180.  Other Fathers of the Constitution.—­George Washington was chosen President of the Convention.  He made few speeches.  But the speeches that he made were very important.  And the mere fact that he approved the Constitution had a tremendous influence throughout the country.  The oldest man in the Convention was Benjamin Franklin.  His long experience in politics and in diplomacy with his natural shrewdness had made him an unrivaled manager of men.  From all the states came able men.  In fact, with the exception of John Adams, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson, the strongest men in political life were in the Federal Convention.  Never in the history of the world have so many great political leaders, learned students of politics, and shrewd business men gathered together.  The result of their labors was the most marvelous product of political wisdom that the world has ever seen.

[Illustration:  THE OLD STATE HOUSE, PHILADELPHIA.  Meeting place of the Continental Congress and of the Federal Convention—­now called Independence Hall.]

[Sidenote:  The Virginia plan.]

[Sidenote:  Pinckney’s plan.]

[Sidenote:  Vote for a national government.]

181.  Plans for a National Government.—­As soon as the Convention was in working order, Governor Randolph of Virginia presented Madison’s plan for a “national” government.  Charles Pinckney of South Carolina also brought forward a plan.  His scheme was more detailed than was Madison’s plan.  But, like it, it provided for a government with “supreme legislative, executive, and judicial powers.”  On May 30 the Convention voted that a “national government ought to be established, consisting of a supreme Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary.”  It next decided that the legislative department should consist of two houses.  But when the delegates began to talk over the details, they began to disagree.

[Sidenote:  The New Jersey plan.]

182.  Disagreement as to Representation.—­The Virginia plan proposed that representation in one branch of the new Congress should be divided among the states according to the amount of money each state paid into the national treasury, or according to the number of the free inhabitants of each state.  The Delaware delegates at once said that they must withdraw.  In June Governor Patterson of New Jersey brought forward a plan which had been drawn up by the delegates from the smaller states.  It is always called, however, the New Jersey plan.  It proposed simply to amend the Articles of Confederation so as to give Congress more power.  After a long debate the New Jersey plan was rejected.

[Illustration:  Benjamin Franklin.  “He snatched the lightning from Heaven, and the sceptre from tyrants.”—­TURGOT.]

[Sidenote:  Representation in the House of Representatives. McMaster, 167.]

[Sidenote:  Representation in the Senate.]