Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. I.djvu/209

 JAMES MADISON 169 canals with the upper waters of the Ohio at Pitts- burg an enterprise which, in due course of time, resulted in the Chesapeake and Ohio canal. The first president of the Potomac company was George Washington, who well understood that the undertaking was quite as important in its political as in its commercial bearings. At the same time it was proposed to connect the Potomac and Dela ware rivers with a canal, and a company was organized for this purpose. This made it desirable that the four states Virginia, Maryland, Dela ware, and Pennsylvania should agree upon the laws for regulating interstate traffic through this system of water-ways. But from this it was but a short step to the conclusion that, since the whole commercial system of the United States confess edly needed overhauling, it might perhaps be as w T ell for all the thirteen states to hold a convention for considering the matter. ( When such a sug gestion was communicated from the legislature of Maryland to that of Virginia, it afforded Mr. Madison the opportunity for which he had been eagerly waiting. Some time before he had pre pared a resolution for the appointment of commis sioners to confer with commissioners from the other states concerning the trade of the country and the advisableriess of intrusting its regulation to the Federal government^ This resolution Mr. Madi son left to be offered to the assembly by some one