Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/332

300 Other resolutions. [i787 as the original ones; but the national legislature might make stipu- lations with them concerning the public debt then subsisting. When the subject was reached by the Convention, Gouverneur Morris moved that the last two sentences be struck out; he would not bind the legislature to admit western States on the terms there laid down. Madison opposed the motion, insisting that the western people neither would nor ought to submit to a union which would degrade them. The motion was rejected, only two States favouring it, Maryland and Virginia, both of which had regions to the West. Morris now moved that the following be substituted for the whole draft provision: "New States may be admitted by the legislature into the Union ; but no new States shall be erected within the limits of any of the present States without the consent of the legislature of such States as well as of the general legis- lature. 1 " This was agreed to, after strong objection by Martin against requiring consent of the States to erecting new ones within their territory; six States voting aye to five nay. Opposition was now raised to the provision as amended, on various grounds. One objection was that it would alarm the new regions; another was, that it was unnecessary, because the Union could not dis- member a State without its consent ; another was, that certain regions contested jurisdiction over them by any State, as in the case of Vermont. Amended to meet the last-named objection, the provision, with some verbal changes, was adopted. A provision was now added, against forming States by joining two or more, or by joining parts without consent of the legislatures of the States concerned, as well as of Congress. And so the whole passed into the Constitution; where it is the first half of section 3, Article IV. The eleventh Randolph resolution declared that a republican govern- ment, and the territory of each State, except in the instance of a voluntary junction of government and territory, should be guaranteed by the United States to each State. This provision passed through several changes of form, intended only to make it more clear and definite. In its final form it declares that the United States shall guarantee to each State a republican form of government, protecting it from foreign invasion and, on request of the State legislature or of the executive if the legislature cannot be convened, from domestic violence. Thus it appears in section 4, Article IV of the Constitution. The thirteenth of the Randolph resolutions declared that provision ought to be made for the amendment of the Articles of Union whenever it should seem necessary ; and that the assent of the national legislature ought not to be required. This resolution first came before the committee of the whole House on June 5. It was then postponed, and taken up again on June 11. Several members now thought the resolution unnecessary ; but if necessary, the consent of the national legislature ought to go with it. Mason urged