1 90 JAMES MADISON 



Americans of the Revolutionary period ; only Hamil- 

 ton, Ellsworth, and Marshall approached him even at 

 a distance. The early maturity of his power was not 

 so astonishing as in Hamilton's case, but it was re- 

 markable, and, like Washington, he was distinguished 

 in youth for soundness of judgment and keenness of 

 perception. Along with these admirable qualities, his 

 lofty integrity and his warm interest in public affairs 

 were well known to the people of Orange County, so 

 that when, in the autumn of 1 774, it was thought neces- 

 sary to appoint a committee of safety, Madison was its 

 youngest member. Early in 1776 he was chosen a 

 delegate to the state convention, which met at 

 Williamsburg in May. The first business of the con- 

 vention was to instruct the Virginia delegation in the 

 Continental Congress with regard to an immediate 

 declaration of independence. Next came the work of 

 making a constitution for the state, and Madison was 

 one of the special committee appointed to deal with 

 this problem. Here one of his first acts was highly 

 characteristic. Religious liberty was a matter that 

 strongly enlisted his feelings. When it was proposed 

 that, under the new constitution, "all men should 

 enjoy the fullest toleration in the exercise of religion, 

 according to the dictates of conscience," Madison 

 pointed out that this provision did not go to the root 

 of the matter. The free exercise of religion, according 

 to the dictates of conscience, is something which every 

 man may demand as a right, not something for which 

 he must ask as a privilege. To grant to the state the 

 power of tolerating is implicitly to grant to it the 

 power of prohibiting, whereas Madison would deny to 

 it any jurisdiction whatever in the matter of religion. 



