the fathers of the constitution-第21章

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ewhat　higher　order　than　would　be　gathered　together　today；　because　the　social　conditions　of　those　days　tended　to　bring　forward　men　of　a　better　class；　and　because　the　seriousness　of　the　crisis　had　called　out　leaders　of　the　highest　type。　Two　or　three　days　were　consumed　in　organizing　the　Conventionelecting　officers；　considering　the　delegates'　credentials；　and　adopting　rules　of　procedure；　and　when　these　necessary　preliminaries　had　been　accomplished　the　main　business　was　opened　with　the　presentation　by　the　Virginia　delegation　of　a　series　of　resolutions　providing　for　radical　changes　in　the　machinery　of　the　Confederation。　The　principal　features　were　the　organization　of　a　legislature　of　two　houses　proportional　to　population　and　with　increased　powers；　the　establishment　of　a　separate　executive；　and　the　creation　of　an　independent　judiciary。　This　was　in　reality　providing　for　a　new　government　and　was　probably　quite　beyond　the　ideas　of　most　of　the　members　of　the　Convention；　who　had　come　there　under　instructions　and　with　the　expectation　of　revising　the　Articles　of　Confederation。　But　after　the　Virginia　Plan　had　been　the　subject　of　discussion　for　two　weeks　so　that　the　members　had　become　a　little　more　accustomed　to　its　proposals；　and　after　minor　modifications　had　been　made　in　the　wording　of　the　resolutions；　the　Convention　was　won　over　to　its　support。　To　check　this　drift　toward　radical　change　the　opposition　headed　by　New　Jersey　and　Connecticut　presented　the　so…called　New　Jersey　Plan；　which　was　in　sharp　contrast　to　the　Virginia　Resolutions；　for　it　contemplated　only　a　revision　of　the　Articles　of　Confederation；　but　after　a　relatively　short　discussion；　the　Virginia　Plan　was　adopted　by　a　vote　of　seven　States　against　four；　with　one　State　divided。　The　dividing　line　between　the　two　parties　or　groups　in　the　Convention　had　quickly　manifested　itself。　It　proved　to　be　the　same　line　that　had　divided　the　Congress　of　the　Confederation；　the　cleavage　between　the　large　States　and　the　small　States。　The　large　States　were　in　favor　of　representation　in　both　houses　of　the　legislature　according　to　population；　while　the　small　States　were　opposed　to　any　change　which　would　deprive　them　of　their　equal　vote　in　Congress；　and　though　outvoted；　they　were　not　ready　to　yield。　The　Virginia　Plan；　and　subsequently　the　New　Jersey　Plan；　had　first　been　considered　in　committee　of　the　whole；　and　the　question　of　〃proportional　representation；〃　as　it　was　then　called；　would　accordingly　come　up　again　in　formal　session。　Several　weeks　had　been　occupied　by　the　proceedings；　so　that　it　was　now　near　the　end　of　June；　and　in　general　the　discussions　had　been　conducted　with　remarkably　good　temper。　But　it　was　evidently　the　calm　before　the　storm。　And　the　issue　was　finally　joined　when　the　question　of　representation　in　the　two　houses　again　came　before　the　Convention。　The　majority　of　the　States　on　the　29th　of　June　once　more　voted　in　favor　of　proportional　representation　in　the　lower　house。　But　on　the　question　of　the　upper　house；　owing　to　a　peculiar　combination　of　circumstancesthe　absence　of　one　delegate　and　another's　change　of　vote　causing　the　position　of　their　respective　States　to　be　reversed　or　nullifiedthe　vote　on　the　2d　of　July　resulted　in　a　tie。　This　brought　the　proceedings　of　the　Convention　to　a　standstill。　A　committee　of　one　member　from　each　State　was　appointed　to　consider　the　question；　and；　〃that　time　might　be　given　to　the　Committee；　and　to　such　as　chose　to　attend　to　the　celebration　on　the　anniversary　of　Independence；　the　Convention　adjourned〃　over　the　Fourth。　