1787 j The principle of two branches adopted. 271 The Convention voted against Lansing's motion; the four smaller States of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware alone supporting it. On the following day Johnson wished to know how the States could be preserved unless equal voting were given to them a thing which could not be effectual unless it extended to the whole legislature. Wilson turned the question, asking how the general government could be secured against the States ; the means of defence ought to be recipro- cal. The States were to have their means of defence in one branch of the legislature ; the general government should be able to defend itself in the other, which it could do only if that were placed beyond the control of the States as such. Further, he saw no danger to the States from the general government ; alarm would follow and defeat combinations, if attempted, among the large States. The general government would be as ready to protect the States as the States were to protect individuals. Madison believed that there would be less reason to fear the general government than to fear the States, and that en- croachment by the former would be less mischievous than encroachment by the latter. A vote was now taken, which resulted in the adoption of the com- mittee's resolution; seven States voting aye; three, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware, nay ; one, Maryland, being divided. The resolu- tion then went through the regular course without further discussion and passed into the Constitution as section 1 of Article L (4) ELECTION OF THE FIRST BRANCH. The fourth of the Randolph resolutions declared, in its first clause, that the members of the first branch of the legislature should be elected by the people of the several States. This resolution was reached in committee of the whole House on May 31, and debate upon it began at once. Sherman opposed the resolution ; he argued that the people should have little to do with the government ; they lacked knowledge and were likely to be misled. The election should be by the State legislatures. Gerry considered that the evils experienced by the country flowed from too much democracy ; the people were not wanting in virtue, but they were the dupes of pretending patriots. Still he favoured election to the first branch by the people, in order, as he said later, to inspire them with confidence in the government. Mason favoured election by the people. The first branch of the legislature was to be the depositary of the democratic principle ; it was to be the American House of Commons. It should therefore be in sympathy with every part of the community. We had been too demo- cratic, but there was danger of running into the opposite extreme. OH. VIII.
