Evening star., 1936-01-12

, only serious candidates Tor convention
Craftsmanship. Many members felt
the host of the convention was the
logical choice while others insisted
that the revolutionary hero as pre-
siding officer would win special favor
for the new Constitution with the
masses. Franklin decided to settle
matters by nominating Washington
himself. However, at the last minute
bad weather confined him at home
SO he persuaded Robert Morris to
do the gracious act.
The delegates met first as an In
formal Committee Of the Whole" to
outline a plan of government. Gov.
Randolph eloquently presented a
scheme drawn up by the Virginia
delegates while they awaited tardy
convention members. The commit
tee quickly adopted the Virginia plan
with so few notifications that DR..
Franklin eXhorted the members 10
ponder well and deliver their senti-
ments.
II UNFORTUNATELY his warning
was unheeded and after the con-
vention assembled formally to act on
the plan three months controversy
ensued.
Debate about the authority to be
given the national, Executive, Legis-
lature and judiciary was bitter. Mad.
ison, at this time the supreme Fed.
eralist, fought strenuously but unsuc-
cessfully to induce the assembly to
empower Congress to veto State laws,
Three especially delicate questions
seemed bound inevitably to wreck all
hope Of union. The first, should all
| States be equally represented in Con-
gress. divided the large and small
States, and the other two, whether
to count Negro population when de-
termln1ng the number of a States
Representatives and should Congress
have authority to regulate commerce,
united the Southern delegates in op-
position to those from the North.
For month. Massachusetts,, Penn
sylvania and the Southern States in.
sisted on representation in propor.
ton to their large populations while
the smaller States demanded equal
representation
Time after time they voted on the
issue but neither side would yield.
After several delegates had departed
In despair, DR.. Franklin broke the
deadlock.
The small progress we have made"
he said, after four or five weeks
continual reasonings. our different
sentiments on almost every question
Is, methinks, melancholy proof
OF the imperfection of human under.
standing How has it happened
that we have not once hitherto
thought of applying to the Father of
Lights to illuminate our understand.
lngs? Without His concurrinp
AID. we shf u succeed in this political
building no better than the builders
of Babel"
He then moved that henceforth
sessions be opeend with prayer. Ham.
ilton irreverently remarked that they
needed no foreign aid" and others
opposed the motion, fearing the pub.
lie would believe dissensions had made
prayer a last resort.
The old philosophers gentle words
emboldened Ellsworth of Connecticut
to renew the proposal of giving all
states the same representation in
one branch of Congress and repre-.
sentation according to population in
the other.
FRANKLIN was appointed on a
committee to work out a compro.
mise. To make Ellsworth's proposal
acceptable to the large States, he
suggested that the branch in which
representation was according to pop.
ulation be given the important power
to originate all money bills. On July
l6 the convention agreed to the pro.
posal.
Sectional bitterness reached its
height when the Northern States
attempted to exclude Negroes from
even three-fifths representation. Da.
Wis Of North Carolina declared his
State would never confederate on
such terms" Thereupon impetuous
Gouverneur Morris accused the South
OF attempting to gain a majority in
the national councils by securing rep.
resentation for slaves whom they
really regarded as property.
The stubborn insistence of the
Northern commercial States on giving
Congress power to regulate commerce
further tagonized the Southern
delegates. The latter, unlike the
more industrialized North, desired no
restrictions on imports and shipping
and feared. moreover, that Federal
control Of commerce might mean in
reference with slavery and slave trade.
DR.. Franklin urged three-day ad.
jollrnment, saying, Il would earn.
estly recommend to the members ;.
that they spend the time :. not in
devising new arguments to fortify
themselves in their old opinions, but
mix with members of opposite
sentiments, lend patient ear to their
reasoning . and when we assem-
BILE again, I hope it will be with q
determination to form a Constitu.
tion, If not such one as we can
individually and in all respects ap-
prove, yet the best which, under the
existing circumstances, can be OBJ.
tanned"
Passion cooled after several days
recess. It was finally agreed that the
South might have three-fifths repre-
sentation for Negro population, but
that direct taxes be levied in proper.
ton to representation and that Con.
gress be given power to regulate com.
Continued on Sixth Page.)