Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. I.djvu/206

 166 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS adoption of such a measure, he secured in that body the passage of a port bill restricting the entry of foreign ships to certain specified ports. The pur pose of this was to^ facilitate the collection of reve nue, but it was partially defeated in its operation by successive amendments increasing the number of ports. While the weakness of the general govern ment and the need for strengthening it were daily growing more apparent, the question of religious liberty was the subject of earnest discussion in the Virginia legislature. An attempt was made to lay a tax upon all the people of that state &quot;for the support of teachers of the Christian religion.&quot; At first Madison was almost the only one to see clearly the serious danger lurking in such a tax; that it would be likely to erect a state church and curtail men s freedom of belief and worship. Mr. Madison s position here well illustrated the remark that intelligent persistence is capable of making one person a majority. His energetic op position resulted at first in postponing the measure. Then he wrote a &quot;Memorial and Remonstrance,&quot; setting forth its dangerous character with wonder ful clearness and cogency. He sent this paper all over the state for signatures, and in the course of a twelvemonth had so educated the people that, in the election of 1785, the question of religious free dom was made a test question, and in the ensuing session the dangerous bill was defeated, and in