The Litchfield County post., 1826-09-19

length, that each State should be entitled
to one Delegate in the House of Repre-
Sentatives for every $4,000 of its inhabit-
ants, in which number should be included
three fourthS Of their slaves.
When the details of the House of Rep-
resentatives were disposed of, a more diff
cult point presented itself, in the organiza-
ton of the Senate. The larger States con-
tended that the same ratio as to States
should be common to both branches of
the Legislature-or, in other words, that
each state should be entitled to represents
alton in the Senate, whatever might be the
number fixed on, in proportion to its pop
ulation, as in the House of Representa-
tives. The smaller States, on the other
hand, commended, that the House of Rep
resentatiyes might be considered as the
guardian of the liberties of the People, and
therefore ought to bear a just proportton
to their numbers but that the Senate rep-
resented the sovereignty of the States, and
that as each State, whether great or small
was equally an independent and sovereign
State, it ought in this branch of the legis-
lature, to have equal weight and authority.
Without this, they said, there could be no
security for their equal rights, and they
would by such distribution of power, be
merged and lost in the larger States.
This reasoning, however plain and pow
erful, had but little influence on the minds
of Delegates from the larger States, and,
as they formed large majority of the con-
vention. the question after passing through
the forms of debate, was decided that each
State should be represented in the Senate
IN proportion to its population.
When the Convention had adjourned
over to the next day, the Delegates of the
four smallest States-that is, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New-Jersey and Delaware
convened to consult what course was to be
pursued i'll the important crisis at which
we had arrived. After serious investiga-
ton it was solemnly determined to ask for
u Reconsideration the next morning, and if
u was not granted, or ii, when granted,
that offensive feature Of the constitution
could not be expunged, and the smaller
States put upon an equal footing with the
largest, we would secede from the conven-
ton, and, returning to our constituents,
inform them that no compact could be for
med with the large States, but one which
would sacrifice our sovereignty and indie
pendence.
Twas deputed (said General-- to
be the organ through which this commune
cation should be made; / know not why,
unless it be that yo,s,sg men ere generally
chosen to perform rash actions. Accord
ingly, when the Convention had assembled,
and as soon as the minutes Of the last site
ting were read, rose, and stated the view
we had taken of the organization of the
Senate, our desire to obtain reconsider
alton and suitable modification of that ar
ticle, and, in failure thereof, our determine
alton to secede from the Convention, and
return to our constituents.
This disclosure, it may readily be sup
posed, produced an immediate and great
excitement in every part of the House.
Several members were Immediately on the
floor to express their surprise or indigna-
ton! They represented that the question
had received full and fair investigation,
and had been defnitively settled by very
large majority-that it was altogether un-
parliamentary and unreasonable, for one
of the minority to propose re-considera-
ton, at the moment their act had become
a matter Of record, and without pretend
ing that any new light could be thrown on
the subject; that, if such precedent should
be established, it would in future be i'm
possible to say when any one point was
defnitively settled, as small minority
might, at any moment, again and again,
move and obtain re-consideration-they
therefore hoped the convention would ex-
press its decided disapprobation, by pas
sing silently to the business that is before
them. w.
There was much warm, and some acri-
monious feeling exhibited by number of
the speeches. rupture appeared almost
inevitable, and the bosom Of Washington
seemed to labor with the most anxious So
licitude for its issue. Happily for the u
nitcd States, the Convention contained
some individuals possessed of talents and
virtues of the highest order, whose hearts
were deeply interested in the establish
ment of a new and efficient form Of Cow
eminent; and whose penetrating minds
had already dcplored the evils which would
spring up in our newly established Repub-
|lic, should the present attempt to consol-
idate it prove abortive. Among those
personages, the most prominent was DR..
Franklin. He was esteemed the Mentor
of our body. To q mind naturally strong
and capacious, enriched by much reading,