Part 20 (1/2)

Slavery should never be permitted. This last provision is especially important as it saved the Northwest to freedom. In this way a new political organization was invented. It was called a territory. It was really a colony; but it differed from all other colonies because in time it would become a state on a footing of entire equality with the parent states.

Chapter 18

Making Of The Const.i.tution, 1787-1789

[Sidenote: Weakness of the Confederation.]

[Sidenote: Meeting of the Federal Convention, 1787.]

178. Necessity for a New Government.--At this very moment a convention was making a const.i.tution to put an end to the Confederation itself. It was quite clear that something must be done or the states soon would be fighting one another. Attempt after attempt had been made to amend the Articles of Confederation so as to give Congress more power. But every attempt had failed because the consent of every state was required to amend the Articles. And one state or another had objected to every amendment that had been proposed. It was while affairs were in this condition that the Federal Convention met at Philadelphia in May, 1787.

[Sidenote: James Madison.]

179. James Madison.--Of all the members of the Convention, James Madison of Virginia best deserves the t.i.tle of Father of the Const.i.tution. He drew up the Virginia plan which was adopted as the basis of the new Const.i.tution. He spoke convincingly for the plan in the Convention. He did more than any one else to secure the ratification of the Const.i.tution by Virginia. He kept a careful set of _Notes_ of the debates of the Convention which show us precisely how the Const.i.tution was made. With Alexander Hamilton and John Jay he wrote a series of papers which is called the _Federalist_ and is still the best guide to the Const.i.tution.

[Ill.u.s.tration: JAMES MADISON.]

[Sidenote: Was.h.i.+ngton President of the Convention.]

[Sidenote: Franklin.]

180. Other Fathers of the Const.i.tution.--George Was.h.i.+ngton was chosen President of the Convention. He made few speeches. But the speeches that he made were very important. And the mere fact that he approved the Const.i.tution had a tremendous influence throughout the country. The oldest man in the Convention was Benjamin Franklin. His long experience in politics and in diplomacy with his natural shrewdness had made him an unrivaled manager of men. From all the states came able men. In fact, with the exception of John Adams, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson, the strongest men in political life were in the Federal Convention. Never in the history of the world have so many great political leaders, learned students of politics, and shrewd business men gathered together. The result of their labors was the most marvelous product of political wisdom that the world has ever seen.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE OLD STATE HOUSE, PHILADELPHIA. Meeting place of the Continental Congress and of the Federal Convention--now called Independence Hall.]

[Sidenote: The Virginia plan.]

[Sidenote: Pinckney's plan.]

[Sidenote: Vote for a national government.]

181. Plans for a National Government.--As soon as the Convention was in working order, Governor Randolph of Virginia presented Madison's plan for a ”national” government. Charles Pinckney of South Carolina also brought forward a plan. His scheme was more detailed than was Madison's plan. But, like it, it provided for a government with ”supreme legislative, executive, and judicial powers.” On May 30 the Convention voted that a ”national government ought to be established, consisting of a supreme Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary.” It next decided that the legislative department should consist of two houses. But when the delegates began to talk over the details, they began to disagree.

[Sidenote: The New Jersey plan.]

182. Disagreement as to Representation.--The Virginia plan proposed that representation in one branch of the new Congress should be divided among the states according to the amount of money each state paid into the national treasury, or according to the number of the free inhabitants of each state. The Delaware delegates at once said that they must withdraw. In June Governor Patterson of New Jersey brought forward a plan which had been drawn up by the delegates from the smaller states.

It is always called, however, the New Jersey plan. It proposed simply to amend the Articles of Confederation so as to give Congress more power.

After a long debate the New Jersey plan was rejected.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Benjamin Franklin. ”He s.n.a.t.c.hed the lightning from Heaven, and the sceptre from tyrants.”--TURGOT.]

[Sidenote: Representation in the House of Representatives. _McMaster_, 167.]

[Sidenote: Representation in the Senate.]

183. The Compromise as to Representation.--The discussion now turned on the question of representation in the two houses of Congress.

After a long debate and a good deal of excitement Benjamin Franklin and Roger Sherman proposed a compromise. This was, that members of the House of Representatives should be apportioned among the states according to their population and should be elected directly by the people. In the Senate they proposed that each state, regardless of size, population, or wealth, should have two members. The Senators, representing the states, would fittingly be chosen by the state legislatures. It was agreed that the states should be equally represented in the Senate. But it was difficult to reach a conclusion as to the apportionment of representatives in the House.

[Sidenote: The federal ratio.]