important support of the central States of the Confederacy, to the consummation of its ultimate aim in the establishment of an efficient national government.

CHAPTER XXV.

Mr. Madison returns to Virginia to attend the Annual Meeting of the Legislature-Prepares and introduces a Bill for the appointment of Commissioners to the Proposed Convention at Philadelphia — Bill passed, and Commissioners appointed-Lead of Virginia promptly followed by the Middle States-Proceedings of the Legislature on the Project before Congress for the Relinquishment of the Missis sippi - Spirited Remonstrance against it drawn by Mr. MadisonPetitions for an issue of Paper Money - Opposed by Mr. Madison, and rejected-Act authorizing Tobacco to be received in payment of Public Dues - Instalment Law proposed-Earnestly resisted by Mr. Madison, and finally defeated-Repeal of Act for Incorporation of the Protestant Episcopal Church - One of the Petitions for its Repeal drawn by Mr. Madison Continues his arduous Labors in connection with the General Revision of the Laws-Tribute by Judge Pendleton and Mr. Jefferson to the Value and Importance of his Services in that great Work Reasons for not renewing at the Present Session his Efforts with regard to the Question of the British Debts - Financial Embarrassments of the State and Country-Summary Review of Mr. Madison's Services and Labors during his career in the Legislature of the State-Again appointed one of the Delegates of Virginia to the Congress of the Confederation.

FROM Annapolis Mr. Madison returned to Philadelphia; and, after remaining there three or four weeks, he came back to Virginia, to attend the annual meeting of the legislature of the State, which was to convene at Richmond on the 16th day of October. A quorum of the House of Dele

gates, of which he was a member, was not formed, however, until the 23d of the month. In his intercourse with his colleagues, he lost no opportunity of impressing upon them his views of the critical condition of the Confederacy, and the necessity of firm and timely action to avert the dangers with which it was threatened.

The report of the commissioners at Annapolis was taken into consideration, in committee of the whole, the second week of the session; and, on the 3d day of November, 1780, a resolution was unanimously agreed to by the House, that "an act ought to pass, in conformity to the report from Annapolis, for the appointment of commissioners, on the part of Virginia, to meet those who should be appointed by the other States in convention at Philadelphia, on the second Monday in May next, to devise such further provisions as shall appear necessary to render the constitution of the Federal government adequate to the exigencies of the Union."

A select committee, consisting of Mr. Matthews (who had been chairman of the committee of the whole), Mr. George Nicholas, Mr. Madison, General Thomas Nelson, Mr. Mann Page, Colonel Theodorick Bland, and Mr. Corbin, was immediately appointed to prepare and bring in the bill. On the 7th day of November, the bill was reported to the House; and, on the 9th, it was passed without opposition.

As Virginia was the first State to act on the sub

ject, and as her proceedings would have no small influence on her sister States, it was felt that they should be invested with all the dignity and solemnity which a grave and impressive eloquence, corresponding with the peculiar magnitude of the occasion, could give them. Mr. Madison was naturally chosen by his brethren of the committee to perform this task. We insert here the preamble of the act, as it came from his pen, and as it was adopted, without the slightest modification, by both branches of the legislature. So lofty and magnanimous an appeal to the patriotism and enlightened conscience of the nation could not have been without a profound effect at the time, and awakens, even now, a responsive but melancholy echo, reverberated from the neglected monuments of the past:

"Whereas the General Assembly of this Commonwealth, taking into view the actual situation of the Confederacy, as well as reflecting on the alarming representations made, from time to time, by the United States in Congress, particularly in

can

their act of the 15th day of February last, no longer doubt that the crisis is arrived at which the good people of America are to decide the solemn question, whether they will, by wise and magnanimous efforts, reap the just fruits of that independence which they have so gloriously acquired, and of that Union which they have cemented with so much of their common blood; or whether, by giving way to unmanly jealousies

and prejudices, or to partial and transitory interests, they will renounce the auspicious blessings prepared for them by the Revolution, and furnish to its enemies an eventual triumph over those by whose virtue and valor it has been accomplished: And whereas the same noble and extended policy, and the same fraternal and affectionate sentiments, which originally determined the citizens of this Commonwealth to unite with their brethren of the other States in establishing a Federal government, cannot but be felt with equal force now, as motives to lay aside every inferior consideration, and to concur in such farther concessions and provisions as may be necessary to secure the great objects for which that government was established, and to render the United States as happy in peace as they have been glorious in war." Then follows the enactment for the appointment, by joint ballot of both Houses, of seven commissioners on the part of Virginia, to attend the General Convention proposed to be held at Philadelphia.

As a contemporary illustration of the spirit of this imposing measure of the legislature of Virginia, we subjoin also an extract from a letter of Mr. Madison to General Washington. On the 5th of November, 1786, General Washington had written to him, expressing an earnest solicitude that "Virginia would take the lead in promoting the great and arduous work" of a reconstruction of the Federal government, and, at the same time, communicated to him the gloomy intelligence he