[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 93 (Monday, July 17, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7623-S7624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE GREAT COMPROMISE; AN AMERICAN MOMENT

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, yesterday, July 16, was the anniversary of 
one of the greatest events in American history. It was 219 years ago 
that our Founding Fathers were meeting at the Constitutional Convention 
in Philadelphia, attempting to formulate a workable plan of Government. 
At the time, the young American Government was operating under the 
Articles of Confederation, which every day was proving to be 
unworkable.
  For 7 weeks, the Constitutional Convention had been working to devise 
a better form of Government, a ``more perfect union.'' It would be a 
Government with three branches: an executive branch, a legislative 
branch, and a judicial branch. The branches of the Government would 
have separated powers and the ability to check and balance one another.
  The Convention delegates had already made a number of important 
decisions about the structure of the Congress. The Convention had set 
the minimum age for Members of the Senate at 30 and a term length at 6 
years, as opposed to 25 years of age for Members of the House of 
Representatives, who would have 2-year terms.
  But then came the stumbling block, how the States would be 
represented in

[[Page S7624]]

Congress. Delegates from the large States believed that because their 
States contributed more to the Nation's financial and defensive 
resources, they should have greater representation in the legislative 
bodies. Small State delegates demanded that all States be equally 
represented in both Houses.
  Hours, even days, of heated, contentious debate followed. A number of 
proposals, including one by Benjamin Franklin, were considered and 
rejected. Stalemate was in the air. Failure threatened the Convention 
and the youthful Republic was stymied, stopped in its tracks. If the 
Constitutional Convention collapsed, it meant that the American 
Government would have to continue operating under the flawed and 
failing Articles of Confederation.
  So maybe it was a miracle in Philadelphia. It may have been divine 
intervention. Who knows. Perhaps it was because there were great 
political leaders and they acted as mature political statesmen. 
Politics, it is said, is the art of compromise. And this is exactly 
what our Founding Fathers did; they compromised. They worked out a 
compromise, the Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut 
Compromise because it was designed by the Connecticut delegates Roger 
Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth. It provided a dual system of 
congressional representation. In the House of Representatives, every 
State would be assigned a number of seats in proportion to its 
population. In the Senate, all States would have the same number of 
seats.
  Just 8 days after the Great Compromise was adopted, the Convention 
was able to elect a committee to draft a detailed Constitution 
embodying the fundamental principles of the proceedings.
  Today, representation of the two Houses of Congress seems so logical 
and so accepted that we take it for granted. Perhaps it is for that 
reason that we pass this anniversary with very little notice, too 
little notice--that is a shame--and no fanfare. It was a crucial moment 
in history. An American moment. It should be recognized and honored and 
remembered.

     Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State!
     Sail on, O Union, strong and great!
     Humanity with all its fears,
     With all the hopes of future years,
     Is hanging breathless on thy fate!
     We know what Master laid thy keel,
     What Workmen wrought thy ribs of steel,
     Who made each mast, and sail, and rope,
     What anvils rang, what hammers beat,
     In what a forge and what a heat
     Were shaped the anchors of thy hope!
     Fear not each sudden and sound and shock,
     'Tis of the wave and not the rock;
     'Tis but the flapping of the sail,
     And not a rent made by the gale!
     In spite of rock and tempest's roar,
     In spite of false lights on the shore,
     Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea!
     Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee,
     Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears,
     Our faith triumphant o'er our fears,
     Are all with thee--are all with thee!

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, let me thank the Senator from West 
Virginia for reminding us, once again, of an important part of this 
country's great history. He educates all of us on the floor of the 
Senate, and I appreciate his comments.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator. Were it 
not for that compromise, we would not be here today. There would be no 
Senate. There would be no Republic as we know it.
  I thank the Senator.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.

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