The　committee　was　chosen　by　ballot；　and　its　composition　was　a　clear　indication　that　the　small…State　men　had　won　their　fight；　and　that　a　compromise　would　be　effected。　It　was　during　the　debate　upon　this　subject；　when　feeling　was　running　high　and　when　at　times　it　seemed　as　if　the　Convention　in　default　of　any　satisfactory　solution　would　permanently　adjourn；　that　Franklin　proposed　that　〃prayers　imploring　the　assistance　of　Heaven　。　。　。　be　held　in　this　Assembly　every　morning。〃　Tradition　relates　that　Hamilton　opposed　the　motion。　The　members　were　evidently　afraid　of　the　impression　which　would　be　created　outside；　if　it　were　suspected　that　there　were　dissensions　in　the　Convention；　and　the　motion　was　not　put　to　a　vote。　How　far　physical　conditions　may　influence　men　in　adopting　any　particular　course　of　action　it　is　impossible　to　say。　But　just　when　the　discussion　in　the　Convention　reached　a　critical　stage；　just　when　the　compromise　presented　by　the　committee　was　ready　for　adoption　or　rejection；　the　weather　turned　from　unpleasantly　hot　to　being　comfortably　cool。　And；　after　some　little　time　spent　in　the　consideration　Of　details；　on　the　16th　of　July；　the　great　compromise　of　the　Constitution　was　adopted。　There　was　no　other　that　compared　with　it　in　importance。　Its　most　significant　features　were　that　in　the　upper　house　each　State　should　have　an　equal　vote　and　that　in　the　lower　house　representation　should　be　apportioned　on　the　basis　of　population；　while　direct　taxation　should　follow　the　same　proportion。　The　further　proviso　that　money　bills　should　originate　in　the　lower　house　and　should　not　be　amended　in　the　upper　house　was　regarded　by　some　delegates　as　of　considerable　importance；　though　others　did　not　think　so；　and　eventually　the　restriction　upon　amendment　by　the　upper　house　was　dropped。　There　has　long　been　a　prevailing　belief　that　an　essential　feature　of　the　great　compromise　was　the　counting　of　only　three…fifths　of　the　slaves　in　enumerating　the　population。　This　impression　is　quite　erroneous。　It　was　one　of　the　details　of　the　compromise；　but　it　had　been　a　feature　of　the　revenue　amendment　of　1783；　and　it　was　generally　accepted　as　a　happy　solution　of　the　difficulty　that　slaves　possessed　the　attributes　both　of　persons　and　of　property。　It　had　been　included　both　in　the　amended　Virginia　Plan　and　in　the　New　Jersey　Plan；　and　when　it　was　embodied　in　the　compromise　it　was　described　as　〃the　ratio　recommended　by　Congress　in　their　resolutions　of　April　18；　1783。〃　A　few　months　later；　in　explaining　the　matter　to　the　Massachusetts　convention；　Rufus　King　said　that；　〃This　rule　。　。　。　was　adopted　because　it　was　the　language　of　all　America。〃　In　reality　the　three…fifths　rule　was　a　mere　incident　in　that　part　of　the　great　compromise　which　declared　that　〃representation　should　be　proportioned　according　to　direct　taxation。〃　As　a　further　indication　of　the　attitude　of　the　Convention　upon　this　point；　an　amendment　to　have　the　blacks　counted　equally　with　the　whites　was　voted　down　by　eight　States　against　two。　With　the　adoption　of　the　great　compromise　a　marked　difference　was　noticeable　in　the　attitude　of　the　delegates。　Those　from　the　large　States　were　deeply　disappointed　at　the　result　and　they　asked　for　an　adjournment　to　give　them　time　to　consider　what　they　should　do。　The　next　morning；　before　the　Convention　met；　they　held　a　meeting　to　determine　upon　their　course　of　action。　They　were　apparently　afraid　of　taking　the　responsibility　for　breaking　up　the　Convention；　so　they　finally　decided　to　let　the　proceedings　go　on　and　to　see　what　might　be　the　ultimate　outcome。　Rumors　of　these　dissensions　had　reached　the　ears　of　the　public；　and　it　may　have　been　to　quiet　any　misgivings　that　the　following　inspired　item　appeared　i