194 JAMES MADISON 



by a compromise proposed by Mr. Madison : the 

 slaves were rated as population, but in such wise 

 that five of them were counted as three persons. 



In 1784 Mr. Madison was again elected to the Vir- 

 ginia legislature, an ofHce then scarcely inferior in 

 dignity, and superior in influence, to that of delegate 

 to the Continental Congress. His efforts were stead- 

 fastly devoted to the preparation and advancing of 

 measures calculated to increase the strength of the 

 federal government. He supported the proposed 

 amendment to the Articles of Confederation, giving 

 to Congress control over the foreign trade of the 

 states; and pending the adoption of such a measure 

 he secured the passage of a port bill restricting the 

 entry of foreign ships to certain specified ports. The 

 purpose of this was to facilitate the collection of reve- 

 nue, but it was partially defeated in its operation by 

 successive amendments increasing the number of ports. 

 While the weakness of the general government and 

 the need for strengthening it were daily growing more 

 apparent, the question of religious liberty was the sub- 

 ject of earnest discussion in the Virginia legislature. 

 An attempt was made to lay a tax upon all the people 

 " for the support of teachers of the Christian religion." 

 At first Madison was almost the only one to see 

 clearly the serious danger lurking in such a tax ; that 

 it would be likely to erect a State Church and curtail 

 men's freedom of belief and worship. Madison's posi- 

 tion here well illustrated the remark that intelligent 

 persistence is capable of making one person a majority. 

 His energetic opposition resulted at first in postpon- 

 ing the measure. Then he wrote a " Memorial and 

 Remonstrance," setting forth its dangerous charac- 



