the fathers of the constitution-第17节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


idently　afraid　of　the　impression　which　would　be　created　outside；　if　it　were　suspected　that　there　were　dissensions　in　the　Convention；　and　the　motion　was　not　put　to　a　vote。　How　far　physical　conditions　may　influence　men　in　adopting　any　particular　course　of　action　it　is　impossible　to　say。　But　just　when　the　discussion　in　the　Convention　reached　a　critical　stage；　just　when　the　compromise　presented　by　the　committee　was　ready　for　adoption　or　rejection；　the　weather　turned　from　unpleasantly　hot　to　being　comfortably　cool。　And；　after　some　little　time　spent　in　the　consideration　Of　details；　on　the　16th　of　July；　the　great　compromise　of　the　Constitution　was　adopted。　There　was　no　other　that　compared　with　it　in　importance。　Its　most　significant　features　were　that　in　the　upper　house　each　State　should　have　an　equal　vote　and　that　in　the　lower　house　representation　should　be　apportioned　on　the　basis　of　population；　while　direct　taxation　should　follow　the　same　proportion。　The　further　proviso　that　money　bills　should　originate　in　the　lower　house　and　should　not　be　amended　in　the　upper　house　was　regarded　by　some　delegates　as　of　considerable　importance；　though　others　did　not　think　so；　and　eventually　the　restriction　upon　amendment　by　the　upper　house　was　dropped。　There　has　long　been　a　prevailing　belief　that　an　essential　feature　of　the　great　compromise　was　the　counting　of　only　three…fifths　of　the　slaves　in　enumerating　the　population。　This　impression　is　quite　erroneous。　It　was　one　of　the　details　of　the　compromise；　but　it　had　been　a　feature　of　the　revenue　amendment　of　1783；　and　it　was　generally　accepted　as　a　happy　solution　of　the　difficulty　that　slaves　possessed　the　attributes　both　of　persons　and　of　property。　It　had　been　included　both　in　the　amended　Virginia　Plan　and　in　the　New　Jersey　Plan；　and　when　it　was　embodied　in　the　compromise　it　was　described　as　〃the　ratio　recommended　by　Congress　in　their　resolutions　of　April　18；　1783。〃　A　few　months　later；　in　explaining　the　matter　to　the　Massachusetts　convention；　Rufus　King　said　that；　〃This　rule　。　。　。　was　adopted　because　it　was　the　language　of　all　America。〃　In　reality　the　three…fifths　rule　was　a　mere　incident　in　that　part　of　the　great　compromise　which　declared　that　〃representation　should　be　proportioned　according　to　direct　taxation。〃　As　a　further　indication　of　the　attitude　of　the　Convention　upon　this　point；　an　amendment　to　have　the　blacks　counted　equally　with　the　whites　was　voted　down　by　eight　States　against　two。　With　the　adoption　of　the　great　compromise　a　marked　difference　was　noticeable　in　the　attitude　of　the　delegates。　Those　from　the　large　States　were　deeply　disappointed　at　the　result　and　they　asked　for　an　adjournment　to　give　them　time　to　consider　what　they　should　do。　The　next　morning；　before　the　Convention　met；　they　held　a　meeting　to　determine　upon　their　course　of　action。　They　were　apparently　afraid　of　taking　the　responsibility　for　breaking　up　the　Convention；　so　they　finally　decided　to　let　the　proceedings　go　on　and　to　see　what　might　be　the　ultimate　outcome。　Rumors　of　these　dissensions　had　reached　the　ears　of　the　public；　and　it　may　have　been　to　quiet　any　misgivings　that　the　following　inspired　item　appeared　in　several　local　papers：　〃So　great　is　the　unanimity；　we　hear；　that　prevails　in　the　Convention；　upon　all　great　federal　subjects；　that　it　has　been　proposed　to　call　the　room　in　which　they　assemble　Unanimity　Hall。〃　On　the　other　hand　the　effect　of　this　great　compromise　upon　the　delegates　from　the　small　States　was　distinctly　favorable。　Having　obtained　equal　representation　in　one　branch　of　the　legislature；　they　now　proceeded　with　much　greater　willingness　to　consider　the　strengthening　of　the　central　government。　Many　details　were　yet　to　be　arranged；　and　sharp　differences　of　opinion　existed　in　connection　with　the　executive　as　well　as　with　the　judiciary。　But　these　difficulties　were　slight　in　comparison　with　those　which　they　had　already　surmounted　in　the　matter　of　representation。　By　the　end　of　July　the　fifteen　resolutions　of　the　original　Virginia　Plan　had　been　increased　to　twenty…three；　with　many　enlargements　and　amendments；　and　the　Convention　had　gone　as　far　as　it　could　effectively　in　determining　the　general　principles　upon　which　the　government　should　be　formed。　There　were　too　many　members　to　work　efficiently　when　it　came　to　the　actual　framing　of　a　constitution　with　all　the　inevitable　details　that　were　necessary　in　setting　up　a　machinery　of　government。　Accordingly　this　task　was　turned　over　to　a　committee　of　five　members　who　had　already　given　evidence　of　their　ability　in　this　direction。　Rutledge　was　made　the　chairman；　and　the　others　were　Randolph；　Gorham；　Ellsworth；　and　Wilson。　To　give　them　time　to　perfect　their　work；　on　the　26th　of　July　the　Convention　adjourned　for　ten　days。

