The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-17
III.

speeches IN that BODY.
III.
We turn now to tho cighty-hve pages which
constitute the coro Of tho book and which set
forth Roger Shcrmap's services In the PhilAdel-
phiA Convention DurinE the latter part Of his
connection with tho Continental Congress he
became strongly impressed with tho necessity
OF radical changes In the Articles OF Confedera-
ton. Among his manuscripts has been found !
series OF propositions embodying the amend
ments which he deemed needful to render en-
Client the government then existing. When he
entered the Constitutional Convention, he Doubt
less believed that such amendments werc all
that were necessary to cure the defects OF the
Confederation His associates from Connecti-
cut agreed with him. and. substantially. this
was the opinion of nearly one-half OF the Con-
~,entlon. The other half were In favor OF set
ting aside the Articles Of Confederation
altogether. and OF substituting In their place
n strong national government. The great
struggle between the Nationalist and the Con-
federates took place over the question Of repre-
sentation in the national Legislature. Mr.. Bou-
tell IL the frst TO recount consecutively and lu-
cidiy the story of that struggle and OF the COM
promise In which IL ended. lie begins by point
Ing out that the debates In tho Constitutional
may w III III vim
periods; First. tho debates In the Committee OF
the Whole on the state OF the Union. which
extended from May 20 to June 10. On Juns IL
the reported In favor Of the resolu-
lions introduced by Randolph. but believed to
have been mainly written by Madison. as they
had been amended In debate. This may be
called tho Virginia or national plan. On juno
Is Mr. Patterson presented the resolutions
known as the New Jersey or Confederate
plan. THIS plan was referred TO the Com
mIttee Of the Whole. and the National plan
was ~ecommitted The two plans were de-
bated till juno 10. when tho committee voted
to rise and report In favor Of tho Virginia or
national plan. The second period is that COW
cred nv tho debates In the convention on the
national plan, which extended from June 10 to
July 90, when a committee on 4 detailed plan
was appointed to prepare and report a Constitu-
ton confortnabie 10 the twenty-three resoiu-
tons adopted by the convention. The third
period was that comprehended BY tho debates
In tho convention on the detailed plan. which
extended from Aug. O to sept. 10. when the
Constitution was adopted. In the first period
the debates were brief and comparatively calm.
and In the third period also they were con-
Quoted without asperily. II was In the second
period. which lasted thirty-seven days. that the
great struggle between the National and Con-
federats parties took place. which ended in the
adoption OF the so-cAlled Connecticut Compro-
mise. The leaders OF tho NRtionaiists In the
debate wcro Madison. Wilson. Hamilton, and
Gouverneur Morris. The leaders OF the Con-
federates were Patterson. Lansing. and Luther
Martin. Those most active and successful in
e~necting compromises between tho contendIng
parties were Sherman. Ellsworth. Franklin and
Dickinson. The point on which there was tho
bittorest and most protracted controversy was
tho rule OF suffrage in the Legislature. The
resolution on this subject was the second on MIR.
Randolph's list; II provided that tho rights Of
suffrage In tho national Legislature ought to be
proportIoned :" the quotas OF contribution. or to
the number Of free inhabitants. as the one or
the other rule may seem best In different cases."
On the nth OF June tho debate on this resolution
began. Mr.. Briarly and Mr.. Patterson of New
Jersey spoke in opposition and Mr.. Wilson In
favor of Il. On juno IL the debate was ro-
Sumed. and than 1t was that Roger Sherman
proposed tho so~catled Connecticut Compro-
mise. which Was to be eventually accepted and
to form the nucleus of our Constitution. Mr..
Sherman advised that the proportion OF suffrage
In the first branch tho House OF Represents.
tires) should be according to the respective
numbers OF FREQ inhabitants; and that In the
second branch. or Senate, each State should
have one vote and no more. He said that as tho
States would remain possessed Of certain indi-
vidual rights, ench State ought to be able to
protect itself; Other wise n few large States would
rule the rcst- This was the frat direct pre-
sentation OF that compromise plan by which tho
conflicting claims o.: tho large and tho small
States wero thoroughly adjusted. The plan was
ultimately modified in some OF it's details. but
tho compromise adopted was, In substance. rep
reSentation according to population In the
House Of Representatives and equal representa-
tioa OF the States in the Senate. Roger Sherman
was thus the first 10 propose this important and.
In truth, Indispensable compromise. and. as Mr..
Bou;ell points out. his merit consists In this:
that willie tho ad rocates OF . strong general
government were In favor OF a representation
In both Houses OF tho Legislature based on pop
~ulation. and the advocates OF u weak general
government were in favor OF an equal represen-
tation OF the States IN both houses. Sherman.
though sympathizing with tho latter class. saw
at this early day that Il would be impossible to
form n general Government unless each side
yielded a portion OF It's claims. The National
principle must prevail In ono house and the
Confederate principle In tho other. To Roger
Sherman belongs the credit not only OF intro
ducing In the convention this compromise,
which was, in substance, the plan proposed BY
him eleven years before In the debate on tho
Articles OF Confederation. but also OF bearing
the brunt Of the long and severe contest which
preceded It's adoption.
The Connecticut Compounds was bitterly op-