| OCR Text |
Show THIS WEEK 150 YEARS AGO SIX fm The Story of the Wm0m CoKStituti0nal Convention Sentinel Features BY RAYMOND PJTCAIRN "THE CRITICAL MOMENT" During the closing days of June. 1787 just 150 years ago this week the Convention meeting in Independence Inde-pendence Hall, Philadelphia, to write our Federal Constitution, reached what Alexander Hamilton described as "the critical moment" for forming a strong and stable government. It was a critical period for the Convention itself, as-well as for the nation. For during those anxious days the historic congress hung psr-ilously psr-ilously close to the edge of dissolution. dissolu-tion. Differences between the large states and the small, fears that one group might dominate the other, had brought delegates to a disagreement disagree-ment so serious that some threatened threat-ened widthdrawal, and Benjamin Franklin gravely urged the necessity neces-sity of prayer. "Something," warned Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts, "must be done,' br wj shall disappoint not only America, but the whole world. We must make concessions on both sides." To which Fraiklin added with his gift for homely metaphor: "When a broad table is. to be made, and the edges of planks do not fit. the artist takes a little from both, and makes a good joint. In like manner he."2 tcth s'ides must part with - some of their demands, in order that they may join in some accommodating proposition." Thus far, in brief, the Convention had decided thr.t: ; The Governm-jr.t of the United RtpfM: mirror, tn ronsRr. of a sil- Eut now they faced a dectarm . graver import. It was on the i? ,0t question: should represents ,ti, al the national legislature be I6S 'n in proportion to the populat,rn each state, or should each sta ? equally represented, regardless of population. The larger states f,v ta the former plan, the smaUer't the latter-each group with its 0 aavantage in mmd. On this qS? tion discussion centered reaX finally what seemed a & impasse. u.ey Then it was. with the threat T$V of failure con- M y fronting them, $1 Vi that calmer & y- I heads among the &?lfi delegates sought J,v a compromise. S!L- 'ih Eventually it sf took the form we wfy know today JvV-''w representation f' based on popu- Wion lation in the lower house; equal representation for each state in the upper. ' Although several members had made such a proposal earlier in the proceedings, it was a resolution offered by Oliver Ellsworth, of Con-necucut. Con-necucut. that brought it to the for during th:s critical week. According to Madison's famous Journal of the Convention. Eilsporji "trusted that on this middle ground a compromise would take place. He-did He-did not see that it could on an; other. And if no compromise shcu'i. preme legislature, judiciary and executive. The legislature ought to consist of two branches. The members cf the f.rst branch ought to be elected by the people of the several states, for the term of two years, to be adequately pr.;d out of the pu'iic treasury, ar.d to be at l;at twcr.ly-fiv;: years old. The n.crr.ocrs cf ti:?scccr.:! Irar.ck ought to be cl'in:cn by s'.av? I'C-s-lalurcs. to t; at lcist thirty ;-;ai3 old; to held t:r-:r o'ti.te for s::: years, one-third to - out t .cniir.iiy; rr.; to receive t-. ..nsauoa for il.cir services. Euch br? l-t to pcsr-Coo the rieht of oi.. la.-.c .. uui n:cei;:ig would Cot- - I only be in va;n but worse than in : va.n." Even p.for this appeal the pro- poial had a doultful reception. s serious, m tact, was the option I that the Convention hesitated to act immediate-:-. Instead, the resoj. , t:on was referred -to a coaaittes -j irvr.:ct?d to rep.rt on July 5, after sevt-ral t.r.'s consideration. " -; Tins action had a coucle ' , t-t-e :t avj pruS er.ga- I dorcd c.oate t:r.-.e to cc-:'.; ar.1" :t aror.l.'l a Lf:c-f recaos vz&f , .'".ir:i r.r.y t'"--cs pmicpsted '. , :n a jt.i Ir.aeiocnenee Day K '..c;:-: li-.i.'p.'Edssce Ct'-- |