CHAPTER　VII。　FINISHING　THE　WORK　Rutledge　and　his　associates　on　the　committee　of　detail　accomplished　so　much　in　such　a　short　time　that　it　seems　as　if　they　must　have　worked　day　and　night。　Their　efforts　marked　a　distinct　stage　in　the　development　of　the　Constitution。　The　committee　left　no　records；　but　some　of　the　members　retained　among　their　private　papers　drafts　of　the　different　stages　of　the　report　they　were　framing；　and　we　are　therefore　able　to　surmise　the　way　in　which　the　committee　proceeded。　Of　course　the　members　were　bound　by　the　resolutions　which　had　been　adopted　by　the　Convention　and　they　held　themselves　closely　to　the　general　principles　that　had　been　laid　down。　But　in　the　elaboration　of　details　they　seem　to　have　begun　with　the　Articles　of　Confederation　and　to　have　used　all　of　that　document　that　was　consistent　with　the　new　plan　of　government。　Then　they　made　use　of　the　New　Jersey　Plan；　which　had　been　put　forward　by　the　smaller　States；　and　of　a　third　plan　which　had　been　presented　by　Charles　Pinckney；　for　the　rest　they　drew　largely　upon　the　State　Constitutions。　By　a　combination　of　these　different　sources　the　committee　prepared　a　document　bearing　a　close　resemblance　to　the　present　Constitution；　although　subjects　were　in　a　different　order　and　in　somewhat　different　proportions；　which；　at　the　end　of　ten　days；　by　working　on　Sunday；　they　were　able　to　present　to　the　Convention。　This　draft　of　a　constitution　was　printed　on　seven　folio　pages　with　wide　margins　for　notes　and　emendations。　The　Convention　resumed　its　sessions　on　Monday；　the　6th　of　August；　and　for　five　weeks　the　report　of　the　committee　of　detail　was　the　subject　of　discussion。　For　five　hours　each　day；　and　sometimes　for　six　hours；　the　delegates　kept　persistently　at　their　task。　It　was　midsummer；　and　we　read　in　the　diary　of　one　of　the　members　that　in　all　that　period　only　five　days　were　〃cool。〃　Item　by　item；　line　by　line；　the　printed　draft　of　the　Constitution　was　considered。　It　is　not　possible；　nor　is　it　necessary；　to　follow　that　work　minutely；　much　of　it　was　purely　formal；　and　yet　any　one　who　has　had　experience　with　committee　reports　knows　how　much　importance　attaches　to　matters　of　phrasing。　Just　as　the　Virginia　Plan　was　made　more　acceptable　to　the　majority　by　changes　in　wording　that　seem　to　us　insignificant；　so　modifications　in　phrasing　slowly　won　support　for　the　draft　of　the　Constitution。　The　adoption　of　the　great　compromise；　as　we　have　seen；　changed　the　whole　spirit　of　the　Convention。　There　was　now　an　expectation　on　the　part　of　the　members　that　something　definite　was　going　to　be　accomplished；　and　all　were　concerned　in　making　the　result　as　good　and　as　acceptable　as　possible。　In　other　words；　the　spirit　of　compromise　pervaded　every　action；　and　it　is　essential　to　remember　this　in　considering　what　was　accomplished。　One　of　the　greatest　weaknesses　of　the　Confederation　was　the　inefficiency　of　Congress。　More　than　four　pages；　or　three…fifths　of　the　whole　printed　draft；　were　devoted　to　Congress　and　its　powers。　It　is　more　significant；　however；　that　in　the　new　Constitution　the　legislative　powers　of　the　Confederation　were　transferred　bodily　to　the　Congress　of　the　United　States；　and　that　the　powers　added　were　few　in　number；　although　of　course　of　the　first　importance。　The　Virginia　Plan　declared　that；　in　addition　to　the　powers　under　the　Confederation；　Congress　should　have　the　right　〃to　legislate　in　all　cases　to　which　the　separate　States　are　incompetent。〃　This　statement　was　elaborated　in　the　printed　draft　which　granted　specific　powers　of　taxation；　of　regulating　commerce；　of　establishing　a　uniform　rule　of　naturalization；　and　at　the　end　of　the　enumeration　of　powers　two　clauses　were　added　giving　to　Congress　authority：　〃To　call　forth　the　aid　of　the　militia；　in　order　to　execute　the　laws　of　the　Union；　enforce　treaties；　suppress　insurrections；　and　repel　invasions；　〃And　to　make　all　laws　that　shall　be　necessary　and　proper　for　carrying　into　execution　the　foregoing　powers。〃　On　the　other　hand；　it　was　necessary　to　place　some　limitations　upon　the　power　of　Congress。　A　general　restriction　was　laid　by　giving　to　the　executive　a　right　of　veto；　which　might　be　overruled；　however；　by　a　two…thirds　vote　of　both　houses。　Following　British　tradition　yielding　as　it　were　to　an　inherited　fearthese　delegates　in　America　were　led　to　place　the　first　restraint　upon　the　exercise　of　congressional　authority　in　connection　with　treason。　The　legislature　of　the　United　States　was　given　the　power　to　declare　the　punishment　of　treason；　but　treason　itself　was　defined　in　the　Const