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Show ) 28 ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION. government, and gave laws to the English. Tic reprobated the original agreement of Congress to vote by colonies, and therefore was for their voting, in all cases, according to the number of taxables. Dr. Witherspoon opposed every alteration of the article. .All men admit that a confederacy is necessary. Should tho idea get abroad that there is likely to be 110 union among us, it will damp the minds of the people, <.limini. h the glory of our struggle, and lessen its importance; because it will open to our view future prospects of war and dissension among ourselves. If an equal vote be refused, the smaller States will become vassals to the larger; and all experience has shown that the vassals and subjects of Free States are tllo most enslaved. lie instanced the helots of Sparta and the provinces of Rome. Tic observed that foreign powers, discovering this blemish, would make it a handle for disengaging the smaller States from so unequal a confederacy. That the colonies should, in fact, be considered as individuals; and that, as such, in all disputes they should have an equal vote; that they are now collected as individuals making a bargain with each other, and, of course, had a right to vote as individuals. That in the East India Company they voted by persons, and not by their proportion of stock. That the Belgic confederacy voted by provinces. That in ques· tions of war the smaller States were as much interested as the larger, and therefore should vote equally ; and indeed, that the larger States were more likely to bring war on the confederacy, in proportion as their frontier was more exten· sive. IIe admitted that equality of representation was an excellent principle, but then it must be of thing5 which are co-ordinate; that is, of thing similar, and of the same na· turc; that nothing t·clating to individuals could ever come before Congress; nothing but what would respect Colonies. Tic distinguished between an incorporating and a federal umon. The union of Englaud was an incorporating one; ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION. 29 yet Scotland had suffered by that union ; for that its inhabitants were drawn from it by the hopes of places and employments; nor was it an instance of equality of representation ; because while Scotland was allowed nearly a thirteenth of representation, they were to pay only onc-forlieth of the land-tax. lie expressed his hopes that,, in the pre en t enlightened s.ta~e of men's minds, we might expect a lasting confederacy, 1f It was founded on fair princi pies. J obn Adams advocated the voting in proportion to numbers. lie said, that we stand here as the representatives of the people ; that in some States the people arc many, in others they are few ; that therefore their vote here should be proportioned to the numbers from whom it comes. Reason, justice, and equity, never had weight enough, on the face of the earth, to govern the councils of men. It is interest alone which docs it, and it is interest alone which can be trusted; that therefore the interests within doors should be the mathematical representatives of the interests without doors; that the individuality of the colonies is a ~ere sound. Does the individuality of a colony increase Its wealth or numbers? If it does, pay equa11y. If it docs not add weight in tho scale of the confederacy, it cannot udd to their rights, nor weigh in argument. .A has £50, B £500, C £1000, in partnership. Is it just they shoul<l equally dispose of the moneys of the partnership ? It has been said we arc independent individuals, making a bargain together. The question is not what we are now, but what we ought to be when our bargain shall be made. The confederacy is to make us one individual only· it is to form us l'k ' , 1 e separate parcels of metal, into one common mass. We sh~ll no longer retain our separate individuality, but become a Slllgle individual, as to all questions submitted to the conf? derucy. Therefore all those reasons which prove the justice and expediency of equal representation in other assemblies hold good here. It has been objected that a proper- |