Convention, which he
describes as follows:

"One party, whose object and wish it was to abolish and
annihilate all State governments, and to bring forward one
General Government over this extensive continent of a
monarchical nature, under certain restrictions and limitations.
Those who openly avowed this sentiment were, it is true, but
few; yet it is equally true that there was a considerable
number, who did not openly avow it, who were, by myself and many
others of the Convention, considered as being in reality
favorers of that sentiment....

"The second party was not for the abolition of the State
governments nor for the introduction of a monarchical government
under any form; but they wished to establish such a system as
could give their own States undue power and influence in the
government over the other States.

"A third party was what I considered truly federal and
republican. This party was nearly equal in number with the other
two, and was composed of the delegates from Connecticut, New
York, New Jersey, Delaware, and in part from Maryland; also of
some individuals from other representations. This party were for
proceeding upon terms of federal equality: they were for taking
our present federal system as the basis of their proceedings,
and, as far as experience had shown that other powers were
necessary to the Federal Government, to give those powers. They
considered this the object for which they were sent by their
States, and what their States expected from them."

In his account of the second party above described, Mr. Martin refers to
those representatives of the larger States who wished to establish a
numerical basis of representation in the Congress, instead of the equal
representation of the States (whether large or small) which existed
under the Articles of Confederation. There was naturally much
dissatisfaction on the part of the greater States--Virginia,
Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Massachusetts--whose population at
that period exceeded that of all the others combined, but which, in the
Congress, constituted less than one third of the voting strength. On the
other hand, the smaller States were tenacious of their equality in the
Union. Of the very smallest, one, as we have seen, had sent no
representatives to the Convention, and the other had instructed her
delegates, unconditionally, to insi