ocracy. But the men of the coast were not ready to admit its
implications. They apportioned the State legislatures so that the
property-holding minority of the tide-water lands were able to outvote
the more populous back countries. A similar system was proposed by
Federalists in the constitutional convention of 1787. Gouverneur Morris,
arguing in favor of basing representation on property as well as
numbers, declared that "he looked forward, also, to that range of new
States which would soon be formed in the West. He thought the rule of
representation ought to be so fixed, as to secure to the Atlantic States
a prevalence in the national councils." "The new States," said he, "will
know less of the public interest than these; will have an interest in
many respects different; in particular will be little scrupulous of
involving the community in wars, the burdens and operations of which
would fall chiefly on the maritime States. Provision ought, therefore,
to be made to prevent the maritime States from being hereafter outvoted
by them." He added that the Western country "would not be able to
furnish men equally enlightened to share in the administration of our
common interests. The busy haunts of men, not the remote wilderness, was
the proper school of political talents. If the Western people get power
into their hands, they will ruin the Atlantic interest. The back
members are always most averse to the best measures." Add to these
utterances of Gouverneur Morris the impassioned protest of Josiah
Quincy, of Massachusetts, in the debates in the House of
Representatives, on the admission of Louisiana. Referring to the
discussion over the slave votes and the West in the constitutional
convention, he declared, "Suppose, then, that it had been distinctly
foreseen that, in addition to the effect of this weight, the whole
population of a world beyond the Mississippi was to be brought into this
and the other branch of the legislature, to form our laws, control our
rights, and decide our destiny. Sir, can it be pretended that the
patriots of that day would for one moment have listened to it? . . .
They had not taken degrees at the hospital of idiocy. . . . Why, sir, I
have already heard of six States, and some say there will be, at no
great distant time, more. I have also heard that the mouth of the Ohio
will be far to the east of the center of the contemplated empire. . . .
You have no authority to throw the rights and property of th