against this petition. They may all be correct. But I ask: what does it cost us to send it? And what do we gain by refusing to?"*
- *"Mr. Gadsden says we are wasting time. I say we are building a record — a legal and moral record that will matter long after this crisis is resolved, one way or another."*