The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-07-30
PRESIDENT MADISON AND THE
BAPTIST PREACHER.

PRESIDENT MADISON AND THE
BAPTIST PREACHER
The distinguished part that Mr.. Madi-
son took in the formation of the Consti
tuition of the United States is well known.
AS one of the delegates of one of the old
est States to Annapolis and Philadelphia
his influence in the formation of the i'll
Strument, his large and able contribution
to the papers of the FGderaliSt. are as well
known to all acquainted with the history
of the period as his subsequent career as
| fourth President of the government he
had so greatly aided to erect.
1t was in connection with his election
to the Virginia Convention. which met
in Richmond on the 2nd day of June
lISS. to consider the adoption OF reiec-
ton of the Constitution of the United
States. that the following anecdote is
related.
There was great excitement of the pub
lie mind in all the country, and especially
ment of the people upon the adoption of
the proposed Constitution. No question
, ever so much interested and excited all
classes of men. Universal interest was
taken in the election of the delegates,
who were, in fact. to decide for all the
thirteen States the adoption of the Con-
stitution. which in its terms was not to
take effect unless adopted by nine States.
and eight States having voted>ior it, and
there being great doubts about the rest
, Virginia had really to decide the ques-
ton whether this great American govern
| ment was to be established. AT that
time Virginia was divided into three geo
graphical sections. which differed so much
from each other as greatly to modify and
shape the opinions of their inhabitants.
The Underwater. or eastern section. the
| first settled portion of the State, was di-
vided into counties very small in extent
| and population. The section between
the falls of the great rivers and the foot
of the Blue Ridge-the Piedmont region
was divided into larger counties, with
a larger and more dense population, and
if the basis of representation in the Con-
vention of an arbitrary rate of two mem
bers from each county. had been fixed
either upon population OF property, this
section would have decidedly controlled
! the other two sections combined. The
third section-the trans Allegheny region
at that time comprising the State of
Kentucky. was sparsely populated by tire
pioneers of the wilderness. This geo
graphical difference produced a differ
ence of opinion and interest among the
people of these sections. The Tide water
region contained the remains of the old
| landed gentry of the colonial period, who.
! although not now holding their estates
by the laws of primogcniture and entail,
| had not then lost them, and being Il
wealthy and educated class, controlled
public opinion, and desiring to keep up
| the consequence which they had held in
the colonial time, were all in favor of
| strong. powerful, and magnificent GOV
eminent.
! The inhabitants of the Piedmont or hill
country had but little of this class among
I them. The farms were small and owned
| by the middling class---i' body of indie
pendent peomcn frceholdcr>. In this re
/ gion aud with this class of people in all
Z ~. In, St..t, ID.t,
omnipotent in influence. and he was
elected by acclamation t" the Convcn-
ton, upon the ground that he was wholly
/ opposed to the adoption of tine Constitu-
! ton, and would do all in his power to
! defeat it. The western section was in
/ favor of strong government to protect
| their infant settlements from Indian i'll
I cursons. Not was Henry only. hut also
a large number of the leading men of the
| state were opposed to the adoption of the
| Constitution. Among the seven dele
gates appointed by the State to prepare
! a Constitution instead of the Articles of
| Confederation. Mr.. Henry resigned and
in his place General Nelson, and after
! him Richard Henry Lee, were appointed
and both of them declined Edmund
! Randolph, then Governor of the State
after the defeat OF his proposition for 4
central government, known as 1.-THE Viz
| ginia plan, retired from the Convention
at Philadelphia, and was elected to the
! Virginia Convention upon the ground
| that he was opposed to the adoption of
the Constitution. Among all the mem
/ bers appointed. General Washington. the
! President Of the Convention, James Madi-
! son. and John Blair only signed the Con-
| Stitution. With the influence of such
men as Henry. Grayson. Lee. and others.
and with the popular majority against it,
! the election of delegates was held: and
! from the known opinion of those elected,
| it was universally conceded that the de
! feat of the Constitution was a foregone
conclusion. This would have been the
case but for the detection of Governor
Randolph and other delegates elected
like himself. which secured, with the
aid of Mr.. Madison and others, original
| friends of the Constitution. its adoption
upon the first test vote, by a bare ma
,jority of eight, in body composed 10
delegates, in which an arbitrary basis of
representation gave an immense advant-
age TO its friends. In the debates and
proceedings of the Convention. i'll argu-
ment and persuasion, and the change of
sentiment of delegates elected as opposed
| to the adoption, no one was more promi-
nent or influential than Mr.. Madison.
The impetuous elopuence of Henry could
! only be neutralized by the clear and sim
| pie reasoning of Madison.
| Mr.. Madison, having declared himself
/ a candidate for the Convention As dele
| gate from the county of Orange. and be-
/ ing nominated together with james Cor
! don. as both were so generally esteemed,
| influential and popular, did not at first
think that any opposition against them,
however strong, would avail; but i'll the
course and near the end of the canvass
he was Informed that John Leland, Bap-
! fist preacher in the lower end of the coun-
/ ty. although not candidate himself
would control all the votes i'll that sec
: ton in solid body, and unless he could