high, and the parties were for a long time so
unyielding, that fears were entertained of a sudden dissolution of the
convention.

Sec.7. It became evident that the question could be settled only by
compromise. The northern states consented that in ascertaining the
number of persons to be taken as the basis of apportionment,
three-fifths of the slaves should be added to the number of free
persons. And as these states had opposed the computation of any slaves
in fixing a rule of apportionment, on the ground that slaves are
property, and that no property in these states entitled its owners to
representation, the southern states consented, on their part, that
_direct taxes_ should be apportioned on the same basis as
representatives.

Sec.8. To illustrate this rule by an example: Suppose a state to contain
600,000 free persons, and 500,000 slaves. Adding three-fifths of the
number of slaves, (300,000) to the number of free persons, gives 900,000
as the number of the representative population: and the state would be
entitled to _three_ representatives for every _two_ that a state would
have which contained 600,000 free inhabitants and no slaves. So in
apportioning taxes according to population, the state in the case we
have supposed, would have to raise _three_ dollars for every _two_ that
it would raise if no slaves were counted.

Sec.9. But the advantages of this arrangement are more unequal than may at
first sight appear, or than was anticipated by the framers of the
constitution. The benefits are chiefly on the side of the slaveholding
states. In the first place, two-fifths of a large class of property in
these states is exempt from taxation, while _all_ the property in the
free states is liable to taxation. Of this the framers were aware. But
they did not foresee the fact, that the laying of direct taxes would be
unnecessary, and that the slave states would consequently escape
taxation for their slaves. Only three direct taxes have been laid; and
it is not probable that another will become necessary; the treasury
being supplied from other sources, chiefly by duties on imports.

Sec.10. Now, although nothing is gained by the slave states, nor is
anything lost by the free states, by the exemption of the two-fifths of
the slaves from taxation, since direct taxes are unnecessary; there is a
great gain to the slave states, which have between thirty and forty
representatives for what their laws hold to be "property to all