▁In ▁ 1 7 8 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁Mayor ▁of ▁Alb any . ▁He ▁represented ▁New ▁York ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁three ▁represent atives ▁at ▁the ▁Constitution al ▁Convention ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 7 . ▁His ▁intent ions ▁at ▁the ▁convention ▁were ▁to ▁follow ▁the ▁wishes ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Legisl ature ▁which ▁had ▁elected ▁him ▁to ▁attend . ▁He ▁was ▁author ized ▁only ▁to ▁am end ▁the ▁existing ▁Articles ▁of ▁Confeder ation . ▁As ▁the ▁convention ▁progress ed , ▁L ans ing ▁became ▁dis ill usion ed ▁because ▁he ▁believed ▁it ▁was ▁exceed ing ▁its ▁instructions . ▁L ans ing ▁believed ▁the ▁deleg ates ▁had ▁gathered ▁together ▁simply ▁to ▁am end ▁the ▁Articles ▁of ▁Confeder ation ▁and ▁was ▁dis may ed ▁at ▁the ▁movement ▁to ▁write ▁an ▁entirely ▁new ▁constitution . ▁His ▁desire ▁was ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁Articles ▁strength ened ▁giving ▁it ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁re venue , ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁reg ulate ▁commerce , ▁and ▁to ▁en force ▁treat ies . ▁He ▁joined ▁other ▁prominent ▁Anti - F eder al ists ▁that ▁strongly ▁opposed ▁Alexander ▁Hamilton , ▁James ▁Wilson , ▁and ▁James ▁Mad ison ' s ▁not ions ▁of ▁a ▁strong ▁central ized ▁national ▁government ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁Articles . ▁ ▁He , ▁Luther ▁Martin ▁of ▁Maryland , ▁George ▁Mason ▁of ▁Virginia , ▁and ▁Robert ▁Y ates ▁also ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁strongly ▁opposed ▁the ▁newly ▁proposed ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution ▁because ▁they ▁thought ▁it ▁was ▁fund ament ally ▁fla wed ▁and ▁should ▁be ▁rejected ▁because ▁it ▁in fr ing ed