Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. I.djvu/215

 JAMES MADISON 175 through the decisions of the Federal supreme court. In all the discussions in the Federal convention Mr. Madison naturally took a leading part. Be sides the work of cardinal importance which he achieved as principal author of the Virginia plan, especial mention must be made of the famous com promise that adjusted the distribution of repre sentatives between the northern and the southern states. We have seen that in the congress of 1783, when it was a question of taxation, the south was inclined to regard slaves as chattels, while the north preferred to regard them as population. Now, when it had come to be a question of the apportion ment of representation, the case was reversed: it was the south that wished to count slaves as popu lation, while the north insisted that they should be classed as chattels. Here Mr. Madison proposed the same compromise that had succeeded in congress four years before; and Mr. Rutledge, of South Carolina, who had supported him on the former occasion, could hardly do otherwise than come again to his side. It was agreed that in counting popu lation, whether for direct taxation or for repre sentation in the lower house of congress, five slaves should be reckoned as three individuals. In the history of the formation of our Federal Union this compromise was of cardinal importance. With out it the Union would undoubtedly have gone to