If, however, the inhabitants of the United States were to be considered as belonging to one and the same nation, it would be just that the majority of the citizens of the Union should prescribe the law.

Of course the lesser States could not subscribe to the application of this doctrine without, in fact, abdicating their existence in relation to the sovereignty of the Confederation; since they would have passed from the condition of a co-equal and co-legislative authority to that of an insignificant fraction of a great people.

But if the former system would have invested them with an excessive authority, the latter would have annulled their influence altogether.

Under these circumstances the result was, that the strict rules of logic were evaded, as is usually the case when interests are opposed to arguments.
A middle course was hit upon by the legislators, which brought together by force two systems theoretically irreconcilable.
The principle of the independence of the States prevailed in the formation of the Senate, and that of the sovereignty of the nation predominated in the composition of the House of Representatives.

It was decided that each State should send two senators to Congress, and a number of representatives proportioned to its population.